Fire Tablet with Alexa, 7" Display, 8 GB, Black - with Special Offers (Previous Generation - 5th)

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• 

  John N.

  5 out of 5 stars

  Great Tablet to Crack and Tinker With

  Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2017

  Digital Storage Capacity: 16 GBColor: BlackOffer Type: With Special Offers

  Verified Purchase

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  **For those who are not interested in rooting this device and plan to use it as-is, you can jump to the second to last paragraph of this review.**

  For a while I'd wanted to get an inexpensive Android tablet to mess around with - something I could root, scrap the stock OS and try flashing with different ROMs. When I saw this on sale (from an already low price) I figured it would be perfect for what I wanted. The stock FireOS, while still Android, is sort of a knee-capped Android that Amazon has bloated with apps that, by default, can't be removed and it uses their own UI, all designed to sell you more stuff from Amazon. They charge less for the tablet if you get one with "special offers" which is corporate double-speak for adware that clutters up the lock screen.

  The idea of a corporation owning ad-space on MY device is something I find utterly repugnant - so I cracked it, and you can too! ...and should, if for no other reason than to get those stupid ads off YOUR lock screen and install the Play Store so you aren't limited to Amazon's weak app marketplace. Even if you're not particularly tech-savvy you should be able to root this device with relative ease - there's plenty of resources out there that don't require you to learn all of the ins and outs of the Android API. RootJunky.com has a set of scripts specifically for the 5th generation Amazon 7" Fire tablet - a Batch script for Windows and Bash scripts for Linux and Mac that will do all of the heavy lifting for you, and there's even video instructions on how to use them should you need it. The trickiest part of the whole setup was getting the ADB drivers to install properly on Windows (I figured out that you have to uninstall the driver that Windows automatically installs when you connect the tablet before installing the ADB drivers), and this was a headache that would have been avoided entirely had I just used my Linux machine from the beginning as this problem is with Windows and NOT the device or the rooting tool (Mac users should be fine too).

  If you just want to get rid of the ads and have the ability to access the play store you may even be able to do so without rooting (I think I remember reading this while I was looking into cracking the device), but I should tell you that just adding a new launcher on top of FireOS will not necessarily give you the full functionality you'd have with a device that's actually running Android. I tried doing this with a couple of different launchers to see how they worked and there didn't seem to be support for widgets (at least not for widgets that weren't specifically designed for that launcher). This didn't surprise me as the FireOS UI isn't set up like Android's. If you really want the tablet to be a full Android tablet you'll need to root it and then use something like FlashFire to scrap FireOS and install a custom ROM like CyanogenMod. As with RootJunky's rooting tool this is a fairly simple and straightforward process and there's plenty of information and instructions online as well as a knowledgeable user-base that can probably answer whatever questions you may have.

  At this point I should probably mention the obvious - rooting you tablet and messing around with the OS will void the warranty and you can run the risk of bricking the device and turning it into a fancy looking paperweight, especially if don't know what you're doing and lack the patience to learn. That said, if you don't mind doing a little bit of due-diligence and research, you can get a solid Android tablet for a good price without the adware eye-pollution or imposing limitations of Amazon's FireOS.

  For those of you who have no desire to mess with the tablet... If you ALREADY have subscriptions to Amazon's streaming video service, Amazon's eBook and audiobook services and don't mind seeing targeted advertisements every time you turn on your tablet then this tablet might be a good fit for you. If, however, you don't have subscriptions to those Amazon services you should probably look for a tablet that runs a real version of Android.

  If you do plan on cracking this device to get the most out of it but you're new to process, a few good resources to check out are XDA-Developers and RootJunkie and a couple apps you should check out are SuperSU and FlashFire. Obviously, there are many more out there but this is a good place to start. Enjoy!

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• 

  Matthew Johnson

  5 out of 5 stars

  Bang for the Buck!

  Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2015

  Digital Storage Capacity: 8 GBColor: BlackOffer Type: With Special Offers

  Verified Purchase

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  I absolutely love the Fire 7" tablet! I gave it 5 stars because I have been using it every single day since I've gotten it (even though I also have a Google Nexus 7) in order to put it through its paces in order to write a decent enough review for everyone else on here looking to buy this. I am going to be blunt and honest with this review, but as a consumer, you also have to understand that what you're paying for is what you get, which I personally think is great for the money!

  First off, performance: I have installed apps and games on my device, even watched movies via Prime Video and it has done a great job! I am a huge Hearthstone player and there have been times where it's lagged a bit, but honestly, I get that on my Google Nexus 7 at times and I can't tell if it's a hardware issue or software issue in terms of the game itself, I personally think it's a bit of both. You have to understand though that you are getting what you paid for and the "lag" that occurs is very rare and far in between, it doesn't happen with enough frequency that it would "ruin" the experience, plus it typically only happens around starting up the game for the first time, which is also to be expected with most games on most devices unless you're packing some serious heat under the hood.

  I will add battery life to the performance section as well; when I unboxed the Fire for the first time, it was somewhere around 70% battery and I had to update the software and all of the typical stuff when first setting up any device. When all was said and done I think it went down about 7% battery if I remember correctly, which was very impressive! I had used it throughout the day and night without charging it and didn't have to until the next day before I went to work. The battery life is killer on this little thing and obviously it'll vary depending on your use of it as to how much you get out of it, but you can watch several movies in one charge (I did so last night via Prime VIdeo, which is also taking into account streaming the movie rather than playing it locally off the device), or you can just use it for light application uses like checking email and what not and get a very long use out of it before having to charge it again, but in comparison to the Nexus 7 it lasts just as long, if not longer because of the smaller CPU. Any time I've had it plugged in and been using it, it's charge fast as well. I'm using an AmazonBasics USB cable I had previously purchased which I believe is a 2.1amp, maybe 2.4, I forget the exact number. Side note: I just went to the page for the product and saw a lot of really negative reviews, but I've been using this cable for over a year now and have zero issues with it and it's on carpet as well, so anyone claiming fire hazard, etc. I'm not sure what their condition was, but have had zero issues and it also supports fast charging, unlike some people who claim that it charges slow; not true.

  Next, the display: Once again, what you pay for is what you get. During every day use, it's hard to really tell the difference when reading text on sites or typing a message, but going back to Hearthstone as an example, I can tell that the pixel density is lower than my Nexus 7 and quite obviously my computer monitor, but that's for very obvious reasons. The text on the cards is legible, but not as crisp as it is on my other devices. However, being realistic, for $50, the screen I believe is great for the price and when making the purchase and reading the pixel density, I knew what I was purchasing. The screen brightness is on par with about every other adjustable screen you own, I have had no issues with its light source at high or low brightness, though I have not had the opportunity to use it outside yet, I am sure it suffers from the same screen glare as all other glass-faced prodcuts (phone and tablet, apart from e-ink devices).

