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CNET: Amazon prepping two 7-inch Kindle Fire models for next week's event

CNET: Amazon prepping two 7-inch Kindle Fire models for next week's event

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CNET is reporting today that Amazon plans to release two 7-inch versions of the Kindle Fire at its event next week.

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Kindle Fire leak
Kindle Fire leak

Yesterday, we caught a few glimpses at what is expected to be the new Kindle Fire, and today CNET is reporting that Amazon actually has two Kindle Fire tablets in the works. We've heard this before — in fact it's been rumored for months that Amazon is planning to launch more than one Kindle Fire — but CNET claims that both of the new devices will in fact be the same size. Earlier, it was thought that Amazon would release at least a 10-inch model alongside a new 7-inch Kindle Fire, in an effort to take on Apple's current iPad.

CNET goes on to elaborate that one of the tablets will be an all-new design, complete with a faster processor, a camera, volume keys, an HDMI port, and more internal storage, but still no expansion slot. The other tablet will be a slightly revamped version of the existing Kindle Fire, with a new version of Amazon's software built on top of Android. Unfortunately, there is no information with regards to pricing for the new tablets or when they are due to hit shelves. The report also states that while Amazon may very well be working on a larger version of the Kindle Fire, it will not be announcing it next week.

Camera, volume keys, HDMI, more storage, but still a 7-inch display

In a separate report, The Wall Street Journal is saying this afternoon that Amazon plans to release an ad-supported version of the Kindle Fire — not unlike the Kindle with Special Offers e-reader that has been around for some time. The ad-supported version would cost less than the normal Kindle Fire, and would display an ad whenever the user wakes the tablet up from its sleep mode. Though the WSJ isn't saying anything about pricing or specs of the ad-supported model, this could be the slightly updated version of the existing Kindle Fire that CNET is referring to, as that is expected to cost less than the all-new model.

Assuming that CNET's report is accurate, it appears that the device we showed you yesterday (seen in the image above) is the completely new model, as the image clearly shows a camera and new hardware design. The leaked image does not make it clear exactly how large that particular device is, but we could easily see it having a 7-inch display, based on the size of the camera lens in relation to the rest of the device.

We also expect that Amazon will release a new version of its standard Kindle e-reader with a new e-ink technology called "Paperwhite," but we'll be there on the ground in Los Angeles next week to report on all of Amazon's announcements.