The Amazon Kindle Fire is one of the tablets that reportedly will have a next-generation model, which is why tech experts recommend for people who are on tighter budget and want to take advantage of price cuts on 2012 models to consider this gadget.

The Amazon Kindle Fire, in fact, leads CNET's list of best tablets under $200, followed by Barnes & Noble Nook HD and Googles Nexus 7.

But for those who want and can afford the next-gen tablets, they could perhaps wait for the new Kindle Fire made of metal, said to be coming out in late August. While Amazon has not officially confirmed the roll out of its next-gen tablet, Tech Blog cited a China site, UDN, which claimed that Amazon awarded a one million tablet housing contract to Compal, the second-largest PC manufacturer after Quanta.

In 2012, Quanta got the approval for the Kindle lineup, but with Amazon's plan to change the material of the tablet's housing to metal, the company opted for a deal with Compal.

Besides the casing upgrade, specs of the upcoming Kindle Fire are also being improved from a 1024x600 to 1280x800 display, while the Kindle Fire HD will have a 1920x1200 8.9-inch screen, reports said.

In what seems to be a confirmation of a next-gen Kindle Fire, Amazon just cut the price of the 2012 Kindle Fire to $159. Although this model does not have standard features such as HD video support, camera and volume buttons, CNET considers it as providing an affordable media-centred experience at its lower price tag.

The Kindle Fire HD, in turn, is now only $169, considered a good buy because of its beautiful 7-inch screen and things the owner could do with the tablet such as watching video, browsing and gaming, although it has a restrictive app store and interface.

Second on CNET's list is Barnes & Noble Nook HD which now has a lower price of $129 for the 8GB model. At that price, the buyer should be aware the tablet lacks GPS, a gyroscope, Micro-USB port and camera, but features a light and comfortable design, 1440x900-pixel-resolution screen, microSD expansion slot and access to Google Play store.

Finally, the Nexus 7 is now only $200. It features a comfortable design and pure Android functionality.

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