Jeff Bezos unveiling the Kindle Fire

Amazon.com has reportedly chosen Nokia to provide the mapping technology on the next-generation Kindle Fire, a device that is expected to be launched at an event in Santa Monica, California next Thursday.

This may appear to be a minor development. However, in the fast-moving and ever-changing world of tech, where alliances and partnerships change frequently, the choice of Nokia is being discussed as a snub of Google.

Google’s Android operating system is used to power the Kindle Fire, though Amazon has altered the operating system and attempted to make it more of its own. The first version of the Kindle Fire did not have built-in mapping functionality, meaning that users were forced to view maps on a Web browser or download special apps that allowed users to browse locations.

Amazon is facing off with Google’s new Nexus 7, a tablet computer that, like the Kindle Fire, sells for $199. In advance of the next week’s Kindle event, Amazon has been on a bit of a PR campaign, noting this week that its Kindle Fire has captured 22 percent of tablet sales in the U.S. and that the device has now “sold out” on the online retailer’s site.

The news of the alliance between Amazon and Nokia was reported by Reuters, which reported that the new Kindle Fire will feature new geo-location technology.

 

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