The range is regularly updated too with the Fire HD 10 given a significant upgrade back in 2021 with a version also made available for kids. That's before looking at the Fire HD range which has something for every kind of user including young children. Pros: solid battery life, microSD card slot, USB-C charging, headphones socket, reasonable performance, very low cost, Alexa integration, made of recycled plastic.Ĭons: screen only SD, poor cameras, slow charging, no Google Play or Apple apps, some apps missing from Amazon App Store, requires Amazon Prime subscription to make the most of it.For instance, the Fire 7 is incredibly cheap while the Fire HD 10 productivity version is an Office-capable tablet that still costs less than an iPad. It will appeal to anyone who wants to spend as little as possible to get online and watch video. Despite a £10 price rise, the Fire 7 is still incredible value at only £60. It gets the job done for as little money as possible, with much longer software support than budget competitors at this price. But it won’t thrill you, it lacks Google and is missing some apps, and it can’t beat an iPad.īut that is not the point. The revamped, more modern design, faster chip, longer battery life and newer version of Android are all welcome upgrades. The Amazon Fire 7 is still a basic tablet for simple browsing, reading and media consumption duties. Removing ads from the lock screen costs an additional £10 ($15).Ī kids edition of the Fire 7 with robust case, two-year replacement guarantee and one year of Kids+ subscription service, Amazon’s child-friendly apps, games and media hub, costs £109.99.įor comparison, the Fire HD 8 costs £89.99, Fire HD 10 costs £149.99 and Apple’s 10.2in iPad costs £319. The Amazon Fire 7 costs £59.99 ( $59.99) with ads on the lockscreen and 16GB of storage or £69.99 ($79.99) with 32GB. The company offers trade-in and recycling schemes and publishes information on its various sustainability efforts. The Fire 7 is generally repairable and contains 35% post-consumer recycled plastic. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianĪmazon does not provide an expected lifespan for the battery but it should last in excess of 500 full charge cycles with at least 80% of its original capacity. The mono speaker in the top of the tablet is well positioned to avoid it being blocked when handheld. Note device encryption is not enabled out of the box, so I recommend turning it on when setting it up to protect your data in case of theft. You need an Amazon account to use the tablet, plus a Prime subscription giving access to Prime Video to really make the most of it. Note Fortnite does not support the Fire 7. Zoom, Skype and Alexa are available for video calling, while the store features a fairly large range of games, even if many of them are rubbish. Plus it has Alexa built in for controlling devices and answering questions.Īmazon’s App Store has most of the media consumption apps you are likely to want in the UK but BT Sport, Paramount+, Google’s YouTube, Chrome and Maps, and Apple’s Music and TV are not available. The interface is similar to previous Fire OS versions, with a simple home screen for apps and media, a personalised “for you” section and a “library” section with all your owned Kindle books, games, movies and other media. Amazon typically supports its tablets for longer than low-cost Android rivals, with at least several years of software and security updates. It lacks Google’s Play services and store, relying on Amazon’s App Store and services. The Fire 7 is Amazon’s first tablet to run a new and updated version of its Fire OS software, now based on the more modern Android 11, which brings with it improved security and privacy options. Operating system: Fire OS 8 based on Android 11Ĭonnectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5, USB-C, headphonesĪmazon’s App Store has most of the main media streaming apps available, including Disney+. Storage: 16GB microSD slot also available There’s a headphone jack in the top for wired listening but the tablet supports Bluetooth 5 and should work with any wireless headphones you have. The mono speaker sounds surprisingly good for personal watching but is a bit too quiet to overcome the noise of cooking in a kitchen or similar. It is fine for casual watching of TV shows and movies but it doesn’t have automatic brightness adjustment, so you’ll need to manually turn it down at night or up in bright light. The 7in screen is better in the flesh than it might seem on paper but it is not HD and pales in comparison to higher-priced competition. The new Fire 7 inherits the smoother, more modern and slimmed-down design of the recent Fire HD 8 and HD 10 tablets. The body of the tablet is made of 35% recycled plastic and feels smooth and hard wearing.
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