Amazon introduced the Kindle Fire tablet on September 28, 2011, at a New York press event, positioning the 7-inch Android-based device at $199 as a lower-priced alternative to Apple’s iPad. The device shipped on November 15, 2011. The Kindle Fire extended Amazon’s Kindle e-reader brand into a full-color tablet designed around Amazon’s content ecosystem, including movies, TV shows, music, books, and apps. [1] [2]
Design and History
The Kindle Fire wordmark is set in lowercase letters and uses a shade of orange, a design detail noted in a September 2011 comparison between the Kindle Fire logo and the AppsFire app logo, which shared lowercase lettering, a similar font style, and the colors white and orange. [3]
On the original Kindle Fire device itself, the front carried no Amazon or Kindle branding. The rear panel featured a large embossed “Kindle” mark with the Amazon logo and certification information printed below it in a muted finish. [4] The device booted to a static orange Kindle Fire logo screen. [5]
In September 2014, Amazon quietly dropped the “Kindle” name from its tablet line, renaming the devices simply Fire HD or Fire HDX. A company spokeswoman confirmed the change, which was made to strengthen ties between the tablets and Amazon’s other Fire-branded hardware, including Fire TV and the Fire Phone, and to draw a clearer distinction between the Kindle e-readers and the more advanced Fire tablets. [6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Kindle Fire name itself carries documented meaning tied to the Kindle brand. The word “Kindle” was coined by the brand consultancy Cronan, founded by designer Michael Cronan and Karin Hibma, who were commissioned by Amazon’s hardware subsidiary Lab126 to name the original e-reader. The name derives from the Old Norse word “kyndill,” meaning candle, and was chosen to evoke the idea of books illuminating the mind. Amazon’s marketing tagline for the Kindle Fire, “From Kindle, fire is born,” drew directly on this etymology, referencing a Voltaire passage about knowledge being kindled and passed from person to person. [7]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