  Lastly, the UI (user interface for those who don't know): This is my first time using an Amazon electronic product, apart from an e-ink Kindle. I have owned various Apple and Android products so it's very interesting to compare the 3 OS's. On the Home screen, you can find all of your apps, where you would typically have to open an app folder on Android to display them all, it is more comparable to Apple's approach of having all of your apps on multiple screens, however rather than swiping left and right as you would to navigate iOS, you swipe up and down to navigate the screens on the Fire. When navigating left and right you begin to discover specific tabs that contain detailed pages to display the books, videos, and music you own, either through Amazon or locally on your device. I am pretty keen to that approach; it makes the device very media focused which is typically different than your other devices which are used for a myriad of applications and uses throughout your day-to-day life. It's also worth mentioning that you can expand the memory up to 128GB via a microSD card, so whereas you would generally have to pay more to the manufacturer for more memory, you can swap out your own SD cards for expandable memory and media (really nice for taking pictures with your camera, gopro, etc. then popping out the microSD card and inserting it into your Fire tablet to then view the media on a larger platform).

  I tried to hit as many points as I could to inform prospective buyers as best as possible. One last thing, the device itself feels nice in your hand and it's worth mentioning that ALL ports and physical buttons are located at the top of the device, so headphone jack, volume rocker, charging port, and power button are all on the top of the device (when it portrait mode), but based on your orientation, the volume rocker will adjust which direction is up and down for the volume, if that makes sense, versus your phone which typically has a dedicated UP and DOWN volume button regardless of orientation. The only port that is on the side of the device is the microSD port, otherwise everything else is located on the top.

  Friendly reminder when purchasing this product. Expect to get what you're paying for. I am a huge techy and I love this device for what it is, it hasn't disappointed me at all and I highly recommend this for anyone getting into tablets or looking to buy one for a teenager, young child to keep occupied, or just looking to buy a few "in bulk" for the family, presents, or maybe even a small workforce if you're able to publish an app to run on all devices. You can't get a better $50 tablet in my opinion and would highly recommend this to anyone interested!

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• 

  Simantic

  4 out of 5 stars

  Great Product...Dirty Dishonest Marketing

  Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2016

  Digital Storage Capacity: 8 GBColor: BlackOffer Type: With Special Offers

  Verified Purchase

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  I'm VERY disappointed with the dirty way this tablet is being marketed now. My in-laws asked for my recommendation on a tablet they could buy for our 10-yo for his birthday (I'm an IT tech). Having just helped a friend who has several kid's editions for her children, I suggested this one right away. It's a really great tablet for a kid; very capable, reliable, and excellent parental control software, all for a more-than-fair price. The "Kid's Edition" is great for younger kids, and the regular edition has the same software available, just doesn't come with the foam surround older kids wouldn't want anyway.

  HOWEVER, the marketing is just plain dirty. This "Includes Special Offers" garbage is downright dishonest. The tablet is $49.99, which is a great price...until you get it all set up and find out that's not the final price. The "special offers" are annoying advertisements on the lock screen. There is absolutely no mention of this anywhere in the marketing. On Amazon's own description page for this tablet, I only ever found the "Includes Special Offers" in the title of the product; nothing else anywhere. Through the whole page, it never clarifies what the special offers are, especially not that they are ads that replace your lock screen customizations. That's annoying in itself, but not the worst part. What's worse is that the grandparents bought this one at Best Buy, where it never even said anything about special offers. They just went to the store, found the tablet they liked, had him try it out on display, and when he liked it, they bought it for the marked price of $49.99. There was nothing or anyone to tell them that it wasn't just a tablet. On the back of the box, it mentions, "personalized special offers and sponsored screensavers". That doesn't tell you anything, though. Every electronic devices comes with stuff like that. This turned out to be different, though.

  After doing some searching, I found that the ads can be turned off...for $15. Seriously? We have to pay you $15 to get you to stop forcing me to look at ads on OUR device? Didn't we buy this tablet, or did I miss where it said I was leasing it or something?

  Now, some people think I'm being ridiculous here. After all, it is just an ad on the lock screen. As soon as you log in, the ad is gone. What's the big deal? The problem is:

  1) Once the tablet has been purchased, I should not also have to pay a fee to have someone stop doing something to it that I don't want. If I did that to your computer, put an app on there that did anything you didn't like, including showing you ads, and forced you to pay me a fee to stop doing it, it would be called ransom-ware or simply malware, and is technically illegal. Yet we're telling Amazon that it's okay. What's wrong with you people?

  2) The ads are not always appropriate. This tablet was a gift for a 10-yo child, and some of the ads are simply not appropriate for a 10-yo. They're not obscene, but not appropriate for young children. The child was set up with a Free Time account, so Amazon knows exactly how old the logged in user is, yet still shows ads designed for an adult. Plus, the ads are all clickable. I really don't want to have to deal with click-bait links, unapproved installations, and accidental charges because my child clicked on something they didn't understand. It's simply a bad idea for kids. If it was there for me, the registered user, and disabled when the child logged in, that would be a bit better, but it's not.

  3) In a case like this, where the device is a gift, it pretty much ruins the gift when the receiver has to pay for it, as well. That, or it makes for an unnecessarily awkward conversation when the kid has to ask grandma for $15 to fix the brand new tablet she just bought.

  Some say that it's a fair deal because you get the device cheaper since the advertisers subsidize it. That would be true, IF it were marketed that way. If it said right on it that this tablet is $15 cheaper than normal price because it comes with non-age-appropriate ads that will cost $15 to remove, at least we would know what we were getting into. It doesn't, though. It just says it's $49.99, and "Includes Special Offers". That is NOT the same thing. How about you bring your computer to me for a tune up because my price is $15 less than the other guy's, and find out later that I installed adware on it that replaces your lock screen with annoying ads that don't pertain to you and may not even be appropriate, and I'll remove that adware for another $15? See? Everybody would be ticked at that scenario, but it should be okay if a big company does it to my kids?

  To be clear, I am not really upset about the $15. $64.99 ($49.99 for tablet + $15 to remove ads) is still a great price for this device. It really is a quality piece of hardware, with great parental control software to go with it. I'm fine with the price of $64.99. I'm NOT okay with being swindled. It was not advertised as $49.99 + $15 to remove ads. It was advertised as $49.99 + "special offers" (which is $0.00). It's guerrilla marketing. It's dirty and underhanded, and I'm VERY disappointed with Amazon for it.

  Was that worth it, Amazon? For all the billions you're making off of us all the time, was $15 really worth destroying the trust I had in you? I know every company is in it for the profits; that's the way it works, and I'm totally fine with that. However, until this happened, I trusted you to make your profits in an honest way. This was a dirty trick. Now, I don't just recommend this tablet to anyone with kids. I tell them, check it out, but bear in mind that it's not really the price advertised. Come to think of it, if they weren't honest about that, I wonder what else they're not being 100% honest about...

  Thanks a lot Amazon. Like the world really needed another company we can't trust to just be honest with us.

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• 

  William Hardin

  5 out of 5 stars

  The best tablet value out there. Expandable storage & free apps. UPDATED with Mayday/Bluetooth information.

  Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2015

  Digital Storage Capacity: 8 GBColor: BlackOffer Type: With Special Offers

  Verified Purchase

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  Please take the time to read my entire review and feel free to ask questions. I will do my best to respond to them as I can and update the review to reflect those answers and other things I discover along the way.

