Amazon has lit a fire under the Amazon Kindle Fire, challenging movie and video producers to get involved ready for the tablet to set fire to the UK and the rest of Europe.
The bookseller-turned-everything-seller is making deals to make sure the Kindle Fire will be packed with movies, music and other media for Europeans. Amazon boss Anthony Bay told a conference of video types, "If you're not talking to us, you should be," Reg Hardware reports. Them's fightin' words!
The Kindle Fire is an Android tablet, but not as we know it. Amazon has given it a custom-designed front end of top of Android, tailored specifically to finding, buying and watching digital content, such as movies, TV shows and online video.
That content-focused approach makes this one of the first Android devices to be geared towards one task, instead of the usual jack-of-all-trades approach of most tablets. The downside is that content -- I hate that word, but it saves me writing 'music and movies and TV and video and ebooks' -- is tied up by arcane and old-fashioned licensing deals dictating who can sell what in each country.
The Kindle Fire has been phenomenally successful in the US, but licensing deals seem to have held up its arrival in the UK and the rest of the world. Now Amazon is determined to cut through those international obstacles by reassuring the people who make the content that they will still make money.
Amazon is keen to stress to producers of movies and TV that digital video will not destroy the DVD and Blu-ray business. Just as Amazon now sells more ebooks than paper books -- but still sells an awful lot of paperbacks and hardbacks -- Amazon reckons it can make money from streaming and downloading video and traditional physical media.
I hate to be a cynic, but tell that to the music industry.
To see what all the Fire fuss is about, press play on our video to see the Amazon tablet in action:
Amazon owns LoveFilm, so it already has a stake in the digital movie market here in the UK. Things are hotting up with the arrival of Netflix at the start of this year and the coming of online access to Sky Movies, which launches as Now TV before the end of the year.
Sky Movies is the major player here in the UK when it comes to watching films in the comfort of your own home, thanks to its stranglehold on new films fresh from the multiplexes. I'd argue Amazon needs to get the Kindle Fire smouldering in the UK before Now TV turns up with Sky's movie monopoly behind it.
It's good to know Amazon hasn't forgotten about us. There's still no official word on when the Kindle Fire will land on these shores, but the signs suggest it could be sooner rather than later.
Are you burning with lust for the Amazon Kindle Fire? Can it offer a compelling alternative to the iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab for movie fans? Strike a light in the comments or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 25
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pablouk1 4 April, 2012 13:37
Far too late
anonymous 5 April, 2012 15:49
That ship has sailed, no one gives a monkeys about a 6 month old device.
anonymous 5 April, 2012 22:17
Yes they do! I work at Carphone Warehouse, and we have loads of customers asking for affordable Tablets that can have the Kindle App on it! Which of course, there isn't any other than the iPad, and not all of us can afford them! We have a steady stream of customers asking for info on when the Kindle Fire will be released...
anonymous 7 April, 2012 10:33
anonymous: Are your customer referring to the Kindle book-reading app? If so it's available for any Android device.Nothing to do with the Kindle Fire though, which is designed mainly for image-based media.
Also, previous poster: "no one gives a monkeys about a 6 month old device" Is the age of the device the only thing that matters? I'm still eagerly awaiting it because nothing else yet delivers the variety and value of content here that the Kindle Fire does in the US. The fact that it's 6 months old would only matter if it's been superseded by other devices and services, which as far as I know it hasn't.
anonymous 8 April, 2012 18:51
I have the kindle which I bought in the US. I am loving it and feel no need for an IPad. Does everything I need it for and brilliant resolution. What more can I ask for a mere $199.
anonymous 9 April, 2012 22:04
Im in the UK and have the Kindle Fire, plus Nook Color, plus Galaxy Tab, plus iPad 2 and iPad 3, and Samsung Galaxy Note, and a load more.
I develop software for these devices which is why I have so many.
For the money, the kindle is a nice quality device, feels fast, screen is good. Better than Nook Color.
Because fire is a closed device, you can only get whats available in the store, there is limit to what you can do with it without hacking the device. Its a good consumer device though for reading and getting apps from kindle store.
Galaxy tab 7" is still holding its ground with more software available.
If I'm travelling on train and want a compact to read books, i find the galaxy note more portable, but big enough to read. So more convenient, but expensive.
But its all about form factor, what convenient to carry. what you need to do with it. And the price is an issue for some.
At the moment. the iPad is still the best device for range and quality of software. its bigger but I can type on properly with two hands, so more likely to use it i a meeting at work, than any other tablet device I have tried, and i have many. Apple TV integration really get used a lot by me..
