Amazon starts shipping 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD

Amazon has begun delivery of online orders for its new Kindle Fire HD tablet a full week ahead of the original date. Amazons flagship tablet is now available in a 8.9-inch variant.

It is believed early delivery to customers is Amazon’s attempt to persuade other users to purchase this new product amid the frenzied release of Apple and Google’s new tablet lineups, the fourth generation iPad, iPad mini, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10.

The new Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch is listed on Amazon’s website in four flavors. It is broken up into two models, a Wi-Fi and 4G/LTE version. The Wi-Fi model is available in 16GB and 32GB storage capacities at US$299 and US$369 respectively.

The 4G/LTE version comes in 32GB and 64GB storage capacities at US$499 and US$599 respectively. Amazon says only the Wi-Fi model has begun shipping to customers and 4G/LTE purchasers should expect delivery some time next week.

This new Amazon tablet is not simply for reading ebooks and watching viral videos, it features integrated support for Facebook, Twitter and Gmail. It should be able to handle heavy use, the Kindle Fire HD is fitted with a dual-core processor clocked at 1.5 Ghz. With all the social functionality, Amazon has still looked to keep its loyal ereader fans happy with access to its Kindle Owners’ Library.

With the Festive season close at hand and any opportunity that Amazon can take to get the jump-start on Apple will be gladly taken. This year has seen the tablet market become completely saturated with the majority of tech manufacturers releasing at least two models, leaving consumers with more options to mull over than ever.