Will we see Amazon build a bigger Fire in 2012? Amazon will launch a 9-inch Amazon Kindle Fire tablet, as well as a refreshed 7-inch model by the middle of this year, according to one analyst's forecast.
Chad Bartley of Pacific Crest has increased his Kindle Fire 2012 sales estimate from 12 million units to 14.9 miilion units, partly due to the expected new models.
"We are raising our 2012 sales forecasts to 14.9 million from 12.7 million," he wrote in a note to investors.
"But we believe there is an upward bias, particularly from the new 7 and 9-inch models, which we expect to launch in mid-2012."
Let the real rivalry commenceA 9-inch Kindle Fire model would perhaps allow Amazon to take on larger tablets like the iPad, having already cornered the mid-sized market with its exceptionally-good-value, $199, 7-inch Android offering.
Despite selling an estimated six million Kindle Fire tablets during the holiday season alone, it is not seen as cutting into Apple's slice of the action as the company announced record iPad sales for the three months leading up to Christmas.
A 9-inch model, probably priced around $250, would give perhaps tablet buyers a little more food for thought before splurging on an iPad 3, which is expected to launch in about a month's time.
A new-and-improved 7-inch version of the Android tablet is likely to include many of the features Amazon left out first time around in order to get the first device out for Christmas.
Check out our Amazon Kindle Fire 2 rumour round-up for some indication of what we could see in any new models.
Via: AllThingsD Tags: Kindle Fire, Amazon, iPadTweetreddit!Stumbleupon Your comments (4) Click to add a new commentsimon_m4. To the 2 posters below - this has been explained, it's due the nature of the Kindle fire. It's main USP is that magazines, newspapers, TV, movies and music can all be downloaded - and as with ebooks and most other digital media, that means that rights and territories become important. Amazon have had trouble, particularly with movies and music, and as such that functionality would not be available on UK Kindle Fires. So rather than release the product with half of its features unavailable, they're waiting to get that sorted first. Having said that, it has clearly been far too long now - they need to get their act together and get the rights agreed. It may well be down to Amazon being too bullish with their terms, as they famously are with every company and licensee they work with.
Alert a moderatortentimes3. So where is the UK model then? And, please could Techradar ask more questions of Amazon on this. You should be refusing to publish about them until they explain themselves.
Alert a moderatorglenns2. AMAZON !!! GET YOUR *** IN GEAR !!! WE NEED A GLOBAL RELEASE.... ok shouting over :D but we really do need an international release. 14.9 million in US sales , Imagine how many they would sell if they released in europe, tell me it wont hit Apple then. They need to get the Amazon market open to UK / Europe first.
AMAZON..Y U NO fire for the UK ??
Alert a moderatorsimon_m1. Well in the UK we don't even have the original Kindle Fire yet, so it's hard to get excited about this - but 9 inches is certainly a better size.
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