Amazon Unveils Its Kindle Fire HD Line, And The Prices Are Insane

Amazon dropped a few bombs on us today with its new Kindle Fire HD line. Not only will they be following up with another 7-inch model, but they’ve added in a larger 8.9-inch model for good measure. The event ended not too long ago and I have to admit — I’m impressed. The specs and features were well enough to have me intrigued, but when they laid out the pricing, I was stoked. I may end up an Amazon convert, we’ll have to see.

Amazon was touting specs and features for the HD 8.9-inch model and we can only assume at this point that the 7-inch features are the same (minus the size of course). Basing our belief that both the 8.9-inch and 7-inch will feature identical specs, here’s what you’ll get:

Hardware features

• An 8.9-inch (Update: 7-inch 1280 x 800) 1920 x 1200 display with 254 ppi.
• A TI OMAP 4470 processor
• Dual stereo speaker with Dolby Digital Plus
• A dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz receiver, two antennas, and new MIMO radio technology
• 16GB and special 32GB LTE Model
• Special LTE model
• Front-facing HD camera
• HDMI out
• Bluetooth

Software Features

• X-Ray For Movies – quick easy access to relevant content
• X-Ray for Books & Textbooks – quick easy access to relevant content
• Whispersync for Games – stores game states so that you never have to start over when switching devices.
• Whispersync for Voice – Syncs your book with your audiobook (if you own both) so you can read at home and listen while on commute.
• Immersion Reading – Introduces dual-sensory reading, allowing you to listen to professional narration while you read, as well as synchronized real-time highlighting.
• Custom Email, Skype and Facebook applications
• FreeTime – Lets you set up multiple profiles for your kids and set time limits for various types of content. Screen turns blue when times up.
• And more!

Let’s get to the best part, shall we? The 8.9-inch model will only cost $299, while the 7-inch will go for $199! Now that’s what I’m talking about! There’s also a special 32GB LTE model that allows for 250MB of data per month. That model will cost $499 and an extra $50 a year for the data. And there’s also a souped up OG Kindle Fire with double the RAM, faster processor, and better battery life for $159.

I’ll definitely be picking one up, and just so you know, pre-orders start today.

Pre-order 7-inch Kindle Fire HD – $199 (shipping September 14)

Pre-order 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD – $299 (shipping November 20)

Pre-order 8.9-inch 4G LTE Kindle Fire HD – $499 (shipping November 20)

Pre-order souped up Kinle Fire – $159 (shipping September 14)

For the full details on the new Kindle Fire line, hit up the official press release HERE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrgO8Zseh6E

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