Amazon Kindle Fire to skip Google Maps in favor of Nokia Navigation, report says
(CBS News) Amazon may forgo Google Maps in its next Kindle Fire.
According Reuters sources, Amazon is going to integrate Nokia's mapping service instead of Google Maps.
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Skipping on Google Maps could just come down to the fact that Amazon doesn't want to promote a competitor's brand on its own device.
Google recently launched the Nexus 7 tablet, which has specifications comparable to the Kindle Fire. Both tablets have 7-inch displays and run a version of Android - although the Nexus 7 is exclusively running the latest version of Android.
Amazon isn't the only one trying to limit Google's competitiveness. Apple recently announced it would drop Google Maps for its own mapping app. Apple and Google have competing mobile operating system - iOS and Android, respectively. With the launch of the Nexus 7 tablet, Google also directly competes with the iPad.
Citing two sources close to the matter, Reuters also reported that Amazon will also add location services. However, it's not clear if the retail giant will rely on a GPS chip or Wi-Fi triangulation.
The Kindle Fire does not have a mapping app, but the success of the tablet was not hindered by the lack of location services. In fact, Amazon recently announced that the popular tablet is now "sold out."
The Kindle Fire launched in September 2011. At the time there were few contenders in the 7-inch tablet market. All of that has changed over the last year.
Soon after The Kindle Fire was launched, Barnes & Noble released the Nook Tablet, which retailed at $249. Google's Nexus 7 tablet was announced in June and retails for $199. Rumors have also circulated that Apple will release a 7-inch iPad mini in a similar price range.
Amazon is holding a press event next Thursday. Industry analyst widely anticipate the launch of the company's next tablet, which many are calling the Kindle Fire 2.
