Kindle Fire HD 8.9" Shipping Now; 4G LTE Version Due Next Week

Amazon's Kindle Fire HD 8.9" has begun shipping, with the LTE-enabled version due to ship out next week, although the stock of the Android slates is already tight. Available ahead of schedule, the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" has a 1920 x 1200 254ppi display and runs Amazon's customized Android OS on a TI OMAP4470 processor with SXG544 graphics; the WiFi-only model is priced at $299, while the 4G version starts at $499.

Two capacity versions of the Kindle HD 8.9" WiFi are offered – 16GB and 32GB – and it's possible to choose a subsidized model with Amazon's Special Offers or, for $15 more, opt out of the advertising. The 4G model comes in 32GB and 64GB versions, again with a choice of having Special Offers or not.

The 4G HD 8.9" also offers a $49.99 annual data plan, offering 250MB of AT&T data per month for a one-off payment (and only valid for the first year of ownership). Monthly plans for 3GB or 5GB of data are also available, and can be signed up for on the tablet itself.

However, if you haven't had a preorder in, you may be waiting some time to actually get your new slate. Amazon warns that orders placed today aren't expected to ship until the week of December 3. You may be able to find one sooner in Best Buy, however, where the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" will go on sale from Friday this week, or in Staples or Radio Shack "in the coming weeks."

More on the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 in our hands-on.