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.

Apple's New 'Spaceship' Campus: See The Unseen !!!

Apple is going to build it's new campus, which will be known as "Spaceship". See the outside & inside images of that mind blowing campus.

Outside Images: 

Inside Images:

Here is the first view of one of the entrances to the main "spaceship building."

One of the first views of inside the actual building. You can see slate-like walls and glass balconies. The glass walls give plenty of light on the inside. There are also promotional product banners hanging from the ceiling.

Here you can see people entering the building from one of its entrances. It's also clear to see the scale of the building compared to the size of the people in the foreground.

One of the high-ceiling cafeterias the building will have to offer, including an upper section.

Employees and will be able to work outside (when the weather is pleasant). The building is slated for completion in 2016.

Here is the visitor's entrance. It's glass and circular, and surrounded by plant life and trees.

The campus itself is huge — spanning many city blocks. Apple says the environmental impact of the building will actually increase the number of trees and grassy areas the plot of land will occupy.

An inside view of the campus. The roof of the building will have about 650,000 sq. ft. of solar panels that will help to power the building's vast energy resources.

Here is Apple's corporate transit area, where employees will be able to get buses and other means of transport to the next-generation campus.

And for the lucky members of the press invited to one of Apple's media events, a circular pavilion away from the main campus will be where Apple chief executive Tim Cook and other senior staff will showcase the company's new products and services.

This is inside of the underground auditorium that will seat approximately 1,000 people. 

Staff who take the car to work will drive into a vast underground parking space beneath the main campus building itself. 

This image shows where staff will be able to work out away from the main building. The new campus will come with a bevy of employee-supporting features, including a gym.

The new car parking area will be splattered with plant life and laden with solar panels in order to generate energy for the various buildings planned for the new campus. 

Here's a view of one of the security checkpoints on the campus. The wider public will not be allowed to enter the massive plot of land, except for members of the press during authorized times.

There will, however, be a dedicated visitor center away from the main campus. It will be distanced from areas where products and services are developed to keep in line with the company's secrecy efforts.

Another view of the corporate transit center, where buses will pick up and drop off employees, helping to reduce the number of emissions on the green and Eco-friendly campus.

I hope all of you enjoy the images.

Nexus 10: Know The Unknown !!!

A year has passed since Google released its first Samsung-made Nexus 10, with an appealing price and a display that still holds up well against Apple's most recent iPad. With the release of Android 4.4 KitKat and the Nexus 5 now in the rear-view mirror, could Google be poised to release the Nexus 10? And what will the tablet offer?

The maker

If reports are right, Samsung, which is doing fine selling its own Galaxy tablet line, won't be behind the new Nexus 10. Instead Asus, which made the popular Nexus 7 tablet, is tipped to be Google's OEM of choice for the Nexus 10. Geek.com reported in August that a 16GB wi-fi model at least will be manufactured by Asus, with the device likely to sport a 2560x1600 display and powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset.

It's highly unlikely that Google would release a single model, or have more than one manufacturer make the device, so we can safely assume that Asus will be manufacturing 16GB and 32GB Nexus 10s, and likely wi-fi plus mobile connectivity models as well.

With potentially the same manufacturer behind both the new Nexus 7 and 10, the pair are likely to be more consistent in design than their predecessors, a sleek 7-inch tablet and its rather odd-looking, curved larger counterpart.

Specifications

The screen was the centrepiece of the last Nexus 10 and if Geek.com is right, the new version should have a similar priority with a 2560×1600 display, keeping it ahead of the current generation of iPad.

Given that there aren't really any solid details of new specs, we can only guess that Google is working with its OEM partner to deliver improvements on the last device, which didn't offer 3G or LTE connectivity, required regular re-charging and lacked enterprise-friendly features. Using the jump in specs from Nexus 4 to Nexus 5 as a model, it seems likely that the forthcoming Nexus 10 will be slightly lighter and thinner (the current Nexus 10 weighs 603 grams), and to have LTE connectivity for those that want it.