  First my background. I own many Amazon Kindles (b&w, Fire gen2, Fire gen3, Fire 6) as well as Apple Ipad (gen 4), an Apple Ipad Mini 3rd gen, Samsung Note 3 and have an Samsung S4 smartphone (along with a Apple 6) (had a LG G2 before that), notebooks, chromebooks, etc. It is safe to say I own at least 10 other tablets currently from various smaller brands. I have also used many other products including the Fire HDX line. I have a solid computer background as well but honestly I am more of a casual user when it comes to tablets like this one.

  Now to this model. With this new "Fire", which happens to have a 7 inch screen, Amazon is once again changing things up. While it has a larger screen than the Fire 6 tablet, it has slightly less cpu (brain) power under the hood and less of a nice screen (lower resolution and lower ppi (pixels per inch--something that tells you how much detail/sharpness you get per inch of screen space. Higher ppi numbers are better.) So why in the world consider a tablet that is slower with a less great screen? Because it is half the price!

  The new "Fire" $49.99 compared to Fire HD 6 $99.99:

  Pro: Larger screen size at 7 inches.

  Pro: Half the cost! Get two for the price of one Fire HD 6.

  Pro: Micro SD slot for expanding your on board storage space up to 136 gb (using the 8gb provided/built in as well as a 128 Micro SD card which is NOT included.)-

  Pro & Con: Quad 1.3/1.3/1.3/1.3 GHz processor vs. Quad 1.5/1.5/1.2/1.2 GHz (This means front/main tasks can be slightly slower but it is better balanced overall)

  Con: Heavier at 313 grams compared to 290 grams.

  Con: Shorter warranty--Only 90 days compared to 1 year on Fire HD 6 and other Fire tablets.

  Con: No gyroscope sensor

  Con: Less impressive screen 1024 x 600 (171 ppi) compared to Fire HD 6's 1280 x 800 (252 ppi)

  Con: Less bright screen at 300 nits compared to Fire HD 6's 380 nits.

  Con: Shorter battery life at 7 hours of usage compared to Fire HD 6's 8 hours. In the real world battery life will vary but the Fire will have less than the Fire HD 6.

  Con: Speaker isn't quite as good as the Fire HD 6 speaker. (Now I highly recommend using a separate bluetooth speaker or headphones for the best experience anyway so this isn't a huge minus to me.) Instructions on pairing/connecting bluetooth speakers is now located at the end of this review.

  Con: Sluggish performance on menus and some OS tasks. I expect this to be more due to the new OS than the hardware which means it will likely get resolved in future software updates. (You see the exact same issue on their more expensive 8 & 10 inch Fire Tablets so it isn't the hardware.)

  While that looks like a lot of cons, they are pretty minor points, while the pros are MAJOR points. The micoSD slot alone is a HUGE addition for most customers.

  The screen is pretty good--certainly not the top of the line but given the price, it is an amazing value.

  Comparing past Kindle Fires:

  1st Generation 7 inch--1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi

  2nd Generation 7 inch--1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi

  3rd Generation 7 inch--1280 x 800 pixel resolution at 216 ppi (the first step up in resolution)

  4th Generation 7 inch--1280 x 800 pixel resolution at 216 ppi

  5th Generation 7 inch--1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 171 ppi (the first step DOWN in resolution and ppi, but dramatically cheaper as well) There are better screens on the dramatically more expensive Fire HDX models.

  Whereas ($99) Fire HD 6 has 1280 x 800 (252 ppi).

  Now while Amazon may love my giving this 7 inch "Fire" a 5 star rating (like I did the 6 inch $99 Fire at the time of release), they wouldn't like this next sentence. There is absolutely no reason to even consider the "old" $119 7 inch fire. In fact, this new 7 inch model really takes the wind out of the more expensive Fire Tablets. There isn't much that you will miss on those pricier models. I personally would recommend people get this as a starter model to see if you will actually use it and like the Fire OS. If you do, then maybe look at fancier models but dollar for dollar NOTHING in their line gives you as much as this $49 Fire does.

  So now that I have talked you out of the more expensive ($119) Fire 7 (and most of their other tablets), let us talk more about the 7 inch Fire.

  Performance/Apps--It is quick (but I am never happy enough, lol), responsive and like Apple products--it just works. Now one plus and minus with all Kindles/Fires are that you can not use apps from Google's app store. That means you have to wait for apps to be brought into Amazon's app store which seems to be slow at getting new releases and new updates. This is really an issue for Amazon and one that still needs to be fixed. The plus to this is that Amazon keeps some of the junky apps out of the system and once they make it to Amazon's app store, they are proven safe and generally work better than the "fresh" apps because bugs have been worked out.

  Another plus to this is that Amazon gives away a different paid app every day and just launched "Amazon Underground" which gives you over $10,000 in paid apps and in-app purchases for free. This helps reduce your purchases while giving you and your family more things to do with your Fire. Amazon's own apps are very well integrated into this and past Fires. They keep improving them and adding features without adding cost. If you have Prime, you get streaming TV and Movies, free ebooks and now Prime Music. If you have Prime, the added free content you get on the Fire (even to use offline) makes it a real standout against everything else.

  I use my Fire for reading emails, surfing the internet, watching videos (some of the time) and playing some games/apps like IMDB. My wife loves some of the apps and she uses it frequently to keep on top of things. I have found that it meets or exceeds what I have come to expect from these things in terms of performance and reliability, especially for the cost. Are there bugs or glitches? Yes but less than my smartphones and other tablets.

  Size--about the size of a 6" phone but taller is very nice--not too big but not too small. It is more portable feeling than past 7 inch tablets and it is easy to hold in one hand. It is heavier than the many other tablets and you notice the weight when holding it. I would love it to be thinner and lighter but that is asking a lot.

  Quality--Amazon has proven over time that they can make quality products and this is no exception. At under a fifty dollars there is pretty much nothing else that is this feature packed with this finish quality. I have experienced no quality issues and do not expect anything given Amazon's solid history. Heck at this price is nearly disposable!

  Battery Life--So far so good. I was able to stream video and surf the internet for well over 6.5 hours without any hiccups. From a device this compact with such a large screen that seems quite impressive.

  Sound--Decent but Apple products feature a cleaner sound to me. Volume is usable in most situations but not necessarily in noisy outside situations. After listening to Pop/Rock music for a few hours at full volume, I noticed clipping only on one song. As mentioned above, I highly recommend a bluetooth speaker or headphones for the best experience.

  If you are in the market for a little tablet and have prime, at this price there is no reason not to get one to play with. Even if you only use it check your email, the weather and read some news, it will be worth it. Heck, even if you have a larger Apple iPad, my guess is that this would still be a great addition to your household. And unlike Apple products and past Amazon products, it has an expandable storage microSD slot.

  I am sure I have forgotten something so please feel free to ask questions. This is my own opinion and while I don't know everything, I do my best to deliver honest reviews since reviews help me so much when I shop.

  UPDATE 1:

  Regarding Mayday--This answer might be incorrect soon but according to Amazon Mayday is only available on Kindle Fire HDX, Kindle Fire HDX 8.9", Fire HDX 8.9, and Fire Phone devices.

  What this Fire offers is Mayday screen sharing which would allow support to see what is on your screen but is not the full Mayday button support (along with the 15 second response time).

