Report claims new Kindle Fire tablets to feature a metal casing

Reports surrounding this year’s Kindle Fire tablets appear to be picking up momentum. A few days ago we reported that Amazon would be launching their Kindle Fire 2 tablets by the end of July, and at that time there were quite a few juicy details as to what one could expect from the tablets. A recent report by BGR states that Amazon is readying an update to their seven-inch Kindle Fire as well as preparing a ten-inch model, both of which will feature an improved build as well as a metal casing finish.

More details on the Kindle Fire 2 surface

The report states, “First, and this will likely come as welcome news to anyone who has handled the first-generation Kindle Fire, we’re told that the build quality of the new Kindle Fire tablets has been vastly improved. “It’s really up a notch from the current Fire”, the source told us. While the first-generation Kindle Fire was great value, the build the materials used left much to be desired.”

Elaborating on the finish of the next generation Kindle Fire tablets, the report states, “Our source says that the new models feature a metal casing in place of the current-generation model’s soft-touch plastic body. The back of the devices are said to include a chrome-look “rib” that adds contrast against the black matte finish, and the feature reportedly improves the feel of the tablets and the appearance as well. This area of the new Kindle Fire models also houses the tablets’ speakers.”

It's rumoured the Kindle Fire 2 will have better integrated lighting and more hardware improvements. No details about the processor and the other specs have been revealed, though. When it was first launched, the Kindle Fire was touted by many as the 'iPad Killer', primarily because of the price tag it was being offered at. It has competing products like the Barnes & Noble Nook tablet, but the competition is going to be even more massive this time if the pricing of the Fire 2 and the Nexus 7 is going to be similar. Amazon may also announce Kindle Touch, which will be at a lower price point. What this means is that ‘low budget but non-performing’ tablets will soon be phased out as the world shifts focus to decent quality products selling at ultra-low prices.

The other rumors floating around indicate that Amazon is likely to launch a 10.1-inch Kindle Fire in the third quarter, while tentatively suspending the launch of a speculated 8.9-inch model. The move by Amazon to launch a 10.1-inch tablet is so that the brand can directly compete with the likes of Apple’s iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, both of which feature a display size larger than seven-inches.

The report went on to state, “Amazon is developing two own-brand tablets, a seven-inch “Coyote” with a dual-core processor that launched as the Kindle Fire this past November, and a 10-inch “Hollywood” tablet that is powered by a quad-core processor.”