GSMArena.com GSMArena.com

Tip us

1.5m
109k
RSS

EV

Merch

Log in

Login

I forgot my password
Sign up
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Videos
  • Featured
  • Phone Finder
  • Deals
  • MerchNew
  • Coverage
  • Contact
ADVERTISEMENTS
GSMArena team, 17 February 2012

Midnight oil


Amazon Kindle Fire review: Midnight oil

  • Comments (17)
  • User reviews
  • Kindle Fire

1. Introduction
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. Unboxing, design and build quality
  3. 3. User interface, phonebook
  4. 4. Email, multimedia, audio quality
  5. 5. Connectivity, web browser, e-book reader
  6. 6. Amazon App Store, final words
  7.  
  8. Amazon Kindle Fire specification
  9. User opinions and reviews
  10. Review comments (17)

Amazon Android Tablets

Introduction

Like the world needs another 7" Android tablet. Well, maybe it does. Or (more likely), it doesn't. No matter where you stand, the Kindle Fire couldn't be less relevant to this debate. It isn't just another Android tablet. It's a hardware Amazon account, 7 inches tall by 5 inches wide. If tablets are for fun and laptops are for work, the Kindle Fire is for shopping.

Amazon Kindle Fire Amazon Kindle Fire Amazon Kindle Fire
Amazon Kindle Fire official pictures

If you put Amazon and the Kindle Fire in a multiple choice question, the answer won't be A) Because everyone else is doing it. It's more like B) We need to do for music, videos, apps and games what Kindle does for books. Simple as that.

The Kindle Fire isn't about versatility in an ultra-portable form factor. Some tablets are. The Fire isn't desperate to unsettle Apple's iPad. Some Android tablets are. We'll say it again. The Kindle Fire isn't your average Android tablet. In a way, it isn't your tablet. Well, yes, it's yours to have but the content to enjoy on it is Amazon's to sell.

Key features

  • 7" 16:9 IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen of WSVGA resolution (1024 x 600) pixels
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity
  • 1GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 CPU, PowerVR SGX540 GPU, TI OMAP 4430 chipset
  • License-free Android-based OS
  • 8GB of on-board storage, free cloud storage for all Amazon content
  • Weight of 413 grams
  • Accelerometer
  • Excellent HTML5 browser
  • Adobe Flash support, Flash videos up to 720p
  • Standard microUSB port, mass storage
  • 3.5mm audio jack

Main disadvantages

  • No 3G
  • No memory card slot, limited inbuilt storage
  • Reflective screen of poor brightness
  • Very limited video codec support
  • No camera
  • No physical volume controls
  • Non replaceable battery
  • No native Google apps, no access to the Android Market
  • Some features unavailable without an Amazon Prime account
  • Video streaming not available outside US

The Kindle Fire is not an e-reader. It's a multimedia device with web browsing and email - and that's a lot more than an e-book reader. Yet, the backlit LCD screen is obviously no match for e-ink. The Kindle Fire is touted as a reading device - as much as it's for Internet browsing, listening and watching. If it's mags and comics, we'd agree. For e-books, any other Kindle would do a much better job. The Fire is actually for users who have a Kindle already. It's an addition - not a replacement - to any generation of Amazon's e-ink devices.

An older-gen Kindle e-reader and a Fire combined cost less than most tablets out there. The Kindle is so cheap because it lacks many basic features. The sub-200 dollar price tag is meant to encourage Amazon subscribers to keep on shopping for music, video, apps and games as they've been for books on their Kindle readers.

Amazon Kindle Fire Amazon Kindle Fire Amazon Kindle Fire
Amazon Kindle Fire live pictures

On the other hand, the shocking lack of features (in what's technically an Android tablet) is meant to discourage bargain-hunters who have no intention of ever buying Amazon's content.

The Kindle Fire is not competing with Samsung, LG or any other maker of Android tablets. Amazon's profit is not in the hardware they ship, they sell digital content. Amazon is not racing with Apple's iPads and iPod Touch. They're after Apple's iTunes.

We know this doesn't make the Kindle Fire's limitations more palatable. But maybe it helps have the right kind of expectations about the device. The Fire is a nice and easy gadget, which is meant to bring a huge catalog of digital content a click away. Not the dirty cheap tablet some may have been hoping for.

Next Page » 2. Unboxing, design and build quality
1. Introduction
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. Unboxing, design and build quality
  3. 3. User interface, phonebook
  4. 4. Email, multimedia, audio quality
  5. 5. Connectivity, web browser, e-book reader
  6. 6. Amazon App Store, final words
  7.  
  8. Amazon Kindle Fire specification
  9. User opinions and reviews
  10. Review comments (17)

Reviews Amazon Kindle Fire review
  • Comments (17)
  • User reviews
  • Kindle Fire

Amazon Kindle Fire review: Midnight oil - Reader comments

D
  • AnonD-26398
  • PI%
  • 27 Feb 2012

Root it, replace stock OS with Android 4 ICS and you get almost a desktop system! Only things to repent for is GSM support, camera & MIC :(

  • Reply
S
  • Sheri
  • sy4
  • 20 Feb 2012

Main disadvantage of Kindle fire is , it dont have camera

  • Reply
M
  • Makaan_PL
  • 0wZ
  • 20 Feb 2012

With standard software it's not a fully-functional Android tablet. But it's obvious that so popular device will get unoficcial pure Android ;-)

  • Reply
  • Read all comments
  • Post your comment
Total reader comments: 17

Phone finder

  • Samsung
  • Apple
  • Huawei
  • Nokia
  • Sony
  • LG
  • HTC
  • Motorola
  • Lenovo
  • Xiaomi
  • Google
  • Honor
  • Oppo
  • Realme
  • OnePlus
  • vivo
  • Meizu
  • BlackBerry
  • Asus
  • Alcatel
  • ZTE
  • Microsoft
  • Vodafone
  • Energizer
  • Cat
  • Sharp
  • Micromax
  • Infinix
  • TCL
  • Ulefone
  • Tecno
  • Doogee
  • Blackview
  • BLU
  • Panasonic
  • Plum

All brands Rumor mill

ADVERTISEMENTS

Related articles

  • Amazon Music gets price hike in US and UK
  • Google enables Matter across Nest Home and Android devices
  • Flashback: how Amazon Fire Phone's big bet on 3D and impulse purchases failed
  • Amazon Photos for Android finally gets redesigned, one year after the iOS version
ADVERTISEMENTS

Popular reviews

Apple iOS 14 review

Apple iOS 14 review
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra review

Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra review
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G review

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G review

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The upcoming all-electric Audi A8 2024 will be very similar to the Grandsphere concept The upcoming all-electric Audi A8 2024 will be very similar to the Grandsphere concept Tesla Model Y's wheel falls off on the highwayGMC's Hummer EV SUV enters mass production, deliveries start this quarter
ADVERTISEMENTS

Home News Reviews Compare Coverage Glossary FAQ RSS feed Youtube Facebook Twitter Instagram

© 2000-2023 GSMArena.com Mobile version Android app Tools Contact us Merch store Privacy Terms of use Change Ad Consent Do not sell my data