KindleFireHDXOrigami_2

How does your tablet stand up? No, literally.

A day after Microsoft debuted a new version of its Surface tablet with an upgraded kickstand, Amazon.com overnight introduced a new accessory for its new Kindle Fire HDX tablets and revamped Kindle Fire HD tablet.

Called the Origami, it’s a case that attaches to the tablets magnetically — featuring a flap that not only covers the screen but can be folded to act as a stand.

The first surprise is that it doesn’t just work in landscape mode.

“Because our industrial design team is so darned ingenius, this fold and the shape make it also very good in portrait mode,” explained Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, demonstrating the cover during a media briefing earlier this week.

And for an additional trick, it’s possible to push the Kindle Fire up from inside the case to expose the camera on the back of the tablet, and the device automatically switches to camera mode, bypassing the lock screen.

Pricing ranges from $44.99 for a polyurethane Origami cover for the new Kindle Fire HD to $54.99 for a polyurethane version for the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX. Leather versions of the cover are an extra $15 over those prices at each level.

Here’s a series of pictures that I took at Amazon showing the Origami in action.

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PreviouslyWith new Kindle Fire HDX, Jeff Bezos sees Amazon’s big bets coming together

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