Kindle Fire HD 7in v Galaxy Tab 2 7.0: Amazon's Newest Challenges Samsung

Amazon's newly released Kindle Fire HD tablets are expected to have Bing as the default search provider, instead of Google - found in the original tablet. The Seattle-based online retail giant introduced 7in and 8.9in HD tablets, along with upgrades to the existing 7in model, on 6 September.

Check out how the Amazon 7in Kindle Fire HD does against Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 7.0...

Display

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 features a 7in PLS LCD capacitive touchscreen with the TouchWiz UX User Interface (UI). The resolution of the display is 600 x 1024pixels and it has a pixel density of 170 pixels per inch (ppi).

The 7in Fire HD's display has an IPS LCD display with a resolution of 800 x 1280 pixels and a density of 216 ppi. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass and features an advanced polarising filter and anti-glare technology. The technology does provide improved viewing experiences, if a review by Associated Press is to be believed.

The Tab 2 7.0 features inferior resolution compared to Amazon's new tablet but the Samsung device does reportedly offer a brighter display for white colours and a better contrast, as well as better viewing angles.

Dimensions

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 measures 193.7 x 122.4 x 10.5mm, while the 7in HD Fire measures 193 x 137 x 10.3mm. The Kindle Fire HD is 50g heavier than the Tab's 345g.

Operating System

The Tab 2 7.0 was launched with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS)) and while an update to Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) has been mooted, there is no official word on its arrival. The Kindle Fire HD will run the same ICS software.

Processor

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is powered by a Texas Instrument (TI) OMAP 4430 dual-core processor with a PowerVR SGX540 graphics unit. The processor runs at a clock sped of 1GHz. The Kindle Fire HD uses a TI OMAP 4460 dual-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz. Both tablets house 1GB of RAM.

Camera

The Galaxy Tab 2 packs a 3.15 megapixel rear-facing camera with technologies like geo-tagging and smile detection. The camera can record video in 720p at 30 frames per second (fps). The device also sports a VGA quality front camera for video calls. The Kindle Fire HD does not have a rear-camera like the Galaxy Tab but has a front-facing HD camera with a custom Skype app for video calling.

Storage

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is available in three storage options - 8GB, 16GB and 32GB. Amazon's product comes in only two - 16/32GB. However, it will have free cloud storage for Amazon content. On the other hand, Samsung's product does support microSD cards, unlike Amazon's.

Connectivity

The Galaxy Tab 2 offers Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot and Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP and HS. It supports data speeds of up to HSDPA 21Mbps and HSUPA 5.76Mbps. The device also supports GPS.

The Kindle Fire HD will offer dual-band and dual-antenna Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) in addition to Bluetooth. More importantly, Amazon's tablet will feature MIMO (Multiple In/Multiple Out - a technology designed to combat problems with line of sight for wireless signals) which is supposed to offer up to 40 percent faster speeds. Amazon also claims the Kindle Fire HD tablets are the first to offer all three wireless technologies - dual-band, dual-antennas and MIMO.

Battery

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 runs on a Li-ion 4,000mAh battery tested to offer seven hours and 38 minutes of use. Amazon have yet to specify their device's battery's capabilities but it should be safe to assume a similar standard.