  Again, according to Amazon: Kindle Fire HD, Fire HD 6 and Fire HD 7 don't Mayday have compatible hardware, which is required to use Mayday so that means there isn't a "small" tablet that supports Mayday yet. So the cheapest and smallest with Mayday is still Fire HDX 8.9 at $350. In my opinion, they need to remove the Mayday name from the comparison chart since NONE of those models have full Mayday.

  Also in my opinion skip paying the additional $15 fee to get the Fire without Sponsored Lockscreens. You will only see these on the lock screen which means they are like billboards not like banner ads. Once the device is unlocked there are no more ads.

  To pair a bluetooth device instructions by request:

  Pull down on the top of the screen (once the device is unlocked and on).

  The third button over is bluetooth. Click on it.

  The bluetooth page will load.

  Click on the first line to turn on bluetooth.

  Click on "pair a device". It will scan for any devices waiting to be paired.

  Click on the device you want to pair and it will beep when pairing has happened.

  That is it in 5 clicks!

  Please read the comments linked below this to see questions and answers from other shoppers.

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• 

  JWB

  3 out of 5 stars

  No Gmail or Google, But good quality

  Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2015

  Digital Storage Capacity: 8 GBColor: BlackOffer Type: With Special Offers

  Verified Purchase

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  I am in the midst of a project to install a tablet in-wall in each of my kids bedrooms.

  This started with the purchase two Rotor HD 7" tablet devices. You can read that review if you wonder why I sent them back. http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2IY6AHLIA3UO9/ref=cm_cr_pr_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B010TMZ0L2

  But when I returned them, instead of just requesting a replacement, these had just been announced and I thought that they would be perfect--higher quality, etc.

  However, for my needs they are not very good at all, and if I could do it all again I would definitely just get a stock android device. So, this review will include a review of the device itself, and the functionality of the OS as I subjectively view it.

  First, the quality of the Kindle seems very high. It is very solid, a little thick--I also have an iPad mini, which is both thinner, lighter and WAY more expensive, ;-) so I'm OK with the thickness. The screen display is very good, compared to the Rotor is clearer and easier to read, especially off-axis. The front facing camera is pretty good, if not great for the price point. In fact, the increase in camera quality from the Rotor to this Kindle Fire is the only thing keeping me from returning it and going back to the no-name, lower quality but stock Android tablet--I use the camera to talk to my kids and with the other brand tablet the picture was dark and grainy, even in perfect conditions, I couldn't actually see my kids.

  First problem is that this exclusively uses the Amazon store, which I understand is not exactly a secret, but you need to know that this is not the same as the regular Amazon App Store, and it is quite likely you will have apps you want but can't get. In fact, if I could scream one thing to the world about this tablet is that despite the fact that this runs a version of Android OS, it's NOT AN ANDROID TABLET. I kind of feel better.

  The biggest app store absences are Google apps. There is no gMail, calendar Hangouts (which is what I use to talk to my kids when they are in their rooms and I am at work, etc.) or anything by Google. Its very misleading for the advertisement to say you have this great Underground App Store with access to the most popular apps but not let you know that no Google Apps are allowed. I feel like when I accidentally rented "Atlantic Rim" or "Apocalypse Z" from Redbox. Yeah, its ultimately my fault but these guys know what they are doing with their deception.

  So right there this Tablet becomes a lot less useful--worse than when I had a Windows phone because at least you knew they were trying to get the best apps...it was just that they had to create them from scratch for a new OS.

  So before someone rebuts this...this IS NOT the same as how Apple ties their products to the Apple Store...you can get all the Google products you want on the Apple Store. You can get Microsoft products on the Apple Store. This is Amazon locking Google Apps that they don't like, plain and simple and are afraid to complete with. It's not like a Windows phone where there were programming barriers. These apps work fine on the device as you'll learn at XDA. This is Amazon making a choice that hurts their customers on purpose to restrict access to one of their competitors and so I'll deduct a star for that. It says something about a company's faith in its products when it won't allow them to compete on the merits...

  However, there are many other apps that you can't install either--for no reason. They exist in the Amazon Android marketplace, they work after you hack the device to get the Google Store, it's just bad choices by Amazon.

  Anyway, another thing I noticed and am frustrated by is the lack of widgets. I don't know if this is normal for Kindle devices but unlike other Android device this does not support widgets.

  So as I alluded, I visited XDA and learned how to install the Google Play store to get the apps I wanted, but still no widgets.

  Other complaints about the SD card have been well documented, so I won't cover that, other than to say that you can't use the SD card to store your music or movies on for a road trip or something. Doesn't bother me for what I'm using it for though.

  Another problem for me is that sometimes the device is way too simple, other times it's over complicated. Example: volume controls. There is, under settings, sliders to set "media" volume and "system/notifications" volume. However, neither of those controls the alarm clock volume. To get to that, you have to go into the Alarm screen, choose settings, then set the alarm volume. However, you can't get the alarm to output through the headphone jack...so if you want to use powered speakers the alarm won't work through them. Also, there is no way to control the volume from the status bar "tray"...even though you can pull down the tray and adjust other settings like brightness. It's just poor UI design plus poor functionality.

  The sad thing is, I'm not expecting this to be a supercomputer or a high-end device. It's not like I'm expecting this to be a Surface Pro. I'm literally expecting it to do everything my $35 tablet did--and not much else. Its pretty sad that it can't.

  It's advertised as having this cool family profile feature, which really got me excited. My kids are 16 and 14, but I think this is geared toward really little kids. Best as I can tell, the profiles are really just subsets of your profile, so I wasn't able to (for instance) install an App on my sons profile that wasn't in my own. It's a pretty tedious process to go through to set up, and again functionality and options are just too limited.

  Example: If you have profiles enabled, you can't disable the screen lock PIN no matter what. I don't like lock screens with PINS, especially for devices that never leave the house. Profiles and lock-screens definitely go together conceptually, but why no option to disable? In the end I had to go to my computer browser and actually delete the family profiles from my Amazon account to get the option to disable the lock screen PIN.

  To be fair, this is going to be a great table for some people who don't need access to Google apps, who are content with a limited number of Apps from the Amazon Underground App Store and don't mind some of those other things I and others brought up. I think it's probably a better choice for streaming songs and videos or for little kids to stream movies to (but you can't store these on the SD card so streaming is your best option) than many other tablets that are more expensive. Build quality seems good. Screen is good. Camera is great for the price.

  I also think it's possible that I and maybe others know just enough about this device to bias ourselves against it. For instance, I know it runs a version of Android, so I expect it to do everything my android phone and tablet do...and I'm disappointed when it doesn't. But maybe someone who knows nothing about operating systems doesn't even process that information. To that person the Kindle OS is as different from Apple and Android as Apple is from Windows, and maybe that person goes into this device expecting less, so turns out more satisfied? Just a theory.

  In conclusion, if it wasn't possible to get access to the Google Play store I would send this right back. My family shares Calendars and Contacts through Google, so it just won't work for us without it. It's less functional than a generic $40 Chinese knock off, but higher quality--that's the tradeoff for me. Many other people will disagree and love it, so I'm trying to figure the best rating for it. For me personally, its a 2. Open it up to the Google Store, widgets, etc. and it jumps to a 4 (there are still some of those UI issues holding it back). I think for the "average" consumer it's probably a 3, so that's what I gave it.

