Amazon Kindle Fire HD Running On Google Android 4.0 ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’

Amazon executives on Friday confirmed that the new Kindle Fire HD tablets run on the Google Android 4.0 ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’ OS.

During the company’s Amazon Fire HD press conference on Thursday officials had steered clear of the devices OS type, likely because the HD tablet has been heavily customized, making Android 4.0 less recognizable to users.

In an attempt to make the mobile OS its own Amazon has removed almost every mention of Google from the operating system and the company even removed default Google Apps and the Google Play store.

Amazon heavily customized the Android OS so it can place its own app store on devices, thus earning money from every downloads initiated by customers. You may recall that Amazon had a similar practice when it heavily modified the Android 2.3 ‘Gingerbread’ OS for the original Amazon Kindle Fire.

In keeping with tradition Amazon’s new devices feature strong cloud integration that provides Amazon users with plenty of storage and app access.

In the meantime Amazon’s chopped up Google Android 4.0 interface also now includes an integrated ad mechanism built directly into the heavily customized OS. When the Amazon Kindle Fire HD is in lock screen mode it will now show an Amazon ad for special offers from Amazon.com. Amazon has also decided to take over the bottom left-hand corner of the home screen with a similar ad which is sure to rub many users the wrong way.

Amazon is likely to sell the Kindle Fire HD at little to no profit margin to customer as it did with the original Amazon Kindle Fire. The company then earns its profits through profit sharing earned by app, book and other platform sales.