A pair of new tablets from Amazon have just gone through FCC approval. First spotted by Liliputing, the two tablets have been filed with the FCC under shell companies to try and hide the fact that they are made by Amazon, but there are telltale signs that make it certain these are future Amazon Fire tablets. As is always the case, photos and other revealing aspects of the FCC filing have been held back due to a confidentiality request, but there are still bits of interesting information to learn from the fillings.
One tablet carries a model number of SX034QT and FCC ID number of 2AIP4-4639, while the other has a model number of SR043KL and an FCC ID number of 2AIP3-8320. Both tablets feature microSD cards, headphone jacks, USB ports for charging, Bluetooth, and 802.11a/b/g/n.
The lack of 802.11ac strongly suggests these two new tablets are replacements for the Fire 7″ tablet and the Fire HD8 tablet. As you can see from my Amazon Buyer’s Guide, the regular Fire tablet is approaching 2 years old and is certainly due for an upgrade, but the Fire HD8 was just updated last year. Amazon has updated the Fire HD8 tablet every year since 2012, so despite the Fire HD8 having just been updated, seeing a new model emerge less than a year after the current model was announced is not unusual for the Fire HD8.
The Fire HD10 is the oldest tablet in Amazon’s current lineup, since it was only refreshed in 2016 with a new aluminum body, instead of completely replaced. Even though it’s the most likely tablet to be replaced, I don’t believe either of these two new tablets are a replacement for that model. While Amazon has been reducing functionality of their tablets in order to offer more aggressively low prices, the Fire HD10 is their flagship tablet, so I don’t think they’ll be removing something like 802.11ac support, which is missing from both of these new tablets. I expect we’ll see a third FCC filing, later this year, for a successor to the Fire HD10.
The timing of these FCC filings is noteworthy because Amazon typically works on a predictable schedule. They usually release new tablets in September, but seeing these tablets go through the FCC now indicates a June or July release is more likely this year.
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Man, I really want a new HDX. Although, if they can get the HD8 screen resolution up to 1080p, it would go a long way toward winning me over.
You and me both. My Fire HDX8.9 is perfect for reading comics. When it dies I’ll be sad.
I don’t mind lower screen resolutions, but they need to up the processor and RAM BIG TIME and/or perhaps optimize the firmware better. These tablets just bog down very easily. Even 1.5Gb of RAM on the 8″ isn’t enough. They went from high-end to low-end too quickly and I’m sure there’s a middle ground Amazon could try for, when it comes to tablets.
Anything below 1080p should be banned. Really no reason for any tablet to have 720p screen in 2017.