The Amazon Kindle Fire is finally here, and with its launch on November 15th, the tablet wars are heating up. The months preceding the launch have seen interesting debates, with some experts opining that Apple’s 30% fee on purchases through iBooks had forced Amazon to look at developing its own system to do away with negotiations and commissions. Others believe that Kindle Fire was just a consolidation strategy by Amazon to make it easier for customers to buy online since research showed that more purchases were made using tablets than PCs.
Comparison Amazon Kindle Vs iPad2
With the arrival of Kindle Fire, the speculation continues as to whether the low price of Amazon’s 7 inch tablet will take away a slice of the market share from Apple’s iPad 2 or whether it would just create a new customer segment (a case in point being the competition between android and iOS in the mobile phone space). The fact is that both these tablets have their pros and cons. Tablet usage habits vary from one customer to another. While both are excellent devices for accessing content, the difference lies in the apps a person would use and whether reading or video would be the more important feature.
Here is a comparison of the two products across various features and specifications.
Price
The Kindle Fire is one of the most affordable tablets at $199. In comparison, the lowest priced iPad 2 is two and a half times more expensive, with a price tag of $499 for the 16 GB version ($829 for the 64 GB version). While the affordable price of Kindle Fire might attract a first time buyer, it is unlikely to sway an iPad user, who has a higher disposable income and is more than willing to pay extra for the additional features.
Screen Size and Resolution
The Kindle Fire comes with a 7 inch screen, which is better for reading newspapers and journals. As for resolution, they are approximately the same (1024×600 for the Kindle Fire and 1024×768 for the iPad). However, as far as aspect ratio and screen size is concerned, there is no comparison to the 9.7 inch screen and the 4:3 aspect ratio of the iPad 2, especially since most television content comes in the 4:3 format. Viewing a video in the smaller portrait format on the iPad 2 would have the same impact as the wider landscape view on Kindle Fire.
Storage
With just 8GB, the Kindle Fire might appear to lose out to the 16-62GB capacity of the iPad 2. Both tablets do not have the option of expandable storage. However, with easy access through the cloud to books, music and videos through Amazon.com and iTunes, a larger storage capacity may not necessarily be a big advantage as long as Wi-Fi access in available. The advantage with the bigger storage of the iPad 2 is that content can be downloaded, stored and accessed offline, even when there is no connectivity.
Portability
The Kindle Fire weighs just 14.6 ounces making it lightweight, and at 7 inches, it is small and easy to carry in a large pocket or even a
Kindle Vs iPad2 Dimensions
handbag. In comparison, the iPad 2, which weighs 21.28 ounces is bulkier and can only be carried in a larger backpack or bag. However, keep in mind that Kindle’s portability comes at a disadvantage of a smaller screen size for viewing videos on the go.
Applications
With the iPad 2, the user has access to over 90,000 applications through the iTunes store. In comparison, Kindle Fire has just over 15,000 apps available for download. However, with the $79 annual subscription to Amazon Prime, the user gets super saver shipping for direct purchases on Amazon.com and video streaming. On the iPad 2, there is no video streaming, and each movie or video has to be purchased separately. Some of the most used iPad apps for video content such as Netflix and Hulu Plus are also available on Kindle Fire.
Software
Both tablets have their own customised ecosystems. Kindle Fire works on Android and uses the Amazon Silk browser, while iPad 2 operates on iOS and uses Mobile Safari for browsing. On this count, the iPad’s operating system offers a far superior touch, tap and pinch capability that facilitates easier navigation.
Connectivity
Kindle Fire works only with Wi-Fi networks. There is no option for 3G or Bluetooth connectivity. The base model of the iPad 2 has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and 3G is an option with the high end model.
Battery Life
Here again, the iPad 2 wins the battle as even with Wi-Fi on, the battery lasts for 9 hours approximately. In comparison, the battery life of the Kindle Fire is only 8 hours with Wi-Fi turned off, less when Wi-Fi is used.
Processor
iPad2 Vs Kindle Processor
Both devices have Dual Core processors – TI OMAP 4 for the Kindle Fire and Apple’s custom designed A5 for the iPad 2. However, in realtime usage tests, the iPad 2 operates at a slightly faster speed compared to its competitor.
Additional features
With features such as built in Bluetooth, camera and microphone, iPad 2 comes close to replacing a PC by making it possible to have video chats on Skype on the go or for attaching an external keyboard. It also has GPS capability. While the Kindle Fire does not have these additional features, one advantage that it does have over Apple’s iPad 2 is that it supports Flash.
In the end, it comes down to choosing between price and features. No doubt that the iPad 2 offers a host of additional features that the Kindle Fire doesn’t, but it comes at a heftier price tag. What you really need to decide is whether you think the additional features are worth the extra cost or if you would be happy with a tablet that allows for high speed browsing at a much more affordable price, but with limited apps. Find the below a quick comparison cheat sheet to help you make an informed decision.
Kindle Fire vs. iPad 2: A Quick Comparison
Kindle Vs iPad 2 Quick Comparison
Discuss more about Amazon Kindle at Amazon Kindle LinkedIn group.
Jitin Narang is COO at TechAhead Software, a leading Mobile & Web Application Development company which helps brands to reach, connect, interact with their audience through web and mobile effectively. You can contact him on 
