Tablet sales were really strong the past couple of years but things have slowed down in the market. This is likely because many people now have a tablet and don’t see enough change in the devices to merit purchasing a new one. One segment that is still seeing strong sales though is low cost tablets. This is likely due to those consumers that are wary of spending such a large amount on a device that they are unsure of how much they might use it. The other likely reason is parents that are looking to get a device for their kids so they don’t have to share. Amazon introduced several new tablets specifically for these issues.

The $99 Fire HD 6

The most interesting Kindle Fire release from last night was the new Fire HD 6 with its starting price of just $99. This makes it one of the most affordable tablets on the market. The design does not look that much different from the other Kindle Fire tablets but just smaller due to the 6-inch display. In fact, the specs between the new Fire HD 6 and the revised Fire HD 7 are pretty much the same other than the display. Both use a quad core processor and feature front and rear cameras. Both even have the same 1280×800 display just with different sizes so that the HD 6 has a slightly more defined image because of its smaller pixel sizes. Of course the smaller size may mean less battery life from a smaller internal battery.

The Fire HD is very much a response to tablets such as the . That tablet has been on the market for some time and has sold very well but it still carries a price of roughly $159 for 16GB. The same style of new Fire HD 7 is also $159 but the Fire HD 6 is a more affordable $119 for 16GB. Because of this, it almost makes sense to purchase the Fire HD 6 over the Fire HD 7 because it is a significant price increase for little gain in features beyond just a larger screen. Mind you, a 6 inch screen is very small and near the size of many large smartphones now. Preorders are being taken now with availability scheduled for the beginning of October.

Kids Editions

Now Amazon realizes that many of these affordable tablets are being purchased by parents for their kids. The downside is that kids can be extremely rough on their toys and tablets can break easily. Because of this, Amazon has released a Kids Edition of both of their Fire HD 6 and Fire HD 7 products. Essentially they are the same tablets sold at a higher price that include some additional features specifically for kids. For instance, the $99 Fire HD 6 jumps up to $149 for the Kids Edition while the $139 Fire HD 7 sells at $189.

So what is Amazon providing for the extra $50 cost over the standard tablets? First, the device comes with a durable case to help prevent damage to the device when it is dropped. Even more unprecedented is the warranty though. If you child does manage to break the tablet, Amazon will replace the device for free for a period if two years. Even Apple with its AppleCare warranties charges a replacement fee and will only do so twice and the cost for that protection is much more than $50.

Of course, Amazon is also trying to hook the kids into a service as well. With the purchase of the Kids Edition tablets, you also get a year of the Amazon FreeTime Unlimited. This provides access to over 5,000 books, movies and TV shows that are appropriate for children. Sadly, this subscription does not last for the full two years so after the first year, the service can be continued for prices ranging from $2.99 to $9.99/month depending upon if you have Prime already and the number of children in the service.