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Fire 7 Tablet (7" display, 8 GB, without Special Offers) - Black - (Previous Generation - 7th)

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 72,147 ratings

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8 GB
Black
Without Special Offers
  • 7" IPS display; 8 or 16 GB of internal storage (up to 256 GB with microSD)
  • 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
  • Up to 8 hours of battery life
  • Alexa enabled
  • 1 GB of RAM
  • VGA front-facing camera + 2 MP rear-facing camera with 720p HD video recording
  • Dual-band Wi-Fi
Tiny price. Big fun.

Fast and responsive

The fast quad-core processor consists of four high-performance 1.3 GHz cores for quick app launches, smooth games and videos, and great overall performance. Plus, Fire 7 now offers dual-band Wi-Fi with support for more Wi-Fi networks and better network performance.

No more worrying about storage space

Expand your tablet’s storage by up to 256 GB using a microSD card to keep your photos, movies, and compatible apps and games with you. Plus enjoy free unlimited cloud storage for all your Amazon content and photos taken with your Fire tablet.

Capture life's moments

Fire 7 features a 2 MP rear-facing camera for taking photos or recording 720p HD video. The front-facing VGA camera is perfect for Skype calls with friends and family.

Crisp and vivid 7” IPS display

Fire 7 features a 1024 x 600 IPS display with 171 ppi for a bright display with vivid colors and whiter whites for a great viewing experience from all angles. Compared to the previous generation, Fire 7 features an improved display that provides higher contrast and sharper text.

Power when you need it

With up to 8 hours of mixed use battery life, Fire tablet gives you the flexibility to go wherever the day takes you.

Stands up to everyday life

Amazon engineers Fire tablets to hold up against everyday life. As measured in tumble tests, Fire 7 is 2x more durable than iPad mini 4 (and costs a lot less too).

Designed for entertainment
Designed for entertainment

Enjoy millions of movies, TV episodes, songs, books, apps, and games''

Blue Shade''

Adjust the backlight for nighttime reading with Blue Shade.

Read

Choose from millions of Kindle eBook and magazine titles that you won't be able to find anywhere else. Over 1 million titles are priced at $2.99 or less. Or read as much as you want with a Kindle Unlimited subscription for just $9.99 a month. Connect with the largest online community of book lovers on Goodreads.

Read comfortably at night with Blue Shade, an exclusive Fire OS feature that automatically adjusts and optimizes the backlight for a more comfortable nighttime reading experience.

Listen

With millions of songs from thousands of artists, the Amazon Digital Music Store brings all your favorite music to your fingertips. Music you buy on your Fire tablet is saved to Your Music Library for free, and you can play or download it anytime.

Unlock more music with Amazon Music Unlimited, just $7.99 per month for Prime members ($9.99 per month for non-Prime members).

Audible offers more than 180,000 titles in audiobooks, including best sellers, romances, thrillers, and much more.

Watch

Enjoy all your favorite movies and TV shows on Amazon Video, Netflix, HBO NOW, Sling TV, and more. Discover hundreds of thousands of TV episodes and movies, plus fling Amazon Video content to your TV using Second Screen. Enhance your video experience with features you only get from Amazon, including On Deck for watching videos anywhere, ASAP for fast video streaming, and X-Ray to go behind the scenes of your favorite movies and TV shows while you watch.

Watch downloaded videos anywhere with a Prime membership, Netflix plan, or Showtime subscription—on a plane, on vacation, in the car, or wherever you don't have a wireless connection.

Play

Fire tablets feature instant access to over 600,000 of the most popular free and best-selling games, social media, premium TV and movie provider apps, and so much more.

Choose from top titles including Candy Crush Saga, Township, Mobile Strike, and more.

Meet Alexa

Alexa on Fire tablets

Alexa provides quick access to the entertainment you want, including music, games, audiobooks, and more. You can also ask Alexa questions, check your calendar, get news, find sports scores, and even control your smart home. Alexa hands-free is available when your tablet’s screen is on or the device is connected to power. Enabling Alexa hands-free may reduce battery life.

Everyday made easier

Alexa on Fire tablets helps make every day easier. Ask to set alarms and timers, check traffic, your calendar, to-do or shopping lists, and more. You can order millions of items with your voice, such as household and personal care products.

Calling and Messaging

Ask Alexa to call almost any local number, message your contacts, or video call friends and family who have a Fire tablet, Echo Spot, Echo Show, or have installed the iOS or Android Alexa App. You can also instantly connect with family and friends by asking Alexa to drop in on enabled Echo devices. For example, you can drop in to ask what time dinner will be ready, see the baby's nursery, or check in with a close relative. (Fire tablets currently do not support incoming Drop In requests or incoming Alexa Announcements.) Learn more

Voice control your smart home

Alexa works with compatible devices such as smart cameras, lights, switches, thermostats and cooking tools from Arlo, Philips Hue, TP-Link, Ecobee, Rachio, GE Appliances, and more. Switch on the lamp before getting out of bed, change the temperature on your thermostat while reading in your favorite chair, or dim the lights from the couch to watch a movie—just ask.

