Amazon Launches Kindle Fire HD Tablet At $199 – Takes on Google Nexus 7

Amazon has introduced a new version of the Fire tablet, which is supposed to be 40 percent faster with a longer battery life called the Fire HD. The Fire HD will be available in a 7-inch version for $199 (16GB) or $249 (32GB). If you want a larger screen you can get the Kindle Fire HD with an 8.9-inch screen for $299 (16GB)or $369.99 (32GB). Those are of course the prices for the Wi-Fi versions as 4G compatibility is extra. If you feel the need for 4G internet service, the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD with 4G will run you $499 (32GB) and $599 (64GB).

The Kindle Fire HD tablet feature a 1.2 Ghz dual-core processor with Imagination PowerVR 3D graphics for the 7″ display that runs at 1280×800 HD resolution. The Kindle Fire Pro HD 8.9″ has a faster 1.5GHz dual-core processor and a larger 1920×1200 HD resolution for the 8.9″ display. All versions of the Fire HD will feature dual stereo speakers with Dolby Digital Plus and dual-band 802.11 antennas (2.4GHz and 5GHz) for improved Wi-Fi performance. You can pre-order the Kindle Fire HD now and they should be shipping on September 14th, 2012.

Amazon is competing with Apple, Google and other technology companies for a piece of the booming mobile-device market. The Google Nexus 7 ( review) is available for $199 and the iPad mini is coming soon at an unknown price point. The Google Nexus 7 appears to have a better quad-core processor (NVIDIA Tegra 3), compared to the dual-core brain in the Kindle Fire, better camera and a newer version of the Android operating system. It looks like Amazon has a tough battle ahead of them.