It’s no secret that Amazon is working on its next-generation Kindle devices. The company tends to put out at least one product refresh per year, and we’ve already heard rumors that we could see an E Ink Kindle with a front-lit display and a larger Kindle Fire Android tablet this year.

Now Reuters has a few more details on the time-frame, from an unnamed source “who has direct knowledge of the matter.”

Amazon Kindle Fire

Reuters has a better journalistic reputation than some sites that traffic in this type of rumor, so I have a feeling this article wouldn’t have been published if the fact-checkers didn’t believe it was at least plausible.

But Amazon hasn’t yet made any announcements about either device.

Barnes & Noble recently introduced its first eReader with a front-lit display, the NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight. It functions just like a normal NOOK Touch when the light is off, but offers the option of a soft light that lets you read in bed without a lamp or a booklight while still providing up to a month of battery life. Amazon’s front-lit Kindle would likely feature similar technology.

Reuters says the front-lit Kindle could arrive in July, and we may see the larger Kindle Fire  later this year.

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2 replies on “Rumors of 8.9 Kindle Fire, front-lit Kindle eReader resurface”

  1. I think Amazon needs to spend more time getting it’s store in order.  Many of the apps available in Google Marketplace, sorry — Google Play, are not available in the Amazon store.  Not having decent email and calendar and other tools makes the Kindle Fire seem more biased towards just using it for reading.  Which gives me the impression that Amazon is thinking, “if you want a real tablet, get an iPad.”

    I’ve made more Kindle Fire more useful by rooting it and adding the Google services on it and getting some apps on Google Play but it definitely wasn’t in Amazon’s game plan that I made my Kindle more useful by doing this.  if it wasn’t for rooting it, I would have returned it — not enough justification to keep when there’s other options out there that are more functional for slightly more money.

  2. Color e-ink is no surprise since the e-ink CEO essentially made that known 6 weeks ago as a production announcement. His details also explained the technology, power consumption and refresh rates and why it is not suitable for video. It would be productive if the rumors fact checked.  Bottom line a color e-ink reader from Amazon for magazines etc will happen. The integration of a lighted e-ink product such as B&N is assured as well.  A larger than 7″ Fire has been discussed for over a year, what some in the press insist on calling competition to the I-Pad.  A larger Kindle back lit color is also assured but what size is unknown.  A large Fire that is optimized for video and games conforms to Amazon’s content business plan and that is to sell content not to compete with the I-Pad (sorry to buzz kill the I pad rumor sites).  The date of all this is certainly not known, I thought it would be in time for graduation so what do I know.  

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