Online retailer Amazon has started shipping the new Kindle Fire HD tablets for $299 five days earlier than it previously revealed.
The new 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD features a 1920-by-1200 resolution screen and operates on either Wi-Fi or 4G, while the new Paperwhite e-readers feature sharper screens and longer battery life.
Features of the new Kindle Fire HD tablets include a front-facing camera, mated to a customised, pre-installed application from Skype which allows users to video chat for free.
The new Amazon tablet will be used for reading ebooks, watching viral videos and features integrated support for Facebook, Twitter and Gmail.
The new Kindle Fire HD tablets will compete with the Apple iPad, the Google Nexus 10 and the Microsoft Surface.
Amazon Kindle vice president Dave Limp said: "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."
"With the holiday season upon us, we’re excited to make our $299 Kindle Fire HD 8.9" available early – we think customers are going to love web browsing, email, gaming, watching TV shows, reading magazines, and more on the large, stunning HD screen, with fast Wi-Fi and exceptional audio," Limp said.
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The retailer said that the new 4G Kindle Fire HD tablets will begin shipping from 20 November this year at $499.
Amazon started shipping the smaller version of the Kindle Fire HD, which has a 7-inch screen in September this year.