The last generation of Nexus 10 also had a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.9-megapixel front camera, also both of which are due for an upgrade. We could also expect the next Nexus 10 to abandon Samsung's dual-core 1.7GHz Exynos 5 in favour of some quad-core Snapdragon action, although the 2GB of RAM is likely to remain a constant between both models.

Release date

The Samsung Nexus 10 was released in late October last year, just ahead of the holiday season, and so it's also expected the new Nexus 10 will make its arrival some time this month. Given that it follows the release of Android KitKat, if the Nexus 10 does come at all, it will likely run that OS, possibly making it the second device to the Nexus 5 that ships with the OS out of the box.

However, there's an outside possibility being mooted that Google will abandon the larger slate in favour of, say, a new 8-inch tablet, which was spotted in Google's Android promotional material this week. Why would Google pull a switcheroo like that? The Nexus 10 received solid reviews, but wasn't the same runaway succcess as the Nexus 7, which surfed the growth wave enjoyed by the smaller, cheaper tablet segment last year.

Price

The price was a major appeal of the Nexus 10, but will it creep up? The wi-fi-only Nexus 10 came in 16GB and 32GB models and cost US$399, £319 or AU$469 for the former and US$499, £389 or AU$569 for the latter. But as we've seen, with better specs, the price of the new Nexus 7 has crept up from $199 to $229 in the US. In the UK the Nexus 7 costs £199 for the 16GB model, and £239 for the 32GB model. The 4G model costs £299.

 The same could happen with the Nexus 10, according to a leak of an inventory system page, purported to be from UK retailer PC World this September, which indicated a 16GB Asus Nexus 10 for £349 instead of its 2012 price of £319. A price bump of $50 would seem about right.

Latest News of Android 4.4 KitKat Rollout Schedule

Sony appears to be ahead of the pack on rolling out Android 4.4 KitKat to its Android handsets, earmarking five Xperia devices that will get the OS. However, so far HTC is the only vendor to lay out a timeline for when its users can expect to see KitKat reach their smartphones.

Sony has just announced that it will be rolling out KitKat to its Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z Ultra, and Xperia Z1 devices. It hasn't given exact dates on when owners of the handsets will see the release, and notes that the phased rollout may vary by market and carrier. It's advised Xperia owners to keep an eye out on its @SonyMobileNews Twitter account for the specific timing of the updates.

However, most of those devices will get Jelly Bean first: Sony said it will also begin rolling out Android 4.3 over the next month to the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia SP, Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1. Again, that may vary by market or carrier.

HTC has just begun rolling out Android 4.3 with Sense 5.5 to HTC One handsets in the UK, and is eyeing an early 2014 timeline for bringing KitKat.

"Across EMEA, HTC will work with local carriers to begin the roll-out of Android 4.4 with Sense 5.5 for the HTC One from end of January. The Google Play edition will start to receive the update earlier, starting from the end of November," a spokesperson told.

HTC didn't have any details yet about the timing and version of Android for the HTC One max and the HTC One mini, but details will follow.

Samsung is staying tightlipped about its KitKat schedule for the Galaxy S4 and Note 3. However, Google has already confirmed that the Galaxy S4 with 4.4 should be coming soon. "Samsung UK will announce rollout plans for Android 4.4 in due course," a spokesperson told.

While LG is behind Google's fast-moving Nexus 5, the Korean company hasn’t released a schedule for its own Android devices, such as the G2 smartphone and G Pad tablet, as well as its Optimus range.

Motorola is also pushing KitKat out to its Moto X devices for AT&T and T-Mobile customers in the US, while Verizon will deliver KitKat to the Moto X, Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, Droid Mini, though hasn't given a timeframe for what it will arrive.

Meanwhile, Dell has of yet provided no details about whether KitKat or Jelly Bean will reach its Android Venue 7 and Venue 8 slates, which both run Android 4.2.

"Dell continually assesses its product portfolio in each country where it does business and not all products are available in all countries. At present Dell doesn't have a timeline on whether the Android-based tablets will be made available in Western Europe, but continues to assess the opportunity in that region," a spokesperson told.

Acer has no official timeline for the release of KitKat, a spokesman for the company said.