A mysterious Amazon tablet popped up on GFXBench, fueling speculation that the company is set to launch the next-generation Kindle Fire HD tablets soon.
Rumors have been rife that Amazon is working on refreshing its Kindle Fire line-up. The upcoming Kindle Fire portfolio of devices is expected to take things up several notches, sporting higher resolutions and better processors. The next-gen versions have also been rumored to feature a new design and overall improvements under the hood.
Earlier in August, we reported that Amazon had slashed the price of its Kindle Fire HD tablet, further fueling speculation that the company was looking to clear out inventory to make space for newer models.
Now a GFXBench entry for a mysterious Amazon tablet codenamed Apollo/ KFAPWA has surfaced online.
"Amazon is already working on the next generation of tablet Kindle Fire to counter the latest arrival, Nexus 7. Today we have the first evidence of one of the new models expected in 2013 thanks to the benchmark. The new Kindle Fire HD has recently entered into the database of GFXBench showing what are its new flagship features: the screen and the processor," reports Webtrek, the site that spotted the GFX Benchmark entry.
The benchmark results reveal that the yet-to-be-announced Amazon tablet will be powered by Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and pack the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, as well as Adreno 330 graphics. The GFX Bench listing, however, does not reveal the device's display size, which is speculated to be 8.9 inches since the resolution of the panel is 2560 x 1600 pixels.
In end-July, BGR reported that the next-generation Kindle Fire HD line-up would tout the Snapdragon 800 processor, which is synonymous with top-end devices. Such a chipset, however, would make it tricky for Amazon to keep the costs down.
The report also revealed that the refreshed 7-inch version of the Kindle Fire HD will feature a new design and a higher-resolution 1920 x 1200 pixels display. This model will apparently also house 2GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 800 processor and Adreno 330 GPU. The tablet would also sport a front-facing camera, Wi-Fi, cellular connectivity, come in 16/32/64GB storage options and boast Android 4.2.2 out of the box.
According to the same BGR report, the next-gen 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD is rumored to feature an 8-megapixel primary camera as well, in addition to the specs found on the 7-inch model. It will also have a pixel resolution of 2560 x 1600.
Amazon is reportedly prepping to introduce its new line-up of tablets this fall, likely in late September. Even though everything boils down to speculation at this juncture, the new GFX Benchmark result seems to reiterate previous reports.
However, with Amazon yet to make any information official, we'll have to wait and watch if the e-retailer unleashes a refreshed line-up of its popular Kindle tablets this September.
