Kindle Fire 2: New image and UK launch teased

The Gadget Show  Friday 31 August 2012

The Amazon Kindle Fire 2 tablet whispers have been getting louder and louder in recent weeks, and it looks like they’re about to reach a crescendo: what you see here is the first ever alleged picture of the new Android based tablet. That’s not all either – the arrival of Amazon’s Android Appstore in the UK and Europe spells an imminent release for it here too. At last!

Last night The Verge published several images of what it believes is the new Amazon Kindle Fire 2 tablet, or at least a prototype. While we don’t know much about the specs or size – rumours of both seven and ten inch models abound – we can see that it’s packing a front facing webcam for video chats, as well as a design with much more rounded edges than last year’s original.

Five ways the Kindle Fire 2 can slay the Google Nexus 7

Of course, it’ll all be new to us Brits who’ve been denied the original super cheap Amazon tablet. But that looks set to change as well: yesterday, Amazon launched its Android Appstore in five countries in Western Europe, including the UK. You can install it on any Android device from the retailer’s website, but it’s likely also a telling sign that the Kindle Fire 2 is on its way here, since Amazon’s tablets do not have access to Google’s Play store for apps. And what’s a tablet without apps?

So when will see the Kindle Fire 2 debut? It’s looking likely that we’ll see it making its first official appearance this time a week today, when Amazon hosts a press conference in California for an unspecified product.

Are you excited? Is this a slate that Asus should be scared of? Hit the comments with your view below.

Check out our video review of the Kindle Fire below