Kindle Fire HD vs. iPad 3: Specs, Features Match Up

If you're looking for an efficient tablet, your best bet might be the Kindle Fire HD or the New iPad.

Last month, Amazon introduced its Kindle Fire HD.

The tablet features a 1280x800 HD display is the "world's first tablet with dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi for 40 percent faster downloads and streaming compared to Apple's latest iPad.

The iPad has a 2048X1536-pixel resolution and features retina display.

According to Consumer Reports, the Kindle Fire HD's screen is among the easiest to read in bright light but still a little behind the third-generation iPad screen, which has the highest color accuracy that was measured on a tablet.

Apple's device has a dual-core Apple A5X custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip with quad-core graphics while Kindle's device has a high performance 1.2 Ghz dual-core processor with Imagination PowerVR 3D graphics core for fast and fluid performance.

Consumer Reports said that the Kindle Fire HD is among the best 7-inch tablets on the market. with its long battery life and reasonable price tag.

The Kindle Fire HD costs $199 (16GB), $249 (32GB) and the iPad costs 499 (16GB), $599 (32GB), $699 (64GB); 4G: $599 (16GB), $699 (32GB), $799 (64GB).

According to Consumer Reports, the Kindle Fire HD's screen is among the easiest to read in bright light but still a little behind the third-generation iPad screen, which has the highest color accuracy that was measured on a tablet.

One of the major differences between the iPad and Kindle Fire HD is the availability of a memory.

The Kindle Fire HD hold up to 32GB of storage while the iPad can store up to 64GB of memory.

If you're opting to get the Kindle Fire HD, remember to get an all too important part - the charger. The tablet ships without a charger, which appears as a $9.99 optional extra on the ordering page or a $19.99 accessory when ordered separately. The iPad ships with its charger at no extra cost.

But even with its shortfalls, Consumer Reports said the Kindle Fire HD "shows every sign of being a very worthy tablet."

"It's also attractively priced, costing less, for example, than a 16GB Google Nexus 7, even if you add the cost of a charger and the no-Special-Offers upgrade," Paul Reynolds of Consumer Reports said. "The Fire HD's suitability for you over other tablets may hinge on your commitment to using the Amazon "ecosystem" of products and services. It will appeal the most to Amazon Prime subscribers who receive the service's free streaming movies and free Kindle Book loans, enjoy often-alluring Amazon special offers, and want easy access to personal content they've uploaded to Amazon Cloud."