Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) Ad Takes Aim at iPad Mini vs. Fire HD

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) seems to be wasting no time at acknowledging that the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad Mini, just introduced last week, will likely be a tough competitor for the Kindle Fire HD. One would know that by noticing that Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is already putting out an ad comparing the Kindle Fire HD strengths against the iPad Mini in a head-to-head.

While Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) tries to paint the iPad Mini has an inferior device, there is certainly some indication that Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) already knows the marketing and brand-recognition juggernaut that is Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) by acting like the underdog. Whether this aggressive strategy will work on the bottom line and with investors like billionaire fund manager Jim Chanos of Kynikos remains to be seen, but certainly Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) seems to understand that its share of the 7-inch tablet market will likely face a serious challenge.

In the ad, Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) points out three functional differences between its Kindle Fire HD and the iPad Mini by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), besides the $130 difference in price between the $199 Kindle Fire HD and the $329 version of the iPad Mini. First, the Kindle Fire HD has a screen resolution of about 215 ppi, which is about 30 percent denser than the iPad Mini’s 163 ppi screen. Second, the Kindle Fire touts that is has two stereo speakers for media playback, while the iPad Mini has one mono speaker. And, the ad mentions Wi-Fi capability on the Kindle Fire, but does not mention that the iPad Mini also supports Wi-Fi, and some models also support 4G LTE.

Why? Because this is an Amzon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) ad. Nonetheless, while the iPad Mini does have features that make it one of the better smaller tablets on the market, Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) does seem wise to highlight the features that those who use tablets for media playback will find advantageous in the Kindle Fire HD – and for that, this ad may be effective, so long as it is targeted to those who have fairly specific uses for a tablet. If this reached out to a more general broader audience, Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) may be in trouble on its ROI goals.