amazon - 16/26 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Sep

Editorial: Amazon's Kindle Fire Has Just Made Every Other Android Tablet Manufacturer Look Bad

Posted by David Ruddock in Amazon, Android OS, Editorials, Kindle Fire

All I could think after reading the announcement for Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet this morning was: "this is what we've been waiting for." Because it is. Amazon gets tablets, believe it or not. And despite the flagging success of the Amazon Appstore, the company has done what no other tablet manufacturer has even come remotely close to: matching access to Apple's curated content library (iTunes + App Store) at a price nearly everyone can afford.

Living In The Amazon Ecosystem

I buy my music from Amazon. I buy episodes of TV shows. I rent movies. I buy Kindle books - and I don't even own a Kindle.

Sep

[Update: More Details] Amazon Officially Announces The Kindle Fire, Available For Pre-Order Today For $199

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Kindle Fire, News

It has been a long time coming, and even though we already knew basically everything about the device, Amazon just officially unveiled its very own Android tablet: the Kindle Fire.

The Fire is a 7-inch tablet/e-reader with an IPS display running at 1024x600, powered by a 1GHz dual-core TI OMAP4 processor and a heavily modified version of Android. Of course, it will be lacking any and all Google Apps, including the official Android Market. As expected, the Fire's go-to app store will be Amazon's official Appstore, which will run alongside other Amazon-specific apps like Cloud Player (Amazon MP3), Prime, Kindle (of course), and Amazon Instant Video.

Sep

Amazon's "Kindle Fire" To Be Officially Announced Wednesday - Expected To Release This November

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Amazon, News, Tablets

It looks like Amazon's Android-powered tablet we heard about previously will soon be a reality. TechCrunch reported today that at Amazon's press event this Wednesday, the online shopping giant will unveil the Kindle Fire, an Android-based tablet named to differentiate itself from its e-ink cousins.

The tablet runs a custom version of Android including Amazon's own app market. Little is known about the Fire's hardware, other than the fact that it's sporting a 7" backlit display and possibly a Texas Instruments OMAP 4 processor. The Kindle Fire's hardware specs are not the only thing the tablet has to offer however. Many are speculating that a last-minute deal with FOX indicates a strong media focus for the tablet, bringing sophisticated streaming capabilities and a slew of media options.

Sep

[Update x2: It Was Fun While It Lasted] Is The Amazon Appstore Officially Rolling Out Globally?

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Amazon, News

Update 2: Just like we expected, Amazon has pulled the plug on the Appstore's international availability. No reason was given, but we already knew that the global launch was unintentional in the first place, so it makes sense.

Of all the gripes surrounding the Amazon Appstore, its lack of international availability has been among the top since its release back in March of this year. However, we're starting to hear that Big A may have quietly unleashed its third-party Android market to several countries outside of the US.

According to The Digital Reader, users in the UK, Australia, The Netherlands, and India have all successfully been able to install the Appstore and login using their existing user ID and password.

Sep

[Deal Alert] Cementing Their Partnership With Verizon, RadioShack Offers $200 Savings On Select Phones

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Deals, News, Verizon Wireless

RadioShack seems awfully pleased with its new partnership with Verizon, and to express its sentiment it is giving a $100 instant rebate for every Verizon smartphone activated with a 2-year contract. Those averse to arduous rebate policies (i.e. mailing in the form) will be pleased to know that the entire process of activation and rebate approval will be taken care of by an "awesome" RadioShack associate on the spot. The selected handsets include the HTC Thunderbolt, the Samsung Droid Charge, the Motorola Droid X2 and Droid Bionic.

Existing Verizon customers will also receive a $100 gift card in addition to the $100 instant rebate when they upgrade their handset.

Sep

[Deal Alert] AmazonWireless Gives $50 Amazon.com Gift Card With Every Verizon Phone Purchase

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Amazon, Deals, News, Verizon Wireless

If you have not already made the switch to Verizon's 4G LTE network, the deal announced today from AmazonWireless may finally tip the balance. Starting today and running till September 26th, AmazonWireless will give a $50 gift card to Amazon.com with every purchase of a Verizon phone or mobile broadband device (i.e. a MiFi) together with a contract.

This deal is applicable with a purchase of any Verizon device available through AmazonWireless, including popular Android phones such as the Motorola Droid Bionic 4G, the HTC Droid Incredible 2 and the HTC ThunderBolt 4G.

The deal comes at a very opportune moment as AmazonWireless is also offering the HTC ThunderBolt 4G for just $0.01.

Sep

[Update: It's Gone] Deal Alert: Amazon Selling Motorola Xoom WiFi 32GB For $353.50

Posted by Abhiroop Basu in Amazon, Deals, News

The Motorola Xoom has its flaws and it may not be all that new, but it is still one of the best Android tablets available. Normally, this fine 10.1" Honeycomb device retails for about $499.99, but from today Amazon.com has it on sale for the low price of $353.50 with free shipping. This is a reduction of almost 30% of the original price and $50 less then the next lowest deal that we have come across.

Update: And just like that - it's gone. The price is now $452. Congratulations to everyone who managed to snag one.

Here's a quick rundown of the specs in case you had forgotten:

10.1-inch (1280x800 at 150 ppi) display
1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor
1GB RAM
32GB internal memory
5MP rear camera, 2MP front-facing camera
Android 3.2 Honeycomb

Interested in a Motorola Xoom?

Sep

Amazon Appstore Introduces 'Geek Week,' Drops The Price On Some Very Useful Apps

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Applications, News

While the Amazon Appstore may have its downfalls, it also has its upsides -- namely good deals and free apps. Thus is the case with its new promotion called "Geek Week," in which some very useful apps designed for hardcore Android enthusiasts have received a nice price drop.

As for the apps in question, you'll find some well-known tools and utilities in the mix:

Easy Tether for $4.99 (normally $9.99)
Root Explorer for $0.99 (normally $3.99)
WidgetLocker for $0.99 (normally $1.99)
Wave Launcher for $0.99 (normally $1.99)
SetCPU for $0.99 (normally $2)
RepliGo Reader for $1.99 (normally $4.99)
Xtralogic Remote Desktop Client for $12.99 (normally $24.95)
BackupEverything for $0.99 (normally $1.99)

Among those, I highly recommend Root Explorer and SetCPU (for overclocked devices), but the majority of those apps are definitely worth the sale price.

Sep

Details About Amazon's Kindle Tablet Surface: It's All Amazon, Baby

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Amazon, News

We've been hearing rumors of a potential Amazon tablet for some time now (no, I'm not referring to the Amazon Blaze), and not only are they true, but the device should be coming out quite soon.

TechCrunch's MG Siegler recently spent some hands-on time with the device that will simply be known as the 'Amazon Kindle,' and while he couldn't take any photos of it, he has painted a picture with words, describing, in great detail, what he saw and how he felt about the device.

For starters, the device is a seven-incher, which Siegler compares in appearance to both the Nook Color and the BlackBerry Playbook.

Aug

[Deal Alert] HTC ThunderBolt For A Penny With A New Agreement From Amazon Wireless

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Deals, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha)

If you've been considering making the jump to Verizon's ultra-fast 4G LTE network, then I can think of no better time to make that commitment than now, as you can score the HTC ThunderBolt for one cent from Amazon Wireless. Like always, signing up with Big Red for two years is a requisite to get that price, but it still saves you $250 over the retail front.