But I like them all, and have no problem grabbing any device that suits the bag or pocket i have on me, if all i want to do is browse the web, or watch youtube or iplayer, or read a book or play angry birds.
chrispatten 10 April, 2012 16:46
Amazon can start paying tax in the UK before anyone should buy from them. Google as well.
anonymous 12 April, 2012 14:27
Hi, Should I buy Galaxy Tab or Kndle Fire (when it is released)? All I really need to do is read eBooks, page mark and highlight text with the device pen. Can I do this with a Kindle Fire? I know the Galaxy tablet can, well that what the advert suggests.
I like small devices good enough to read from. I have a phone, so will not be using any other device to make calls.
Can anyone advise me, please.
anonymous 12 April, 2012 15:28
Did some research. Galaxy Note is great but over the top for me and pricey. Kindle FIRE EURO release is anticipated this year, sooner rather than later I hope. One question I have is it is not clear if the Kindle comes with a Tablet style Stylus Ball Pen, or something similar like the Galaxy Note has. Galaxy note alows you to highlight text and. I really need to do this, as i reference back a great deal when reading.
Anyone know if this capability is there on the Kindle Fire?
Thanks
anonymous 13 April, 2012 07:51
Having had a play with the kindle fire, I can say that it is not as good as the iPa as a a tablet and not as good as the original kindle for reading. It seems it only has a place as a cheaper compromise for those wanting an iPad.
If you want to read ebooks, stick to an e-ink device such as the current kindle.
anonymous 14 April, 2012 01:52
Very few care any more.
anonymous 14 April, 2012 02:36
I'd rather pay about the same or a little more for a 10" device. I have seen some really cheap 10" tablets with very good IPS screens similar to the screen on the Kindle Fire selling for only £160 in the UK. This price is similar to what the Kindle Fire will sell at in the UK, but its competitors have a much more useful screen size. I'd rather have one of those than the Fire. Sorry Amazon, by choosing to neglect the UK you've blown it here.
anonymous 15 April, 2012 14:38
i personally dont see why they cant just ship it to europe. they got all the other kindles here on time, why not this one?
anonymous 19 April, 2012 06:44
Too late, 6 months waiting is not the way to success in this environment.
anonymous 22 April, 2012 00:21
I am writing this from a kindle fire bought in the States on its release week and brought it back to the UK. Whilst I cant access the amazon supplied streaming video and amazon app store, there are plenty of places to download apps such as getjar. BBC iplayer and other web based video content is easily accesand.
It only has wifi but setting my galaxy up as a wireless access point solves that problem.
It is small enough to fit in the pocket of my jeans big enough for me to watch video highlights from the beeb. Or play games on. I don't need an Ipad and this does me just fine for mobile Internet media and I can read books on it.
anonymous 28 April, 2012 00:01
Bought one on eBay uk. Absolutely no regrets. Paid £155 del'd
anonymous 28 April, 2012 22:18
Oh I'm still waiting for it. I have my kindle and cannot wait to get my hands on this one.
anonymous 1 May, 2012 14:08
Buy the Blackberry Playbook, it's better than an IPAD and you can have it now. The Kindle Fire will come out, but likely as the Kindle Fire 2 due to the licence issues.
T
anonymous 5 May, 2012 15:50
year or 2 ago I was going to buy kindle but emailed amazon cs ref when the color one's coming out they said soon so I waited & waited & waited - now but something else !
anonymous 8 May, 2012 15:46
I bought a Kindle Fire in the US and although I can't access the Amazon Store, I can play moves from my NAS box using ESFile Explorer (downloaded via a PC) and you can easilly conect it to your PC and load up ebooks. The big deal with the Fire is that it is sold for less thab it costs to make (in the USA anyway - no doubt a big mark up in the UK) which was $199 (£124) in March. It really is a great ereader with the screen having it own backlight (which my Sony eReader has too but at the price of battery life). I've yet to run out of power despite some polonged reading.
anonymous 9 May, 2012 16:15
Fed up waiting so got an iPad instead and love love love it
anonymous 21 May, 2012 14:13
SIMPLE SOLUTION - Buy a Blackberry Playbook - £169 in Currys or Carphone Warehouse. It's out now, better than an IPAD for browsing and media without being tied to the Apple Marketplace and restrictions.I Like the IPAD for apps and games but way too strict and my smart phone does it all anyway. Kindle Fire 2 more likely due before October this year but may be a Xmas present if they still suffer the European licensing issues.
T
anonymous 29 May, 2012 11:36
I purchased one from the US and although I cannot get the apps from Amazon yet, it is a pretty cool device. Well built and works really well. If the price is right then this will do extremely well in the UK.
anonymous 12 September, 2012 08:32
Hello
I have a quick question, if i buy the kindle fire from the US will it work the same in the UK.
More specifically will i be able to use the app store as usual?
anonymous 26 September, 2012 18:04
I bought a Kindle Fire HD in the USA last week. It works in the Uk except for the apps store which keeps taking me to the USA store which then tells me it won't let me use it because I don't have a credit card with US address. maybe his will change after Oct 25 when the device is released in the UK. Anyone know?