Finally, Alexa is coming to a mobile device. But it’s not your iPhone or Android. This morning, Amazon announced the new Fire HD 8 that features its voice-activated assistant. The eight-inch tablet is priced from $90 and is the beneficiary of a number of upgraded specs. More below.
Amazon’s new Fire HD 8 has the same 1280 x 800 display as the model before it. However, nearly every other piece under-the-hood has received an upgrade. There is 1.5GB of RAM (up 50%) and the base storage received a bump to 16GB and 32GB. Perhaps most notable on the specs is a new battery that is rated for up to 12 hours of use, according to Amazon.
Today’s release is the first time that Alexa will be available on anything other than Amazon’s smart speakers and the Fire TV. It will also be coming to the larger Fire HD 10 via a software update later this year. Alexa brings Siri-like functionality with the ability to order items from Amazon, adjust settings, playback media and more. However, this version of the voice assistant will not feature always-on response. You’ll have to press the home button to activate this service. Another addition to the HD 8 is Google Now-style cards that display pertinent information called up through Alexa.
The new Fire HD 8 is available for pre-order today in four colors. The 16GB capacity will retail for $89.99 while the larger 32GB model goes for $119.99. Amazon is slated to ship pre-orders on September 21st.
The All-New Amazon Fire HD 8: Longer Battery Life, More Storage, Faster Performance, and Alexa—only $89.99 SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sep. 8, 2016– (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced the all-new Fire HD 8, the next-generation Fire HD tablet designed from the ground up for all-day entertainment. With an 8” widescreen HD display and quad-core processor, Fire HD 8 now offers an incredible 12 hours of battery life, 50% more RAM for faster performance, and 2x the on-device storage, plus support for up to 200 GB of additional storage via a microSD card—all for only$89.99. Fire HD 8 also introduces Alexa, the cloud-based voice service, for the first time on Fire tablets—just press and ask—Alexa can play music, launch games, read audiobooks, and more—coming soon. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160908005846/en/ We believe in a different approach to tablets—providing premium products at non-premium prices—and customers love it. In fact, we’ve seen Fire tablet sales more than double year-over-year as a result,” said Kevin Keith, General Manager, Fire Tablets. “The all-new Fire HD 8 packs more battery life, more storage, faster performance, plus Alexa—all for less than $90.” Fire HD 8 delivers access to millions of movies, TV shows, songs, books, apps and games, as well as exclusive features like X-Ray, ASAP, Second Screen, Underground, and On Deck. With its 8” HD display and portable size, Fire HD 8 is the perfect tablet for entertainment. For only $89.99, the all-new Fire HD 8 includes: Introducing Alexa on Fire Tablets—Coming Soon It just got even easier to enjoy endless entertainment on your Fire tablet with Alexa, the cloud-based voice service that is the brain behind Amazon Echo. When connected to Wi-Fi, simply long-press the home button and ask Alexa to play your favorite song, open a game, or read you the latest audiobook—Alexa provides quick access to the entertainment you want. Plus, you can ask Alexa for the news, weather, jokes, questions, and more—Alexa provides natural-language responses, combined with on-screen information on the tablet’s display. Third parties can publish Alexa skills, so you can ask Alexa to play music from services including Pandora and Spotify, and turn off the light or adjust the temperature on compatible smart home devices. Alexa will be available on the all-new Fire HD 8, Fire HD 10, Fire and last year’s Fire HD 8 tablets via a free over-the-air software update in the coming months. Because Alexa is cloud-based, it gets smarter over time, meaning more Alexa capabilities for Fire tablets will be delivered in subsequent updates. The Fire Family The all-new Fire HD 8 is available for pre-order beginning today with 16 GB or 32 GB of memory starting at $89.99 at www.amazon.com/firehd8. Fire HD 8 comes in four fun color options: black, magenta, blue, and tangerine and starts shipping September 21. Protective covers are also available for Fire HD 8 in black, magenta, blue, and tangerine and can stand in both portrait and landscape orientations, starting at$29.99. The all-new Fire HD 8 is the latest to join the Fire tablet family, which includes: About Amazon Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.
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