Seattle — Amazon today introduced a heavily updated Kindle Fire line by rolling out three new models, including a $499 4G LTE version.
The Kindle Fire HD family includes the 8.9-inch $499 4G LTE model, a $299 Wi-Fi-only model and a 7-inch Fire for $199. The first two have a 1,920 by 1,200 HD display, while the second features a 1, 280 by 800 display.
The 7-inch is available with either 16GB or 32GB of storage and the larger screens add a 64GB option.
All are powered by an OMAP4 4470 processor and graphics engine. The Wi-Fi models have a dual antenna with dual-band configuration, which Amazon claimed is 40 percent faster than previous units.
About 11 hours of battery life is expected.
The $499 model comes with a special data package that costs $49 for the first year. Customers receive 250MB of data per month, 20GB of Amazon Cloud storage and a $10 credit in the Amazon App Store. Customers can also choose to upgrade to 3GB or 5GB data plans from AT&T directly from the device.
Amazon also upgraded the standard-definition 7-inch Kindle Fire by including the improved Wi-Fi and dropping the price to $159 from $199.