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• 

  Kevin Bastian

  5 out of 5 stars

  I didn't think I could go wrong with this $50 tablet, and I was right!

  Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2015

  Digital Storage Capacity: 8 GBColor: BlackOffer Type: With Special Offers

  Verified Purchase

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  Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

  This isn't a very good $200 tablet. It's a better $100 tablet, but maybe not the best one out there.

  But it isn't a $200, nor even a $100, tablet. It's a $50 tablet!!! (Actually, when I pre-ordered this, if you had a need for 6 of these, they were only $41.66 each with their buy 5/get 1 free special, which seems to have discontinued due to the tablet's popularity).

  So how is this $50 tablet? In a word, awesome! I couldn't be happier with it. My wife got a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 for Christmas. She loves it. When I told her I was ordering this $50 Fire tablet, she thought I was nuts! But I figured how could I go wrong for $50? I had so many ideas for it, I figured there was almost no downside. And I was right, at least so far.

  For example, leave it by the TV/home theater for a dedicated device to check IMDB, email, weather, etc. while you're watching TV. Leave your smaller phone for phone calls (shudder!). Set it up in the kitchen for recipes, shopping list, etc. Use it for home security. At $50, you can afford to have several of these around the house for convenience or dedicated/semi-dedicated applications.

  As for spending $15 more to get the Fire without ads, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY! Seriously. If someone asked me if the ads annoy me, my answer would be "what ads?" There is one ad on the screen when you push the power button. Then you swipe the unlock icon to use the tablet, and the ad goes away. That's it. You won't see another ad until the next time you turn on the tablet and swipe to unlock. There's going to be something on the screen when you power a device up; why not have a throwaway ad that saves you $15? Really, it isn't at all annoying. It's not like they're interrupting you every few minutes for a commercial like TV does. By all means, DO NOT spend $15 more to get the Fire without ads. If you find that these drive you nuts, or you have enough money to light cigars with $100 bills, then you can upgrade later to get rid of the ads, but I doubt seriously you'll find them at all annoying.

  You can't access the Google Play Store from this. That's a downside. But again, it's only $50. Many apps I like, such as IMDB, Wikipedia, and Netflix, are available on the Amazon App Store (for free, just like at Google). YouTube is not available, I guess because it's too much of a direct competitor to Amazon Instant Video? Dunno. But you can download any of several YouTube wannabe apps that seem to work just fine. Just go to App Store and search for YouTube. You'll see what I mean. They work, so no problem.

  I could whine about screen size, screen resolution, wide bezels, etc. But it's a $50 tablet! If you want a snazzier tablet, go buy one. But for the price of a really slick tablet, I can have several of these scattered about the house and not cry if I drop and break one. I don't plan to take this all over the place with me or I'd probably have spent more on a better tablet and would also buy a case. But at $50/pop, this is a throwaway if I break it. Save the $15 to get rid of the ads, $15-$25 for a case, $18 on the protection plan. You'll double the price doing all that. Buy a second one instead! Yeah, it took me several hours to download apps, configure my email, try all sorts of combinations on my wi-fi password until I finally remembered what it was LOL. But it was fun, well sort of. Now it's set up the way I like it and I'm not regretting the purchase one bit.

  I can watch Netflix videos on it. Do I want to do that a lot? No. But I don't get why people want to do that a lot anyway. I have a 60" plasma TV and a killer 7.2 sound system in my family room, along with a comfy reclining sofa. I get it if I'm sitting in the service department of the car dealer waiting for my oil change, but for any serious movie/TV viewing, I don't care if it's an $800 tablet, it's not going to hold a candle to my home theater. But it's functional. I've already searched for something to watch on Netflix and it was a satisfactory experience. Better than reading a 5-year-old National Geographic. Well.... maybe that's debatable!

  So my conclusion is that it's hard to see how you can go wrong buying this if you have ANY use for it. If you already have way better tablets, and several of them, maybe there's no reason to buy it, but then there'd be no reason for you to have read this far in my review.

  Thumbs up, Amazon. Good job!

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• 

  Maura Sammon

  1 out of 5 stars

  Can't someone help me??????

  Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2016

  Digital Storage Capacity: 8 GBColor: BlackOffer Type: With Special Offers

  Verified Purchase

  Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

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  I have had an extremely frustrating interaction with your chat team, which is not the degree of customer service that I have come to expect from Amazon. Please see a transcript of this chat, and please address this issue. I have wasted over an hour of my time, and have become very frustrated over this. Please contact me about replacing my fire, as the app is working perfectly on numerous other devices!

  You are now connected to Wayne from Amazon.com

  Me:

  I have 2 kindle fires with 2 free time profiles for each of my children. i have the family plan. I purchased the minecraft app and was able to successfully load it to each of my children's profiles, and they were able to successfully play it at the same time. Today, the minecraft app disappeared form my daughter's profile. I attempted to re add it, and it appears to be successfully added when I use the "manage profile" feature, but it will not show up under her profile. I attempted to delete her profile and re load it, and It still will not work. I also powered the device off and on with no results.

  Wayne:

  Hello, my name is Wayne from kindle customer care. I'm here to help you today.

  I am sorry to hear that you have problem with the apps on your Kid's profiles.

  Let us check the Kindle and see what we can do.

  To verify that I have the correct account, Please verify the complete name that shows on your account, Email address, and your complete billing address.

  Me:

  Maura Sammon

  XXXXXX

  XXXXXX

  Wayne:

  Thanks. Is there a direction on your address?

  Me:

  W

  Wayne:

  Perfect! Thank you.

  May I know the name of the Kindle listed on amazon account please?

  Me:

  It is Maura's 3rd fire. The account that is not loading minecraft is Lina's

  Wayne:

  Got it, Thanks Maura.

  Do you have it handy? Ideally I love to troubleshoot the Kindle to see what seems to be the problem.

  Me:

  Sure. Interestingly, when I load Lina's profile to Maura's 2nd fire (which is my son's) Minecraft loads on her profile.

  Wayne:

  I see. So the app sis working on your 2nd Kindle.

  Me:

  but not the 3rd

  Wayne:

  Anyways, Let us try to restart the Kindle first. Please make sure that your Kindle is not connected on any power source.

  Then press the power button for full 40 seconds and no matter what you see on your screen just keep pressing.Thank you.

  Once restarted, please let me know.

  Me:

  just checking now

  still not there

  Wayne:

  I see.Could you make sure the device is connected to Wi-Fi?

  Me:

  it is.

  Wayne:

  Great. Let us now try to remove the app on your device and redownload, then add it back to her freetime profile. Press and hold the title, and select Remove from Device.

  Me:

  So you want me to go back to my profile, delete the app on my profile and then re download it?

  Wayne:

  Correct. All contents you've purchased are stored on your Amazon Cloud and can redownload via wireless connection.

  Me:

  Worked on my profile, not on Linas

  Wayne:

  Okay, so you have added it back on her profile, right?

  Me:

  yep

  Wayne:

  I appreciate that. Hang on while I check my reference further about it. Thank you!

  Me:

  Are you still there?

  Wayne:

  I am still here, Sorry for that long wait.

  Me:

  No problem

  Wayne:

  I am double checking my reference about it and it seems this app has an in app purchase. Can you please confirm?

