The authority that iPad enjoys would go down in the annals of technology as unchallenged, barring a few occasional roadblocks that rear its head disputing the reign of Apple.
And one such obstacle has just set foot in iPad’s territory in the form of a formidable competitor-the Kindle Fire HD from Amazon. The eCommerce giant has been going about its product in an overtly aggressive manner, pitting it unabashedly against Apple’s newly launched iPad Mini.
As a matter of fact, in a blatant attempt, Amazon has even gone ahead and put up a comparison between its product and iPad Mini on its home page. The clear cut message, sports a bold heading saying- “Much more for Much less”, in favor of Kindle Fire.
The Pricing
Along with its features, Kindle Fire HD’s pricing has been played-up the most, by Amazon. In a point wise comparison on its homepage, the iPad Mini’s price tag carries a $329 tag while Kindle Fire HD is priced at a lowly $199, an unmissable USP of their product.
Amazon has also put a neat ‘Shop Now’ link on its product and none on the iPad Mini (breaching the ethics of being an unbiased online retailer). This skewed treatment bears unmistakable indications towards its in-your-face marketing tactics.
Visual Appeal
The Amazon’s marvelous experience revolves around the visual appeal of its product- as the Kindle Fire HD has over 30% extra pixels (1,024,000 pixels) than iPad Mini (786,432 pixels). This stands at 216 ppi for Kindle Fire whereas 163 ppi for iPad Mini. Then the resolution too is higher at 1280 x 800 for Kindle Fire and 1024 x 768 for iPad Mini. A subheading beneath Kindle Fire also goes out to say that you can watch HD Movies & TV and while on iPad Mini you can’t.
The eCommerce heavyweight is also proclaiming that they’d be bringing out the best Wi-Fi experience for its users, while giving Dual stereo speakers and Dolby Digital Plus in the sound system.However, the only place Kindle Fire does not score a point over iPad Mini is its 7.0″ screen as compared to 7.9″ of Apple.
Sales Figure
According to industry insiders, Amazon has recorded an impressive sales on its Kindle Fire HD Tablet, that too a day after iPad Mini had hit the stands. A major surge in sales was seen on Wednesday 24th October. This can perhaps be credited to the massive reach and the brand value of Amazon.
It is in fact a welcome break for Amazon, which had reportedly seen stressful earnings in the 3rd quarter of this year. Apparently, the organization has stated to have found comfort in the sales of its newest product.
However in all propriety, iPad Mini too is witnessing big numbers, as the orders were filled for up to two weeks within a couple of minutes of its launch.
A Last Look
The question isn’t as much about who wins the competition, as it is about whether Kindle Fire HD will be able to carve a position for itself among Apple’s ardent fans, which are used to not just Apple’s technology but its ways too.
In entirety, the picture looks a little more complicated than put by Amazon.
iPad Mini comprising of iOS 6 is priced at $329 ( for 16GB), $429 (for 32GB), $529 (for 64GB) in the WI – fi. Whereas in Cellular it is at positioned at $459 (for 16GB), $559 ( for 32GB), $659 ( for 64GB).While, Kindle Fire HD, containing custom Android OS and is priced at $199 (for 16BG), $249 (for 32GB)
The limited space in Kindle Fire HD can be viewed as one of the limitations by iPad patrons.
However, in less than a month, on November 20th 2012, Amazon would be out with two more versions of Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ priced at $299 (for 16 GB) and $369 (for 32 GB). This would be accompanied by Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ 4G LTE Wireless, which will cost $499 (for 32 GB) and $599 (for 64 GB).
So, while you draw up your conclusions, the products would seek their own destiny.
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