technology in communication: Amazon announces 7 and 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDs, pricing starts at $199

Amazon announces 7 and 89inch Kindle Fire HDs, pricing starts at $199

Amazon has made the jump from small to big screens with its e-readers in the past, and its now done so again with its tablets. The company has just announced a new Kindle Fire HD with an 8.9-inch, 1920 x 1200 display (or 254 ppi). The device itself measures 8.8mm thick and weighs in at 20 ounces, and that high-res screen has a polarizing filter on it that promises to cut down on glare -- the touch sensor is also laminated, which Amazon says offers better sharpness and contrast. As for internals, the Fire HD 8.9 (as Amazon has distinguished it) has a TI OMAP 4470 processor, dual speakers, a front-facing HD camera, and HDMI out. As the company is happy to point out, it's also the first tablet with dual-band (2.4GHz, 5GHz) MIMO technology, which Amazon says makes the device's WiFi 41 percent faster than the latest iPad. Look for it to run you $299 for the 16GB version when it starts shipping on November 20th. Those looking for some added connectivity will also be able to opt for a Kindle Fire HD with 4G LTE for $499 (also shipping November 20th). That buys you 32GB of storage instead of the standard 16GB (a 64GB option is also available), and you'll get 250MB of data per month from AT&T if you shell out an extra $50 a year.

But that's not all, Amazon has also announced a smaller, 7-inch Kindle Fire HD that will run you just $199 (also for 16GB). It boasts most of the same specs as its larger counterpart, the big exception being the screen resolution -- you'll get 1280 x 800 here, which puts it on par with the Nexus 7. According to Amazon, you can expect 11 hours of battery life from the 7-inch model, but it's curiously not offering battery details on the Fire HD 8.9. Pre-orders for all three options start today.

Gallery: Amazon announces 7 and 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDs