Analyst: Kindle Fire Will Sell 15M By End Of 2013

A new report from market research firm Strategy Analytics suggests that Amazon's new Kindle Fire tablet will sell more than 15 million units worldwide by the end of 2013. If the installed base for the Kindle Fire reaches that forecast, the relatively inexpensive tablet could have an audience too large for game developers to ignore. Amazon revealed the Kindle Fire last week, a 7-inch, Android-based LCD tablet to market for $199, with access to games through Amazon's Android App Store. The Strategy Analytics report, entitled 'Amazon's Fire Reignites Entry-Level Tablet Market', notes that it is likely Amazon will release another two Fire models during that period. The analyst group also suggests that the Kindle Fire will be released in regions outside of the U.S. before the end of 2013, including Western Europe and Japan. Peter King, director of touchscreen strategies at the analyst group, explained, "Our first impression of the Amazon Kindle Fire is very positive." "Amazon has avoided what most of the earlier iPad competitors failed to avoid; a direct comparison on size, features, price and user experience." He also noted that Google will benefit greatly from the move. "Amazon will likely sell such high volumes of the Fire that Google's Android OS will benefit from the increased scale of Apps developed with Android in mind in general, and Amazon specifically," he said.