Well, that was fast. The 8.9-inch version of the Kindle Fire HD is already shipping today and is backordered to Dec. 3rd.
The arrival is a little ahead of schedule. Amazon originally planned a Nov. 20 debut, but began shipping the $299 WiFi version of the tablet today. The tablet will be available tomorrow in Best Buy and other retailers in the coming weeks. Amazon said that the $449 Kindle Fire HD” 4G will ship next week.
“Kindle Fire HD has been Amazon’s best-selling product worldwide since launch, and that was before we even started shipping the best tablet we’ve ever built,” Dave Limp, vice president of Amazon Kindle, said in the release. “With the holiday season upon us, we’re excited to make our $299 Kindle Fire HD 8.9” available early.
The 8.9-inch version joins the original Kindle Fire HD and the Kindle Fire in Amazon’s Kindle Fire family. On its product page, Amazon touts a faster Wi-Fi speed than the iPad or Nexus, reminding me of another one of Amazon’s jabs at tablet competitors last month.
It’s gearing up to be an ultra-competitive holiday season for the tablet market, with Microsoft, Apple, Google and Barnes & Noble all touting their own new versions.
Which one will you buy? Here’s a nice tablet cheat sheet that can help your purchasing decision.
Previously on GeekWire: Chart: Tablets cutting legs out from under regular PCs