  I am afraid that any app from amazon appstore that has an in app purchase cannot access on freetime profiles.

  Also are you able to double check if the app is updated.

  Me:

  But it works perfectly fine on my son's free time account. It also works completely fine on Maura's 2nd fire, and it was working completely fine on Maura's 3rd kindle up until today, so that cannot be the problem.

  Yes the app is updated, I uninstalled it, then re installed it, remember?

  Wayne:

  I understand Maura and I appreciate that.

  Can you confirm if this app has an in app purchase option?

  Me:

  How do I do that?

  Wayne:

  Well, I've checked it from Amazon and it shows that it has an in app purchases available. That requires an internet connect and restrictions to purchase. I am afraid that is not allowed inside freetime profile.

  Me:

  So can you kindly explain to me why it is working on both my other device, my other free time profile, as well as my friend's free time profiles as well????????

  Sorry, but this does not seem to be a good explanation, or a good solution.

  Wayne:

  I know how you feel and you have a good point actually.

  Me:

  If you cannot fix this problem, perhaps you should bump it up to someone who can

  Rather than just trying to placate me

  and say that it can't be fixed

  Wayne:

  I am trying my best to help Maura. Well, allow me to double check all my reference about it to make sure I have the correct informations.

  Me:

  Just please don't give me an obviously incorrect answer again.

  especially if it is one that basically says "Sorry, can't help you"

  Wayne:

  Will you be able to remove the app on your 2nd fire and then add it back on her profile if that is still same.

  Me:

  Not sure what you mean

  Wayne:

  I am sorry if that is how you feel, but I don't mean I can't help you.

  On your 2nd Fire, where the Minecraft is working, may you please try to remove it and then re-add if that will work still?

  Me:

  works fine.

  Wayne:

  Thank you. I appreciate that.

  Me:

  Also, I just noticed that it will not show up on Kaes's profile on Maura's 3rd fire, so the problem seems to be with the fire itself rather than the profile.

  Wayne:

  Thank you for the info.

  I've doubled check my reference and my lead about it and I can confirm that Apps with in-app purchases cannot be accessed within a FreeTime profile. I am not sure why you are able to get it work on your other Fire tablet. I do not have an information about that. I can't do anything about making that happen right now but I will definitely pass it along to our developers so they can consider that.

  Me:

  I would like to speak with a supervisor please. This explanation simply does not make sense, and numerous other children that we know with this device can. I would also like a copy of this conversation sent to them first, so I do not need to re address this whole issue.

  It seems that the problem is with the device, and if you cannot fix it, it should be replaced.

  Wayne:

  I truly understand how you feel and your point. Anyways,Let me connect you to my lead.Please hang on while I inform her so that you no need to repeat yourself.Thank you.

  Thank you for waiting. I am afraid that she may tell you the same thing.

  However, here you go.

  A Customer Service Associate will be with you in a moment.

  You are now connected to Esther from Amazon.com

  Esther:

  Hello, my name is Esther one of the supervisor from Kindle Customer Care. I'll be happy to help you today.

  Me:

  Please read thru the entire transcript before we begin so I don't need to repeat myself. I am not going to be happy with the previous explanation. It works on my other device, as well as my friend's devices. If you cannot fix this device, I expect it to be replaced. This is the first time I have not had excellent customer service from amazon.

  Esther:

  I'm sorry to know that you are having trouble trying to access the minecraft on the Kindle.

  Let me try to check what happened.

  I've tried to checked on my resources here, Maura. I'm sorry, as of this moment in-app purchases are not working inside Freetime.

  Me:

  I'm sorry. but this explanation does not make sense, as it is working on numerous other devices. We are not trying to make in app purchases, just run the basic game which is working on numerous other devices. The problem is the device. If you can't fix my device, please replace it.

  Esther:

  Just to confirm is there an in-app purchase on the Minecraft?

  Me:

  I have no idea how to do this. Your guy just told me that there is, and I simply believed him.

  Because he is supposed to be the expert here

  Esther:

  I'm really sorry, Maura. However once there is an in-app purchase on that application. It will not work perfectly on Freetime.

  Me:

  We did not make an in app purchase!!!!!!

  Wayne said that the application supports them, but we did not make one

  I don't even know for sure if the application actually supports them, that is just what wayne said

  Clearly, the device is the problem, and you are unable to fix it. Please replace the device!!!!!!!!!

  Esther:

  Is there an update with that app?

  Me:

  No. And if you had read the context of this conversation, you would know that. I am getting really frustrated here. If you are unable to authorize this, please bump this conversation, along with the full transcript if this conversation to someone who can.

  Esther:

  I'm sorry, however as of this moment I am the highest point of escalation that is available, Maura.

  Are the other apps working perfectly on that Kindle?

  Me:

  When will there be someone available who can fix my problem? We don't use other apps. I purchased these devises solely so they could play minecraft

  Esther:

  Oh I'm sorry, however it seems that the problem is with the app itself and not the Kindle, Maura.

  Me:

  I have already wasted a ridiculous amount of time here. This needs to be escalated to someone who can replace my device.

  THEN WHY IS IT WORKING WITH NO PROBLEM ON EVERY OTHER DEVICE????????? Please escalate. I am very frustrated and about to write a formal complaint letter.

  Esther:

  I'm really sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you, Maura. However as much as we wanted to help you with this, minecraft doesn't work perfectly inside Freetime.

  Me:

  I am writing a formal complaint letter. I expect this device to be replaced. I am also very upset that you refuse to escalate this complaint.

  Esther:

  I'm really sorry, Maura. However as of this moment we are unable to transfer this chat since I am the available highest point of escalation.

  Me:

  And I asked when you would, and you refused to answer.

  Esther:

  If you want, we can try to troubleshoot the device further.

  Me:

  I want it replaced.

  I have spent over an hour on this, and I am done.

  You, yourself, have already told me that there is nothing else that can be done.

  Esther:

  I'm really sorry, Maura. However since this issue is regarding an application we are unable to replace the device.

  If you want, you can return the device back to us for a refund.

  Me:

  I would like to return it and simply recieve another.

  I would like for the replacement to be sent first while awaiting my return, as is always done by amazon on defective devices!!!!!

  Esther:

  I'm really sorry, Maura. However since there is no specific issue regarding the Kindle like defects such as charging, won't turn on and etc. we are unable to replace the Kindle.

  What we can only do is to process a refund for this.

  Me:

  I will repeat once more. I expect this to be escalated. How can I do that? If no one is available now, when will someone be available????

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• 

  Rainforest Defender

  5 out of 5 stars

  UPDATED: Incredible Value for Under $50!

  Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2015

  Digital Storage Capacity: 8 GBColor: BlackOffer Type: With Special Offers

  Verified Purchase

  Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

  Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

  UPDATED - After spending quite a bit more time with the device, I would give it a 4.5 due to a few specific gaps that are a bit annoying. However, you are still getting an amazing 7” tablet, with front and rear facing cameras, a gorgeous interface, fairly snappy performance and durability, all for under 50 bucks! I can’t imagine not buying these for myself and my whole family, but not a primary tablet for a techie adult by any means. For background, I have every Kindle, a couple Fires, and multiple tablets from Apple, Microsoft and Samsung. Note that my review with 5 stars considers the value equation, not just performance and how that may or may not compare to other tablets - if you are expecting this to compare to a tablet costing several times more, don't bother. But if you are looking for a great entry level tablet that does most of the things people want, this little tablet definitely delivers the value!