Stay informed

Now you can ask Alexa a question and get an immediate voice response. When you ask, Alexa can pull up your Flash Briefing, Wikipedia articles, news, sports scores, and more.

Be entertained

Whether you’re looking for your favorite playlist or need a quick joke, you can ask Alexa. Ask for a song, artist or genre, and stream directly over Wi-Fi. Alexa also provides voice control for Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and more.

Exclusive features on Fire tablets
Exclusive features on Fire tablets

Introducing For You

Fire OS includes For You, a dynamic and personalized page on the tablet home screen that makes it easy for customers to get back to reading, watching, listening, or playing—and to quickly find what's next. For You learns what you love to do on your tablet and then presents personalized recommendations across books, videos, songs, apps, and more. Get your weather, Prime photos, and more right from the For You home screen.

Find the things you love easier

Fire OS is the best entertainment experience on a tablet with quick access to the things you do most. The home screen includes dedicated content pages for books, games, and apps, video, music, audiobooks, and Newsstand. Powered by Amazon’s recommendations engine, you can quickly browse new books, movies, TV shows, music, apps, and games.

Share content with Family Library

Family Library links your Amazon account to that of your spouse or partner so you can easily share apps, games, audiobooks, and books, and it now allows Prime members to share their Prime Video content. Access your family's content across devices—both Amazon devices and free Amazon apps for other platforms, including iOS and Android.

Enhance your viewing experience

With ASAP (Advanced Streaming and Prediction), Amazon movies and TV episodes are ready for you to watch instantly. ASAP dynamically adapts to your viewing habits.

On Deck automatically downloads Prime Video (for Prime members) and the first episodes of Amazon Original Series while your device isn’t in use, ensuring that there is always something new to enjoy instantly, even when offline.

Integrated on-device tech support

Screen Sharing brings Mayday-powered customer service to Fire tablets. Simply call customer service and Amazon experts can connect to your Fire tablet to co-pilot through features by drawing on your screen, walking you through how to do something yourself, or doing it for you—whatever works best.

Access your entertainment across all devices

Whispersync remembers how much you've watched, read, or listened to so you can pick up right where you left off, no matter which device you are using. Plus, with every Fire tablet, you get free, unlimited cloud storage for all your Amazon content including unlimited storage on photos you've taken with your Fire tablet.

The best of Prime

Try Prime free for a month

If you haven't tried Amazon Prime in the past, we'll give you a 30-day free trial. Experience what millions of members already enjoy—unlimited streaming of thousands of hit movies and TV episodes, ad-free access to over two million songs, over a thousand Kindle books, and Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items. Learn more

Unlimited reading on any device

Prime Reading gives you unlimited access to over a thousand books, current magazines, comics, Kindle Singles, and more. With any device – including your phone, tablet, or Kindle – you can read however you want, whenever you want.

Prime''

Best of Prime''

Stream thousands of movies and TV episodes with Prime Video

With Amazon Prime, members enjoy unlimited streaming of thousands of movies and TV episodes at no additional cost, including award-winning Amazon Original series like Jack Ryan and Sneaky Pete, and top HBO shows like True Blood, Girls, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

No Wi-Fi, no problem—Prime Video downloads

Exclusive to Prime members, download thousands of Prime Video movies and TV episodes. Watch downloaded videos anywhere—on a plane, on vacation, in the car, or wherever you don't have a wireless connection. Prime Video offers offline viewing at no additional cost.

The best of Prime''

Over 2 million songs free with Prime Music

Prime Music is a benefit of your Amazon Prime Membership, featuring a growing selection of over two million songs, always ad-free and on-demand. Unlock more music with Amazon Music Unlimited, just $7.99 per month for Prime members. Learn more about Unlimited

Add HBO, SHOWTIME and more to Prime

With Prime Video Channels, Prime members can also subscribe to over 100 premium and specialty channels like HBO and SHOWTIME to add and stream—no cable or satellite subscription necessary. Prime members can subscribe to any or all of these channels with a free trial.

Share with your kids

Designed with kids in mind

When kids use Amazon FreeTime, it's like they have their very own personalized tablet. The background color and fonts change to a kid-friendly design and they only see the titles that you give them access to.

Over 20,000 kid-friendly titles with FreeTime Unlimited

Amazon FreeTime Unlimited is the first-ever an all-in-one subscription that brings together books, games, educational apps, movies, and TV shows—all the types of content that kids and parents love. From just $2.99 per month, enjoy unlimited access to content including titles from Disney, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, PBS, and more.

