Amazon is bringing its 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD tablet to the UK, joining the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD five months after it made its debut in the US.
The Fire HD 8.9 is essentially the same as Amazon's existing tablet, putting books, music and movies from Amazon into an easy-to-use interface. The larger screen has a higher pixel count at 1,920x1,200, making it possible to play video in 1080p.
Amazon promises 10 hours of battery life, while the 8.9-inch Fire HD plays host to a slightly speedier processor -- a dual-core affair clocked at 1.5GHz, rather than the 1.2GHz chip in the 7-inch model.
£229 gets you the 16GB option, though if you've got a little more cash, a 32GB model can be yours for £259. An extra £10 means you won't see 'Special Offers' -- ie ads on the lock screen. A case is also available (see above), doubling as a stand when you fold its cover back, but it's not cheap, setting you back another £40.
Amazon says the Kindle Fire HD is its best-selling product online worldwide, so there could be a lot of interest in this device. I wonder, though, if there's much appeal in the larger, pricier tablet when the 7-inch option is similar and more portable.
The 7-inch option won three stars in our review, as we praised its simple interface and good screen. But it was a real kick in the teeth that movies weren't available to download and watch offline, with the only option being streaming via Lovefilm. That's no good if you're travelling or on a plane, and is a gripe that's still present on the larger 8.9-inch tablet.
The super-sized device is available to buy online as of right now through Amazon, but will also be lining shop shelves in Currys, PC World, John Lewis, Tesco and Waterstones. Will you be making a purchase? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.
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anonymous 13 March, 2013 20:59
It's such a good size for a tablet, wish there were more.
anonymous 15 March, 2013 11:16
I'm still waiting for more tablets with such a good size. 10 is too much, 7 is too small to read a book or watch a video.
anonymous 24 March, 2013 15:52
7 is perfect for reading a book, you can hold it one handed whilst lying on your back, what more can you want? 8.9 is a little too big for books but much better for magazines (7 is way too small, but Play Magazines text view sorts that out). 7 isn't ideal for movies but it's still easy to watch a flm and get immersed (even with a cold after 2 hours sleep at 5am in an airport waiting 5 hours for your flight; I speak from experience here).
8.9 looks a great size for films, no doubt, but then it loses its portability. I'd say 10 or 7 are about right. Either way though, what's the point in a tablet that can't store movies for offline viewing?