  PRICING/CONFIG: I prefer this tablet with ads and no accessories to keep the costs down. You have the option to spend more money, but I recommend against it. You can easily see the specs online, so I won’t do you the discourtesy of simply cutting and pasting those here. Here is the price breakdown:

  • 49.99 base price – what an incredible price point! Or buy 5 and get a sixth one free! This puts it into reach of schools and non-profits.

  • No sponsored screensaver ($15) – big deal that each time you turn it on it shows you something interesting you might want.

  • MicroSD card ($19.99 for 32GB) – you probably already have one laying around somewhere. Beyond that, there is memory in the device, and you are using the cloud for storage mostly anyway. If you end up needing this, just buy one off Amazon, it certainly won’t be more expensive. Also, the SD is likely less useful than you might think, since it is currently a bit limited in what can be stored on it.

  • Amazon Fire Case (24.99) – it is supposed to be 2x the durability of an iPad. No case needed.

  • Accident Protection (9.99) – who wants to spend 9.99 to insure a $49 device? During your install, they will give you another chance, and you can get the two year for 15.99 if you like. But to me, insurance is for catastrophic things, not a <$50 tablet. UPDATE - after looking into the accident protection, if I were giving it to kids, I might get the insurance. You can get a 1 year pretty cheap as long as you are in the US, and it covers everything from dropping it off a building, running it over with the car, or accidentally hitting it with a baseball bat. As long as you have the pieces, you are good, and there are no back and forth shipping charges to pay.

  • That is a total of $119.97, or almost triple the price. If you’re buying this device, you’re probably a bit price sensitive – if you aren’t, you’re buying a different device and this review is somewhat irrelevant.

  GETTING STARTED: Here is some timing for me to get started with this device:

  • 1 minute – open box and read instructions

  • 18 minutes – download and update to latest Fire software. If you are giving it as a gift, it is simply good form to turn it on first to get the updates done, even if you are not setting it up under your own name.

  • Battery started at 65%, so I had plenty of time to connect, download, and play around with the device.

  • I ordered it without my account being integrated, just as if I were buying it as a gift, unregistered. However, it came pre-configured with all of my information. If you are giving them away, I would double check this.

  • Tutorials are super simple and quick, and well worth doing if you are unfamiliar with the Fire interface. It is really nice that they integrate your own data into the tutorials.

  • HINT: While setting up, go to settings, select security, and take care of adding a passcode to your device. If you ever lose it, someone can cause some havoc if you don’t.

  APPSTORE: Appstore Underground is fantastic. Simple to use, lots of great apps. Nice to know I won’t get gouged here for other fees since everything is included. I have not yet explored the quality of apps available here, so more on that in a later update. Had all my critical apps – LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, Skype, etc. However, as noted, you cant use apps from the Android store, so you have to wait for them via Amazon. Not too big of a deal for me, but others might find it a problem.

  EMAIL: Email setup was a breeze. In less than 3 minutes, I had my Office 365 account, yahoo account and gmail all set up and flowing perfectly. The interface for switching accounts is one of the easiest I have ever used.

  CAMERA: The camera and video functionality were easily accessible, and I liked the quality. Not quite the same experience as using the iPhone, perhaps, but it may be that I also don’t have the apps yet installed that make it look so great, so more on that later as I experiment. The camera is 2MP, and the video is 720 HD. If you need something higher res, the Fire HD has 5 MP camera and 1080 HD. But then you don’t have a $49.99 tablet ' Same goes for the added speaker and lack of Dolby sound – this is a single speaker that sounds OK, but it is certainly not the same as the Fire 8 or an iPad. UPDATE: Have played around with the camera a bit more, and added a composite image - the first picture you'll see that it does a very poor job in low light conditions. As the light increases, you get some more detail, and brightly lit is not a bad picture at all, with good detail. This is not the same level of camera you will get on an iPhone or Lumia, so don't expect that, it is fine for casual photo, selfie, Skype, etc.

  OS: The new OS is fantastic. It is simple to use, even for my fat fingers, and makes sense. Just as advertised, it puts the things you are likely to want to do front and center, makes it easily accessible to find new TV shows and the like, and just overall is a super clean and simple interface. Rotation responsiveness is immediate, unlike many other tablets, and I found the Silk browser on this to be quite snappy in performance. Watching video I found absolutely no lag when I streamed my Prime TV shows.

  FORM FACTOR: This is light and easy to hold, with smooth, rounded corners that don’t dig into your hands if help for extended periods. It is heavier than a kindle – if you are used to reading on a Kindle, it is not a replacement for that. Given the lower resolution on this device at 171ppi, I will DEFINITELY keep my Paperwhite for extended reading sessions, and would not recommend this tablet if your primary purpose is reading books, and you do quite a bit of that. I included a screenshot, along with comparison to one of our phones, and you can definitely tell a big difference when looking at fine print, and brightness does not compare. I did enjoy the fact that during several hours of use, I never accidentally hit any buttons, something that always drives me nuts on other devices, so button placement is one of the most convenient out there.

  SD CARD: Note that I saw in another review that you can have all of your music on an SD card, you just have to download it through your laptop first. I have not personally tried this, but I imagine that several things with the SD card will change in future updates to make it more broadly valuable, and Amazon has said this in support interactions. I don't have any view of when that update might be coming, however.

  OTHER: Have to love all the kid-friendly (or rather, parent-friendly features) that this comes with. Again, buying a pack of these things for the fam is definitely a no-brainer. Charging is not fast - I ran it to zero, then charged for exactly 30 minutes, which brought it to 11%. Doing the math, you're looking at somewhere in the 4.5 - 5 hour range to fully charge.

  SUMMARY: There is plenty more to say about this, but basic summary is this is an amazing product for the price, and delivers much more than $50 value, especially if you have a Prime account. I have absolutely no hesitation recommending this enjoyable product. This is my go to tablet for just carrying around in my car. I will still keep my Paperwhite for reading, and I have another more expensive tablet for really watching movies, doing actual work, extended email sessions, etc. But this makes a great 3rd device, and I far prefer it vs trying to do similar activities on a phone. It is perfect for Skype, games, Facebook, browsing, watching videos, emergency reading, etc. There is tremendous value in this device.

  NOTE: There are 3 attached pictures/videos. First is one of the Fire next to my cat to show the nice size. Yes, the cat is huge and I only had seconds before he covered it with his massive body - why do cats do that? The second is a screenshot comparison between the Fire and my phone - big difference in text clarity. The Third is a video showing my 3rd drop test, with no cracks, fractures or other damage. I am now done dropping it, rest assured, it seems quite durable.

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  Rainforest Defender

  5 out of 5 stars

  UPDATED: Incredible Value for Under $50!

  Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2015

  Digital Storage Capacity: 8 GBColor: BlackOffer Type: With Special Offers

  Verified Purchase

  UPDATED - After spending quite a bit more time with the device, I would give it a 4.5 due to a few specific gaps that are a bit annoying. However, you are still getting an amazing 7” tablet, with front and rear facing cameras, a gorgeous interface, fairly snappy performance and durability, all for under 50 bucks! I can’t imagine not buying these for myself and my whole family, but not a primary tablet for a techie adult by any means. For background, I have every Kindle, a couple Fires, and multiple tablets from Apple, Microsoft and Samsung. Note that my review with 5 stars considers the value equation, not just performance and how that may or may not compare to other tablets - if you are expecting this to compare to a tablet costing several times more, don't bother. But if you are looking for a great entry level tablet that does most of the things people want, this little tablet definitely delivers the value!

  PRICING/CONFIG: I prefer this tablet with ads and no accessories to keep the costs down. You have the option to spend more money, but I recommend against it. You can easily see the specs online, so I won’t do you the discourtesy of simply cutting and pasting those here. Here is the price breakdown:

  • 49.99 base price – what an incredible price point! Or buy 5 and get a sixth one free! This puts it into reach of schools and non-profits.

  • No sponsored screensaver ($15) – big deal that each time you turn it on it shows you something interesting you might want.

  • MicroSD card ($19.99 for 32GB) – you probably already have one laying around somewhere. Beyond that, there is memory in the device, and you are using the cloud for storage mostly anyway. If you end up needing this, just buy one off Amazon, it certainly won’t be more expensive. Also, the SD is likely less useful than you might think, since it is currently a bit limited in what can be stored on it.

  • Amazon Fire Case (24.99) – it is supposed to be 2x the durability of an iPad. No case needed.

  • Accident Protection (9.99) – who wants to spend 9.99 to insure a $49 device? During your install, they will give you another chance, and you can get the two year for 15.99 if you like. But to me, insurance is for catastrophic things, not a <$50 tablet. UPDATE - after looking into the accident protection, if I were giving it to kids, I might get the insurance. You can get a 1 year pretty cheap as long as you are in the US, and it covers everything from dropping it off a building, running it over with the car, or accidentally hitting it with a baseball bat. As long as you have the pieces, you are good, and there are no back and forth shipping charges to pay.

  • That is a total of $119.97, or almost triple the price. If you’re buying this device, you’re probably a bit price sensitive – if you aren’t, you’re buying a different device and this review is somewhat irrelevant.

  GETTING STARTED: Here is some timing for me to get started with this device:

  • 1 minute – open box and read instructions

  • 18 minutes – download and update to latest Fire software. If you are giving it as a gift, it is simply good form to turn it on first to get the updates done, even if you are not setting it up under your own name.

  • Battery started at 65%, so I had plenty of time to connect, download, and play around with the device.

  • I ordered it without my account being integrated, just as if I were buying it as a gift, unregistered. However, it came pre-configured with all of my information. If you are giving them away, I would double check this.

  • Tutorials are super simple and quick, and well worth doing if you are unfamiliar with the Fire interface. It is really nice that they integrate your own data into the tutorials.

  • HINT: While setting up, go to settings, select security, and take care of adding a passcode to your device. If you ever lose it, someone can cause some havoc if you don’t.

  APPSTORE: Appstore Underground is fantastic. Simple to use, lots of great apps. Nice to know I won’t get gouged here for other fees since everything is included. I have not yet explored the quality of apps available here, so more on that in a later update. Had all my critical apps – LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, Skype, etc. However, as noted, you cant use apps from the Android store, so you have to wait for them via Amazon. Not too big of a deal for me, but others might find it a problem.

  EMAIL: Email setup was a breeze. In less than 3 minutes, I had my Office 365 account, yahoo account and gmail all set up and flowing perfectly. The interface for switching accounts is one of the easiest I have ever used.

  CAMERA: The camera and video functionality were easily accessible, and I liked the quality. Not quite the same experience as using the iPhone, perhaps, but it may be that I also don’t have the apps yet installed that make it look so great, so more on that later as I experiment. The camera is 2MP, and the video is 720 HD. If you need something higher res, the Fire HD has 5 MP camera and 1080 HD. But then you don’t have a $49.99 tablet ' Same goes for the added speaker and lack of Dolby sound – this is a single speaker that sounds OK, but it is certainly not the same as the Fire 8 or an iPad. UPDATE: Have played around with the camera a bit more, and added a composite image - the first picture you'll see that it does a very poor job in low light conditions. As the light increases, you get some more detail, and brightly lit is not a bad picture at all, with good detail. This is not the same level of camera you will get on an iPhone or Lumia, so don't expect that, it is fine for casual photo, selfie, Skype, etc.

  OS: The new OS is fantastic. It is simple to use, even for my fat fingers, and makes sense. Just as advertised, it puts the things you are likely to want to do front and center, makes it easily accessible to find new TV shows and the like, and just overall is a super clean and simple interface. Rotation responsiveness is immediate, unlike many other tablets, and I found the Silk browser on this to be quite snappy in performance. Watching video I found absolutely no lag when I streamed my Prime TV shows.

  FORM FACTOR: This is light and easy to hold, with smooth, rounded corners that don’t dig into your hands if help for extended periods. It is heavier than a kindle – if you are used to reading on a Kindle, it is not a replacement for that. Given the lower resolution on this device at 171ppi, I will DEFINITELY keep my Paperwhite for extended reading sessions, and would not recommend this tablet if your primary purpose is reading books, and you do quite a bit of that. I included a screenshot, along with comparison to one of our phones, and you can definitely tell a big difference when looking at fine print, and brightness does not compare. I did enjoy the fact that during several hours of use, I never accidentally hit any buttons, something that always drives me nuts on other devices, so button placement is one of the most convenient out there.

  SD CARD: Note that I saw in another review that you can have all of your music on an SD card, you just have to download it through your laptop first. I have not personally tried this, but I imagine that several things with the SD card will change in future updates to make it more broadly valuable, and Amazon has said this in support interactions. I don't have any view of when that update might be coming, however.

  OTHER: Have to love all the kid-friendly (or rather, parent-friendly features) that this comes with. Again, buying a pack of these things for the fam is definitely a no-brainer. Charging is not fast - I ran it to zero, then charged for exactly 30 minutes, which brought it to 11%. Doing the math, you're looking at somewhere in the 4.5 - 5 hour range to fully charge.

  SUMMARY: There is plenty more to say about this, but basic summary is this is an amazing product for the price, and delivers much more than $50 value, especially if you have a Prime account. I have absolutely no hesitation recommending this enjoyable product. This is my go to tablet for just carrying around in my car. I will still keep my Paperwhite for reading, and I have another more expensive tablet for really watching movies, doing actual work, extended email sessions, etc. But this makes a great 3rd device, and I far prefer it vs trying to do similar activities on a phone. It is perfect for Skype, games, Facebook, browsing, watching videos, emergency reading, etc. There is tremendous value in this device.

  NOTE: There are 3 attached pictures/videos. First is one of the Fire next to my cat to show the nice size. Yes, the cat is huge and I only had seconds before he covered it with his massive body - why do cats do that? The second is a screenshot comparison between the Fire and my phone - big difference in text clarity. The Third is a video showing my 3rd drop test, with no cracks, fractures or other damage. I am now done dropping it, rest assured, it seems quite durable.

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