Amazon buys 3D mapping software, with next-gen Kindle Fire to benefit

Amazon has made moves into the navigation world after purchasing a new start-up company that specialises in 3D mapping. The acquisition of UpNext could signal Amazon’s intentions to load its next Kindle Fire device with native mapping navigation apps. 

The original Kindle Fire relies on third-party Android apps or accessing online maps through the web browser for users to be able to transform the device into a navigational tool, while there’s also no native GPS.

However, a second-generation Amazon Kindle Fire is said to be in the pipeline and after its shelling out the cash on a new mapping service, it’s a logical step to assume we will be seeing navigation as a key component when it finally arrives. 

Details of how much Amazon has spent on UpNext have not been revealed, but the startup company specialise in interactive, three-dimensional maps of cities and venues. Obviously with a powerhouse like Amazon behind it, its skill set can develop.

So far the original Kindle Fire has yet to arrive in the UK, and many are now speculating that we will in fact just get the Kindle Fire 2 when it receives a mass global rollout later in the year.

What do you think Amazon acquiring UpNext means? Let us know in the comments below.