Features Comparison: Kindle Fire HDX Vs. iPad Air

Both Apple and Amazon introduced two high-end tablets to the market this year with the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 and iPad Air.

Apple's slate normally dominates that arena due to its reputation and specs that are ahead of the competition. However, an unlikely adversary has emerged with the HDX as tech sites such as Android Authority claim that is has a display with better resolution.

So how do the rest of their specs match up against one another? Here is a brief comparison of the Kindle Fire HDX and iPad Air.

Speed

Apple's iPad Air does not hold anything back as it comes with the A7 chip with the same 64-bit architecture found in the iPhone 5S making it one of the fastest devices on the market. Amazon's HDX comes with one of the finest chipsets found in the Android market at this time, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor. Speed shouldn't be an issue on either of these slates, and to the average consumer the small differences probably won't be noticeable. Both are top-of-the-line for their respective companies.

Display

The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 comes with an IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels at 339ppi. The iPad Air comes with a 9.7-inch LED-backlit Multi-Touch display with IPS technology with 2048x1536 resolution at 264ppi. The resolution is a bit lower than the Amazon device, but the size in screens makes up the difference. However, Amazon is said to have a finer display as it functions better under reflective conditions. The device actually has the lowest reflectance of all the high-end tablets, according to DisplayMate. The iPad Air is still impressive despite these differences as colors are vibrant and picture is crystal clear, but the Kindle Fire HDX takes it in this area.

Camera

The iPad Air comes with a 5-megapixel iSight camera that can shoot 1080p video and can snap pictures that feature great detail. The Kindle Fire HDX packs an 8-megapixel shooter that can snap pictures with 3264x2448 pixels resolution. Apple's device also has autofocus, face detection, backside illumination, and a five-element lens. Amazon's has autofocus and LED flash. Megapixels are not always the deciding factor so users shouldn't count Apple out for sticking with a good camera with a lower amount of them. The lenses are still top-notch. Amazon's camera probably snaps some decent pictures, but Apple seems to have a knack for the point and shooter.

Design

Apple's non-cellular iPad Air is extremely thin and light at 7.5mm thickness weighing in at 1 pound. It features the same glass and metal make-up that most other Apple products do and is easy to handle. Amazon also slimmed down its Kindle Fire line with the HDX as it weighs less than the iPad at .82 pounds and is almost as thin at .31 inches depth. Buttons have been moved to the back which could be a good or bad thing depending on who you ask. However, it's tough for any company to compete with Apple in this department.

Conclusion

The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 is certainly a device no one would expect to compete at such a high level and at $379.99 it certainly is the better buy overall. However, consumers could never go wrong with the iPad Air. Apple has been so consistent in that market for so long. The extra $120 for the non-LTE model will get you a device with a proven track record.