Perfect for parents

Amazon FreeTime is built from the ground up to help give parents peace of mind when it comes to tablet use. Parents can create a profile for each of their children and choose which books, apps, games, and videos they want to give their kids access to. Amazon FreeTime is free on every Fire tablet.

Fire Kids Edition tablets also available

The Fire 7 Kids Edition and Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablets include the Fire tablet, 1-year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, a Kid-Proof Case, plus a 2-year worry-free guarantee. Kids get access to 20,000 popular apps and games, videos, books and educational content from PBS Kids, Nickelodeon, Disney, and more with one year of FreeTime Unlimited. Best-in-class parental controls allow you to manage usage limits, content access, and educational goals.

Learn more

Limit screen time, so they don’t just play

With Amazon FreeTime, parents can set daily limits for tablet use, or restrict certain categories—like games and video—while leaving unlimited time for reading.

Make it personal
Make it personal
Make it personal

Made with premium fabric, our slim, form-fitting case designed by Amazon conveniently allows your Fire tablet to rest in either landscape or portrait orientation so you can enjoy your content hands-free.

Easy to attach and remove, the cases are integrated with a magnetic closure to ensure your cover stays shut while on the go, and automatically puts your Fire tablet to sleep when it is closed and wakes it upon opening.

Explore beyond our cases, and accessorize your device with a wide selection of memory cards, screen protectors, extended warranty services, and more. Learn more

Technical Details

Fire 7

Fire 7

Display

7” touchscreen, 1024 x 600 resolution at 171 ppi, SD video playback, with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and advanced polarizing filter

Size

7.6” x 4.5” x 0.4” (192 x 115 x 9.6 mm)

Weight

10.4 ounces (295 grams) Actual size and weight may vary by configuration and manufacturing process.

CPU & RAM

Quad-Core 1.3 GHz with 1 GB of RAM

Storage

8 GB (4.5 GB available to user) or 16 GB (11.6 GB available to user) of internal storage. Add microSD card for up to 256 GB of additional storage for even more movies, TV shows, music, photos, personal videos, and apps. Some apps may require that they are installed on internal storage.

Battery Life

Up to 8 hours of reading, surfing the web, watching video, and listening to music. Battery life will vary based on device settings, usage, and other factors such as web browsing and downloading content. Actual results may vary. Certain software features or apps may reduce battery life.

Charge Time

Fully charges in under 6 hours using the micro-USB power adapter included in the box, or slightly longer with other micro-USB power adapters that you may already have

Wi-Fi Connectivity

Single-antenna dual-band Wi-Fi. Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n standard with support for WEP, WPA, and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks.

4G Connectivity

N/A

Ports

USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) to connect to a PC/Macintosh computer, or to charge your device with the included power adapter; microSD slot for external storage

Audio

3.5 mm stereo jack and integrated speaker

Content Formats Supported

Kindle (AZW), KF8, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible Enhanced format (AAX), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, PCM/WAVE, OGG, WAV, M4V, MP4, AAC LC/LTP, HE-AACv1, HE-AACv2, MKV, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, HTML5, CSS3, 3GP, VP8 (WEBM)

Sensors

Accelerometer

Camera Specs

VGA front-facing camera. 2 MP rear-facing HD camera

Location Services

Location-based services via Wi-Fi

Available Colors

Black, Marine Blue, Punch Red, Canary Yellow

Additional Features

External volume controls, built-in Bluetooth with support for A2DP compatible stereo headphones, speakers, microphone, and LE accessories support

Accessibility Features

VoiceView and Screen Magnifier enable access to the vast majority of Fire tablet features. VoiceView features IVONA's award-winning natural language text-to-speech voice. Fire OS 5 also includes system wide closed caption settings, adjustable font sizes up to 50% larger, and a variety of book reading text adjustments such as adjustable colors and text spacing. Also includes adjustable font sizes/color, and built-in Oxford dictionary.

System Requirements

Fire 7 is ready to use right out of the box—no setup, no software to install, no computer required to download content

Warranty and Service

90-day Limited Warranty and service included. Optional 1-Year, 2-Year and 3-Year Extended Warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Fire 7 tablet is subject to the terms found here.

Included in the Box

Fire 7 tablet, USB 2.0 cable, 5W power adapter, and Quick Start Guide

Generation

7th generation - 2017 release

Looking for specific info?

