Kindle Fire

PayPal is ditching its apps for Windows, BlackBerry and Kindle devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 26, 2016

PayPal is dropping support for its mobile apps on Windows, BlackBerry and Kindle Fire devices, the online payments firm announced in a blog post. Existing users will be required to upgrade to the latest version of the mobile PayPal app for iOS and Android, which in February received its long-overdue makeover. Starting on June 3 through June 30, those on older versions of the PayPal mobile app must upgrade to the latest version, 6.0.

New Amazon commercial says Kindle Fire HD is twice as durable as iPad mini 3

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2016

Forget about side-by-side software and hardware comparison, Apple's iPad mini 3 is twice as likely to break into pieces should it slip out of your hand than Amazon's Kindle Fire HD.

That's the key message of Amazon's latest television commercial which paints its tablet “twice as durable” as the iPad mini 3.

The 30-second video, which shows the Kindle Fire HD being subjected to various durability tests, is meant to reinforce the notion that Amazon tablets are sturdier than Apple's.

Old iPads are hot: 81 percent of North American tablet traffic

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 24, 2013

On Tuesday, just a few hours ahead of Apple's iPad keynote, new evidence surfaced about how entrenched Apple's device is in the minds of tablet users. Although Apple's tablet has undergone a number of updates, the old iPad 2 remarkably still accounts for the vast majority of U.S. and Canadian web traffic.

That's the word from ad network Chitika, showing iPads are 81 percent of North American tablet-based online traffic. The next closest competitor is the Kindle Fire from Amazon, nipping at Apple's heels with 6.1 percent. This is the second report in as many days showing even the oldest iPads dominate all contenders...

Amazon introduces new Kindle Fire HDX tablets

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

Amazon today unveiled a slew of new tablets, all based around its third generation Kindle Fire: the Kindle Fire HDX. As before, there's a 7-inch model, an 8.9-inch model, and both of them come in Wi-Fi-only and 4G configurations.

The new slates are lighter, thanks to an internal redesign, and 3x faster, thanks to Snapdragon's quad-core 2.2 GHz processor. And they feature various other hardware and software improvements. Much more details after the fold...

As Apple misses a beat, Amazon is Retina-fying Kindle lineup

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 25, 2013

Hot on the heels of yesterday's Google event which saw, among other goodies, introduction of the second-generation Nexus 7 tablet with an improved 1,920-by-1,200 screen, the Kindle maker Amazon is now said to be refreshing its Fire tablet family around higher-resolution displays, too.

And as Apple and its Asian suppliers scramble to solve manufacturing challenges that continue to plague a second-generation iPad mini, Amazon's top-of-the-line Kindle reportedly features a significantly overhauled display that packs 30 percent more pixels than the Retina iPad, into a smaller 8.9-inch screen compared to Apple's 9.7-inch device. Ouch!

Apple’s iPad grabs 84 percent of tablet web traffic

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

It is pretty well understood that Apple's iPad is a major player in tablet traffic online. However, new numbers only emphasize the iPad's dominance as the device has accelerated further and now accounts for 84 percent of web traffic. Specifically, more than eight out of ten online ads were served to tablet devices carrying the Apple logo, a web analytics firm announced yesterday.

Competing tablets are left fighting over the remaining crumbs, with the No. 2 tablet - Amazon's Kindle Fire - accounting for just 5.7 percent of traffic detected between June 15 and June 21...

Apple and Google are no longer America’s hottest brands

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 11, 2013

Quick, name the two hottest brands in the United States. If you picked Apple and Google you'd be wrong.

Although the iPhone maker and Android creator dominate the smartphone industry, the companies have dropped from the list of hot brand names.

By contrast, Amazon and YouTube made the current list of the top 10 hottest US brands for mid-year 2013. In another surprise, basement-dwelling BlackBerry was named the most-improved technology brand - thanks to the new Z10...

Behind the numbers: iPad market share falls but usage belies Android gains

Ed Sutherland ∙ April 25, 2013

Let the post-mortem begin. It is a ritual on Wall Street: forecast Apple's quarterly numbers, then afterwards dissect the data the iPad maker releases. And once more, the coverage conflates shipment with usage to determine the status of Apple or Android.

Although Apple Tuesday announced selling 19.5 million iPads during the first quarter of 2013 - an improvement from 11.8 million tablets sold during the same three-month period in 2012 - the focus Wednesday was on the iPad shedding market share to Android. But do unit sales trump actual usage?

Chitika: iPad usage kept rising in March

Ed Sutherland ∙ April 24, 2013

One day after Apple announced selling 19.5 million iPads during the second quarter, new numbers show the tablet dominated online traffic as late as last month. The device held the market in a stranglehold, controlling 81.9 percent of tablet web traffic in the US and Canada, according to an online advertising network. According to the Chitika Ad Network, the 1.4 percent increase is the first month-on-month advance in the iPad's share of web traffic since December 2012....

Amazon rumored stepping up tablet war with $99 Kindle Fire (update: debunked)

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtJBQHLdcM4

As Apple released its $329 iPad mini last year to compete with the growing crop of inexpensive seven-inchers, sales overtook that of the full-size model faster than Apple had envisioned. And because of it, the existing Android tablet vendors competing on the low to mid-end have been undoubtedly feeling lots of heat.

Amazon, which first legitimized the category with launch of the $199 Kindle Fire in September 2011, is reportedly about to up the ante with a $99 Kindle Fire version, a potentially disruptive move which will boost sales and popularize smaller, inexpensive tablets, but also put pressure on Apple and other tablet vendors to slash prices of their warez.

UPDATE: Amazon shoots down the rumor, says a $99 Kindle Fire is "not happening"...

Millennial: tablet use skyrockets, led by iPad mini and Kindle Fire

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Millennial Media becomes the latest to release research showing 2012 was a year of rising adoption of tablets and smartphones. Apple continues to lead the charge in tablets - particularly the iPad mini - while Samsung has become the popular face for the family of Android alternatives.

Apple held on to its tablet lead with 58 percent of the market. About a half-dozen Amazon tablets helped Google's mobile operating system capture 41 percent of tablets, with Samsung the most significant player...

Chitika: iPad recovers from post-Christmas dip, now back to 81% share

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Apple's iPad appears to have recovered from its post-Christmas slump. The tablet now enjoys an 81 percent share after falling from a high of 89 percent to 79 percent between December 25-27, 2012. Online advertising network Chitika Tuesday released the chart for the U.S. and Canada which proves the iPad recovered some of the ground lost to cheaper tablets.

The latest data obtained from millions of devices participating in Chitika's ad network shows Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet having the second-highest January 2013 market share. Although a distant runner-up to the iPad, the Amazon tablet scored a 7.7 percent tablet share, while Samsung's family of Galaxy tablets reached 3.9 percent...