Amazon may scale down next Kindle Fire to 8.9-inch display
updated 10:50 pm EDT, Thu November 3, 2011
Amazon Kindle Fire may go to 9-inch display
Amazon's follow-up Kindle Fire may use a smaller screen than originally planned. Part suppliers claimed late Thursday that Chungwa Picture Tubes and LG Display, both of whom already make Kindle Fire displays, were ramping up their production for Amazon 8.9-inch screens. The Digitimes sources didn't have a timeframe, although they left room open for an iPad-like 9.7-inch version or the 10.1-inch panel that others had rumored might come.
Earlier talk had any future Kindle Fire being the real model to beat and a possible more direct competitor to the iPad. It might carry a quad-core processor such as NVIDIA's Tegra 3.
What reason Amazon would have to change the display wouldn't be apparent other than cost, since 8.9-inch LCDs often cost slightly less. Amazon is known to be very confident in the future of its tablet, however, as it's already ordering millions more Kindle Fire units. It has so far been one of the few companies to have any measurable degree of success with tablets significantly below 10 inches.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2011
Good Move
I think 8.9 is a good size. The Samsung Tab at that size is great and feels much more portable than the 10.1" version. Plus it isn't that much smaller.
I love my iPad and my iPad 2, but I do have a Kindle Fire pre-ordered. I think Amazon will actually compete with Apple.