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Amazon bringing Kindle Fire to the UK

The Kindle Fire HD tablet comes with a 7in (17.8cm) screen and 16gb storage capacity retailing for £159 ($253).

Amazon has also upgraded its original Kindle Fire device (which was only available in the US so far) and has discounted its price; it will be available for £129 ($205) in the UK, and is touted as a low-end tablet. Kindle’s Fire devices are expected to be available in the UK by October 25.

The new devices come equipped with advertisements known as ‘special offers’ that appear when the screen is locked and in the corner of the home screen, helping Amazon keep prices low.

In addition to competing with the iPad, the new Kindle Fire tablets will also be pitched against Google and Microsoft’s tablet range. The launch of the Kindle Fire tablets in the UK is on the back of Amazon’s recent introduction of frontlighting to its newest Kindle e-reader device, enabling users to use the Kindle in the dark.

Amazon has also announced plans to release a new edition of the Kindle Fire in the US at the end of the year. According to Amazon, the Kindle Fire has captured 22% of the US tablet market.

Devina Joshi, London