Kindle Fire HD unleashed: 4G and a bigger screen, but not in the UK

The Gadget Show  Thursday 06 September 2012

Meet the Kindle Fire HD, Amazon’s second generation turbo tablet. This time round, the screen is bigger, the specs are better – but we’re only getting one version of it…

Unveiled on stage in Los Angeles, the Kindle Fire HD is Amazon’s first real attempt at taking on Apple’s hyper-successful iPad. The top tier measures a much larger 8.9-inches across, compared to the first Kindle Fire’s 7-inches, and comes with a minimum of 16GB of storage (space for at least 20 movies), a front facing camera for Skype video chats and two Wi-Fi radios for better reception.

That display is stuffed with pixels (1900×1200 resolution) so it’s pin sharp, and it’s got access to all of Amazon’s services, so you can rent HD movies on demand, and even order actions figures from your favourite games within the apps. No, really. A 7-inch Kindle Fire HD model meanwhile packs in a similar processor and still sharp 1200×800 display, while the original Kindle Fire gets a revamp to, with twice the memory and updated software.

Five ways the Kindle Fire HD can kill the Google Nexus 7

Because Amazon’s making money from these service over the long term, it’s able to offer the Kindle Fire HD at a cut throat rate: the 8.9-inch model costs just $299 (about £190). For hardware that’s not far off from that found in the £429 third generation iPad, that’s pretty astounding. The retailer will also be selling $499 (£310) version of the Kindle Fire HD with 4G connectivity, so you can download emails on the go and surf the web wherever.

Which brings us to one issue: availability. Only the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD and upgraded original Kindle Fire will be coming to the UK, priced at £159/£199 for 16GB and 32GB models of the former, and £129 for the latter. That flagship 8.9-inch model is US only for now, and Amazon won’t say when or if we’ll see it over here.

Let us know what you make of the Kindle Fire HD in the comments below. Is it an iPad killer?

Amazon Kindle Phone incoming!