Amazon

Ad attack: Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Paperwhite

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 11, 2018

Amazon just wrapped up its news-packed event that saw the company update its Kindle lineup and add two new notable products to the mix: the Kindle Paperwhite with a stunning new display combining the best of LCD and e-ink technology and the Kindle Fire HD, a tablet meant to take Apple's iPad on the high-end.

You should care because Amazon has the ecosystem, the game plan and the devices to take on Apple from every angle. If you don't have time to read through our extensive coverage of Amazon's presser, have a look at two new ads that highlight headline features of the two new tablets...

Amazon refreshes the Kindle lineup, targets the iPad with all-new Kindle Fire HD

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 11, 2018

Following recent product launches by technology giants Samsung, Googlerola and Microkia, the online retail giant Amazon summoned select members of the press to a media event in Los Angeles, California. As previously hinted, the company is expected to unveil half a dozen new Kindle devices, including a ten-inch tablet to take Apple's iPad head on.

Some people even hope the company will launch a smartphone of its own, just to make fall phone options a tad more interesting. As always, iDB is watching the announcement so you don't have to, bringing you everything worth knowing. Here are the goodies Amazon has in store for us (just don't call them gadgets, will ya'?)...

Insiders say Amazon could unveil smartphone tomorrow

Cody Lee ∙ September 5, 2012

We're nearing the end of the two-week run of product announcements leading up to Apple's iPhone event. Last week, Samsung unveiled its Galaxy Note 2. And today, both Nokia and Motorola showed off new hardware.

Tomorrow, Amazon will play the final opening act with a media event in Los Angeles, where it's expected to unveil a handful of new Kindle tablets. But according to a new report, it may have a few surprises up its sleeves...

Looking to sell? Amazon offers top dollar for iPhone trade-ins

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Apple sent out media invites this morning for a September 12 event where many believe it will unveil the new iPhone. The handset is expected to become available for pre-order the same day, and launch in stores the following week.

The news has kickstarted the pre-announcement ritual of folks looking to sell off their old Apple gear to help pay for the new stuff. And if you're looking to do the same, Amazon appears to be offering top dollar for old iPhones...

Report: Apple using MacBook supplier AU Optronics and LG Display for iPad mini display

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

As we get closer to the expected October launch of Apple's "iPad mini," details are emerging about how the Cupertino, Calif. company is reshaping its supplier base in the face of growing demand for handheld devices. AU Optronics, which made MacBook displays, is now building parts for the smaller iPad, Bloomberg reports Friday.

LG Display is also among the suppliers for the smaller tablet, according to Bloomberg.

Amazon: Kindle Fire owns 22% of US tablet sales

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Amazon's Kindle Fire owns 22 percent of the US tablet market, the online retail giant announced Thursday. The figure comes as Amazon preps to likely announce a new tablet next week, along with girding to take-on Google's $199 Nexus 7 device.

According to Amazon, "in just nine months, Kindle Fire has captured 22 percent of sales in the US," PaidContent reports. Accustomed to being fed amorphous Kindle marketing stats like "a lot" and "most in our history," the concreteness of the announcement was surprising. However, after the initial shock, there began questions, like 22 percent of what?

Amazon expanding video streaming with NBC licensing deal

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Amazon Prime, the online bookseller's answer to Netflix, Friday expanded its licensing arrangement with NBCUniversal, allowing TV programming like "Parks and Recreation," "Heroes" and "Battlestar Galactica" to be available to subscribers. The news follows the $79 annual service adding past seasons of "Parenthood," "Friday Night Lights" and "The Starter Wife."

Amazon's video content acquisition head Brad Beale described the firm's investment in Prime as "heavy," reports the Wall Street Journal. The comment is borne out by the company's 96% drop second-quarter earnings weighed by increased spending. Along with providing free two-day shipping of items and free Kindle book loans, Prime has offered streaming video since early 2011...

As iPhone event looms, competitors rush to beat Apple to the punch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Reports of the September 12 iPhone event started circling late last month. And although several publications have confirmed the date, Apple itself has yet to make any kind of announcement.

But the speculation must have been enough to catch the attentions of Apple's competitors. In the last three weeks, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola and Amazon have all announced press events scheduled for the first week of September...

FCC clears Amazon’s iPad contender, Samsung launches Galaxy Note 10.1

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 15, 2012

Google's Nexus 7 tablet launch a month ago has literally obsoleted Amazon's seven-inch Kindle Fire overnight. Three weeks ago, Reuters claimed Amazon was working on half a dozen new Android tablets, among them one with a larger display designed to take the iPad on the high-end.

The rumors were true as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) yesterday cleared an Amazon tablet with a larger display. Meanwhile, Samsung today launched its 10.1-inch Galaxy Note tablet with much fanfare.

It comes with a stylus (please, no jokes), has juicy hardware (a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM) plus some interesting multitasking features, such as split-screen functionality and a pop-up video player...

How to bypass iPad jailbreak detection on Amazon’s new video streaming app

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

Yesterday Amazon launched Amazon Instant Video, its new video streaming app for the iPad. The app lets you either stream or mark for download and later offline viewing any previously purchased video from Amazon. It also allows Amazon Prime users to stream over 120,000 videos for free.

Jailbreak users were quick to note that Amazon put a block in place to prevent them from using the app. As we reported this morning, Amazon even confirmed the problem, basically saying that if you are using a jailbroken iPad, there is nothing they can do for you.

But don't worry, as usual, the jailbreak community has your back...

iPad slaughters competition, gains share in Q2

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 2, 2012

The iPad is increasingly looking like a big success story for Apple though investors have been largely ignoring the fact due to their fixation with the iPhone, which fell three million units short of predictions in Q2 2012.

During the June quarter, Apple sold 17 million iPads, an 84 percent increase over the 9.25 million iPads sold in the year-ago quarter and up from the 11.8 million iPads shipped in Q1 2012. In just twelve months, Apple increased its share by almost seven percentage points, from 61.5 percent in Q2 2011 to a whopping 68.2 percent in Q2 2012.

Samsung and Asus also gained, the former on the heels of its Galaxy Tab lineup that Apple thinks copies the iPad's look and feel, and the latter based on strong sales of own products and the Nexus 7 which Asus makes for Google...

Amazon confirms problems with Instant Video app on jailbroken iPads

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 2, 2012

Online retailer Amazon confirmed that its newly released video streaming client for iPad, the free Instant Video app, doesn't run correctly on jailbroken iPads. Amazon yesterday released the program which enables its $79-a-year Prime subscribers and regular users to easily stream and synch via an iPad their video purchases and thousands of movies and television shows the company has on offer...