Amazon has unveiled the third generation Kindle Fire, which it promises to be more powerful but at the same time, lighter than previous models of its eReader-cum-tablet device.

The Kindle Fire HDX is available in two sizes, one with a 7” display, the other 8.9” display but the specifications are the same:

“It’s been just two years since we introduced the first Kindle Fire, and the team is innovating at an unbelievable speed,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO.

“2.2 GHz processor, 339 ppi display, new 34% lighter design, Fire OS 3.0, and new exclusive features like the Mayday button, X-Ray for Music, Second Screen, and Prime Instant Video downloads. We’ve worked hard to pack this much hardware, innovation, and customer obsession into these prices.”

Since there are two versions with almost the same specs, we’ll be using the 8.9” model for this comparison piece.  So let’s look at how this new Kindle compare to other tablets.

8.9” Kindle Fire HDX vs iPad (4th gen) vs Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Surface Pro 2

Design:

Kindle Fire HDX: To achieve the lightweight design, the device’s capacitive touch layer is directly integrated into the glass display, with a unique magnesium unibody from a single piece of machined magnesium and a blend of glass and nylon.

Surface Pro 2: VaporMg casing, Dark Titanium color, with volume and power buttons

Apple iPad with Retina Display (fourth generation): Has an aluminum unibody which makes the device light, with external buttons and controls for power/sleep, volume and Home button

Galaxy Note 10.1(2014):  Premium leather-like back cover with detailed stitch that appears hand-crafted enhances the superior feeling of the notepad and provides high usability, such as an extra protection against scratches and cracks. Extra space from the bezel was removed

Dimensions:

Kindle Fire HDX: Height 231 X Width 158 X Depth 7.8mm, Weight WiFi 374 grams, 4G 384 grams

Surface Pro 2: 10.81” x 6.81” x 0.53”, Weight 2 lbs

Apple iPad with Retina Display (fourth generation): 9.5” x 7.31” x 0.37”, 1.44 lbs for the WiFi only version and 1.46 lbs for the WiFi + Cellular version.

Galaxy Note 10.1(2014):  243.1 X 171.4 X 7.9mm, weighing 535g for the WiFi Version.

 

Display:

Kindle Fire HDX: 8.9″ display with 2560×1600 resolution and the best pixel density at 339 ppi, 100 percent sRGB for perfect color display

Surface Pro 2: 10.6″ ClearType Full HD display, 1920 x 1080p, 16:9 (widescreen), 10-point multitouch

Apple iPad with Retina Display (fourth generation): 9.7‑inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Multi‑Touch display with IPS technology, 2048 x1536 resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi), Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating

Galaxy Note 10.1(2014): 10.1-inch WQXGA (2560 X 1600) Super clear LCD

 

Processor:

Kindle Fire HDX: Quad-Core 2.2 GHz

Surface Pro 2: Fourth generation Intel Core i5 processor that delivers faster performance and 75 percent more battery life

Apple iPad with Retina Display (fourth generation): Dual-core A6X with quad-core graphics

Galaxy Note 10.1(2014): 1.9GHz Octa-core processor for the 3G /WiFi version and 2.3GHz Quad-core processor for the LTE version

 

Operating System:

Kindle Fire HDX: Fire OS 3.0 “Mojito” on top of Android

Surface Pro 2: Windows 8.1

Apple iPad with Retina Display (fourth generation): iOS 6 upgradable to iOS 7

Galaxy Note 10.1(2014): Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, Magazine Style UX

 

Storage options:

Kindle Fire HDX: 16/32/64GB, 2GB of RAM

Surface Pro 2: 64GB and 128GB with 4GB of RAM, 256GB and 512GB with 8GB RAM

Apple iPad with Retina Display (fourth generation): 16/32/64/128GB

Galaxy Note 10.1(2014): A choice of 16/32/64GB Internal Memory that can be upgraded with a microSD to up to 64GB; 3GB RAM

 

Battery:

Kindle Fire HDX: 12 hours mixed use, 18 hours when reading

Surface Pro 2: 42 W-h

Apple iPad with Retina Display (fourth generation): Built-in 42.5-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music, charging via power adapter or USB to computer system, Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‑Fi, watching video, or listening to music, up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network

Galaxy Note 10.1(2014): Standard Li-ion 8,220mAh battery

 

Wireless:

Kindle Fire HDX: Dual band, dual antenna, (MIMO) Wi-Fi, optional 4G

Surface Pro 2: Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0 low energy technology

Apple iPad with Retina Display (fourth generation): 802.11a/b/g/n Wi‑Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology; cellular version also features GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), LTE (Bands 2, 4, 5, 17), or CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25)

Galaxy Note 10.1(2014): Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, AllShareCast, BT4.0, USB2.0, GPS ＋ GLONASS

 

Camera:

Kindle Fire HDX: 720p HD front-facing camera + 8MP rear-facing camera

Surface Pro 2: Rear and front 720p cameras

Apple iPad with Retina Display (fourth generation): 1.2MP FaceTime, 5MP iSight

Galaxy Note 10.1(2014):  8MP rear camera with BSI sensor, Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash, Zero Shutter lag, plus a 2MP front camera with BSI sensor

 

Ports:

Kindle Fire HDX: No information yet

Surface Pro 2: Full-size USB 3.0, MicroSDXC card slot, Headset jack, Mini DisplayPort, Cover port

Apple iPad with Retina Display (fourth generation): 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack, microSIM tray

Galaxy Note 10.1(2014): microUSB, microSIM tray, microSD, 3.5mm audio jack, S Pen slot

 

Sensors:

Kindle Fire HDX: No information yet

Surface Pro 2: Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer

Apple iPad with Retina Display (fourth generation): Three-axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor

Galaxy Note 10.1(2014): Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Geo-magnetic, RGB

 

Price and availability:

Kindle Fire HDX: Starts at $379, available in November 7, 2013

Surface Pro 2: Starts at $899, Available in retail stores on October 22, 2013

Apple iPad with Retina Display (fourth generation): Starts at $499, Available in Apple Stores, online, on Carriers networks and some partner retail stores.

Galaxy Note 10.1(2014): Available in October on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and US Cellular, no price yet.

 

Other features:

Kindle Fire HDX: Accessibility features such as Screen Reader, Explore by Touch, and Screen Magnifier. Dolby Audio, Dual Stereo Speakers.  Mayday button for quick tech support from Amazon experts.

Surface Pro 2: Free Skype calling to landlines in more than 60 countries, unlimited Skype WiFi at more that 2 million hotspots worldwide for one year, 200GB of free SkyDrive storage for two years, comes with a Surface Pen that is pressure sensitive, built-in microphone, stereo speakers with enhanced signal processing; includes apps such as Mail, Calendar, People, Internet Explorer 11, Photos, Music, Video, Games, Skype, Fresh Paint, Calculator, Reading List, Reader, Scan, News, Weather, Sports, Travel, Finance, Health & Fitness, Food & Drink, Help, Camera, SkyDrive, Sound Recorder and more.

Apple iPad with Retina Display (fourth generation): Built-in speaker, Microphone, Wi‑Fi, Digital compass, Assisted GPS and GLONASS, Cellular; comes with apps such as Safari, Mail, Messages, Photos, FaceTime, Newsstand, App Store, iTunes, Videos, Maps, Music, Game Center, Photo Booth, Clock, Contacts, Reminders, Calendar, Notes, Camera.

Galaxy Note 10.1(2014): Multi Window which allows users to run separate instances of the same application, and use an enhanced S Pen to drag and drop content from one window to another. It also has a Pen Window that enables users to simply draw a window of any size on the screen, and instantly access unique in-application features such as YouTube or the calculator.  The button on the side of the S Pen gives you a quick access to 5 useful S Pen features which are: Action Memo, Scrapbooker, Screen Writer, S Finder and Pen Window. Easy access to Samsung KNOX for added security and privacy.

And the best tablet is…

 

The Kindle Fire HDX is able to match the display offered by the Galaxy Note 10.1 and finally having a rear camera is a much welcome add-on.  Nothing beats Samsung’s Jedi-like features like air gestures and the added functions delivered by the S Pen, but the Kindle Fire HDX isn’t too shabby either, especially when we consider that it’s cheaper than the other tablets in this round of comparison.

Amazon has really stepped up in its tablet offering with its battery, display and processor upgrades, but it still looks much like the old Kindle Fires.  I guess they’re just sticking to what’s working for consumers.  If you’re on a tight budget looking to purchase a new tablet or a replacement, the Kindle Fire HDX certainly isn’t a bad choice.