• Business Insider, Thursday, November 3, 2011 1:50 PM

In other tablet news, Apple says it can’t wait for the launch of Amazon’s Kindle Fire, because it will lead to further fragmentation for the Android platform.

Having just met with Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer, Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes writes: “While the pricing at $199 looks disruptive for what seems to be the iPad’s most important rising challenge, the Amazon Fire -- it is important to note that it could fuel further fragmentation in the tablet market -- given it represents yet another platform. While compatible with Android, the Apps work with Amazon products.”

Posturing, perhaps, but Business Insider thinks Apple has a point. According to BI, “Amazon's Fire is based on Android, but looks totally different. Android-based apps for the Fire will probably look out of place initially.”

Still, that doesn’t mean Apple won’t take measures to protect itself against Amazon’s encroachment. BI, for one, believes that Apple will get more aggressive on price with the iPad, “but not compromise the product quality and experience.” Meanwhile, as BI notes, “No one has really tested it yet. The thing could be awful. In which case, Apple has nothing to worry about."

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