Amazon introduces Fire OS 4 “Sangria”

Starts with Android and improves on performance and ease of use with features like ASAP and Smart Suspend

Deeply integrates software, content, and the Amazon cloud to deliver exclusive services like Family Library, Firefly, and free unlimited storage for photos taken on Fire devices

Fire OS 4 will come pre-loaded on the new Fire HD and Fire HDX tablets, and will be available as a free, over-the-air update for all 3^rdgeneration Fire tablets

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 17, 2014-- (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today introduced Fire OS 4 “Sangria,” the next generation of software and services that powers Amazon’s Fire devices, including the all-new Fire tablets introduced today.

The latest version of Fire OS, “Sangria,” continues Fire OS’ content-forward user interface that delivers easy and fast access to your favorite books, songs, videos, and games—open them with one tap rather than hunting through folders and apps. Fire OS 4 updates the visual design of the UI and adds Profiles so each family member can have their own individual email, Facebook and Twitter accounts, settings such as display brightness, bookmarks, spot in a movie, and game levels.“When we think about Fire OS, we start with what matters to customers—ease of use and performance,” said Dave Limp, Senior Vice President, Amazon Devices. “Fire OS 4 improves in both of these areas, and deeply integrates software, content, and the Cloud to deliver services that are only available from Amazon, including Family Library, Firefly, and free cloud storage for photos.”

Fire OS 4 is based on KitKat and adds features and services to make it faster and easier to use. For example, Fire OS includes ASAP (Advanced Streaming and Prediction) which predicts the movies and TV episodes you’ll want to watch and starts them instantly, and Smart Suspend develops a device-specific profile for when the tablet is typically not in use and proactively turns wireless off and on to deliver up to 25% more standby battery life.

Fire OS is not just a device OS—it deeply integrates with the Amazon cloud to further improve performance and ease-of-use, to enable cross-platform syncing, and to power services that require more processing than is possible on a mobile device. Examples of new cloud services in Fire OS 4 include Family Library so you can share your apps, games, audiobooks, books, and Prime Instant Video content with other members of your household; Firefly so you can identify and take action on artwork, text, and audio instantly—available for over 100 million items; and free unlimited storage in Cloud Drive for photos taken on Fire devices.

Fire OS 4 will be available on all 4^th generation Fire tablets and will be available for all 3^rd generation Fire tablets via a free, over-the-air software update. Firefly will be available on Fire HDX 8.9. Fire OS 4 will be available on Fire phone early next year.

Learn more about Fire OS 4: www.amazon.com/fire-os.

About Amazon

Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, and Fire TV are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.