Amazon to sell Fire tablet in 3 new colours, more space

The online retailer said it would start selling Fire in magenta, blue and tangerine from Thursday in addition to the original black colours.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos holds up the new Amazon Fire Phone at a launch event in Seattle (AP)

Amazon.com Inc has launched its Fire tablet in three new colours with higher internal storage.

The online retailer said it would start selling Fire in magenta, blue and tangerine from Thursday in addition to the original black colours.

The device will now be available with storage capacity of 8 GB and 16 GB, priced at $49.99 and $69.99, respectively.

During September last year, the company in a major home electronics push had unveiled a $50 tablet computer and other devices aimed at budget-conscious, gadget-hungry consumers.

The low-cost, seven-inch (18-centimeter) Fire tablet was part of an upgraded line being launched by the online retail giant, along with updated Fire TV streaming media devices and a new game controller box.

Amazon, which appeared to stop sales of its Fire Phone earlier this month after a lackluster response, was seen making an aggressive push into the living room at the low end of the electronics market as rival Apple launched its high-end tablets and phones.

"Today, we're taking another step in our mission to deliver premium products at non-premium prices," Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos had said in unveiling the new tablet.