Amazon preparing a higher-resolution Kindle Fire for Q3 (report)

Amazon is working on a next-generation Kindle Fire tablet that will have a 1,280-by-800 pixel screen.

That’s a bump up from the current model’s 1,080 by 600 pixels and will put the new Kindle Fire on par with other Android tablets, such as Google’s impressive, new 7-inch Nexus 7, as well as the larger, 10.1-inch Toshiba Thrive and Acer Iconia.

The new resolution figures, and the prediction that the new Kindle Fire will ship in the third quarter, come from John Paczkowski at All Things D, who cites “sources familiar with Amazon’s plans” in his report. According to Paczkowski, a handful of other upgrades will also debut on the new model:

• Thinner and lighter form factor
• Built-in camera
• A sharper and brighter display
• 29 percent higher pixel density

Paczkowski notes that the new resolution also has a slightly different aspect ratio, with a width-to-height ratio of 1.6 instead of 1.71, making it a more standard, less “skinny” rectangle.

The Kindle Fire has been the most successful Android tablet to date and has led the rise of Android’s market share among tablets. With a low, $200 price and a captive, Amazon-curated app store, the Kindle Fire has carved out a niche where other manufacturers have tried and failed to make a dent in the iPad’s dominance. However, its small, 7-inch screen has not gone unnoticed: Google’s new Nexus 7 has a similarly small screen, and Apple is rumored to be working on a 7-inch “iPad mini” (though I won’t believe that until I see it). An earlier report had pegged the launch of an upgraded Kindle Fire on July 31.

There’s no word on whether the Fire will include an improved processor, more memory, or other much-needed enhancements to the tablet OS, such as parental controls.

Compare 7-inch tablets on VentureBeat’s tablet comparison page.

Kindle Fire photo credit: Courtney Boyd Myers/Flickr