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
72,147 global ratings

Customers say

Customers like the value, quality and ease of use of the tablet. For example, they mention it's decent for the price, movies included with Prime look and sound fine and it'll charge when it wants to. That said, some complain about the charging and responsiveness. Opinions are mixed on performance and battery life.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

9,677 customers mention7,433 positive2,244 negative

Customers like the quality of the tablet. They say it's very good, well-made, and comfortable. They also say the movies included with Prime look and sound fine. Customers also mention that the tablet is great for books and has a gorgeous IPS display that is viewable from just about any angle.

"...to have near, lets me use the apps that I like, moderate gaming, lots of reading and now having both Amazon Music and Google Play Music, a slew of..." Read more

"...It seems very well built, works with the other phones and tablets I have (both Apple and Android), and the cable (detachable) that comes with it..." Read more

"...my review if anything happens, but as of now these are super solid for the price and I have no legitimate complaints for either of them :)" Read more

"...These are very mediocre cameras compared to just about any smart phone or tablet currently available and anyone wanting to take photos or videos..." Read more

7,422 customers mention6,299 positive1,123 negative

Customers like the value of the tablet. For example, they say it's decent for the price, and an economic reading resource. Some mention that the Amazon apps are primo and the Kindle reader is peppy.

"...The price is on point for the features it has provided thus far and I am happy with my purchase...." Read more

"...The prices are now so low that they can be a casual purchase for many people, not quite disposable but something easy to pass on when the next new..." Read more

"...Fire 7 (7th Gen) is just getting better and yet stay the same very inexpensive price, which is a huge plus.•BN rarely discounts their devices...." Read more

"...Of course, you get what you pay for. Its damn cheap for the technology. I'll give it that...." Read more

5,092 customers mention3,936 positive1,156 negative

Customers find the tablet easy to use. They mention it has an intuitive interface, and the set up is relatively simple. They also appreciate the ease of adding the Google Play Store to the tablet. Customers also mention that the keyboard started working with no configuration steps needed.

"I got my Fire HD 8 on release day and set up was a breeze...." Read more

"...in either landscape or portrait orientation to make it easy to set it on a table to read or watch videos...." Read more

"...Advantages of Amazon Fire:•Getting library books is seamless and can be done on one device, versus the Nook --I like it easy for my family..." Read more

"...Very weak coding skills. Very non-intuitive. Again, you get what you pay for. If the price were much higher I would have given it one star...." Read more

3,167 customers mention2,719 positive448 negative

Customers like the screen size of the tablet. They say it's the perfect size for carrying around, reading, and fits easily in their pocket. Some mention that it has a bigger screen than their iPhone. Overall, customers are satisfied with the size and portability of the product.

"...It's not a must have by any means but it fits the casual niche perfectly." Read more

"...KUDOS: really compact, useful, and safe charger (it's Amazon, not mystery-sourced)...." Read more

"...The Fire 7 is obviously portable and has none of these restrictions. Both have the same 7 inch screen...." Read more

"...It is significantly smaller (same 7" screen) than my previous 5th Generation. The new case is slim as well...." Read more

7,218 customers mention4,275 positive2,943 negative

Customers are mixed about the performance of the tablet. Some mention that it works well, the Amazon search engine works well. The Twitter and Maps apps work well, and it's a good all-around performer. However, others say that it'd not work well in many areas, the resolution is acceptable but unimpressive, and the power is poor.

"...It seems very well built, works with the other phones and tablets I have (both Apple and Android), and the cable (detachable) that comes with it..." Read more

"...Web browser is sub-par and watching YT is pretty bad- Have to use Airplane mode to avoid advertising on AppsTips:-..." Read more

"...can now be purchased for just fifty bucks, and it’s such a good all-around performer (for the most part)!..." Read more

"...Yes, you can hear, it's clear, it's functional, but if you want great sound why are you getting a Fire/Kindle?Alexia it Out..." Read more

3,199 customers mention977 positive2,222 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the battery life of the tablet. Some say that it has great battery life and lasts at least a full day on one charge, while others say that the battery is really bad and runs out of power quickly. They also mention that the tablet is slow to charge and loses charge quickly. Overall, the opinions are mixed and the price justifies the poor battery life.

"...I also read that the battery life isn't the greatest but to be honest I don't agree with that either...." Read more

"...A couple of the units were replaced due to the battery failing and reporting a higher charge, and then discharging completely in a matter of minutes...." Read more

"...Battery life is also pretty decent, I am able to be on the internet (or at least have the WiFi connection open to connect) for hours before needing..." Read more

"...you will need to get a new device because the battery just would not hold a useful charge and you can't replace only the battery...." Read more

3,853 customers mention291 positive3,562 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the responsiveness of the tablet. They mention that it's excruciatingly slow, clunky, and takes about 10 seconds to open apps. They also say that it is no speed demon, and that it keeps timing out. They further mention that the tablet takes so long to switch screens and that the OS makes it difficult to use the Google app store.

"...It's no speed demon but for the price I wasn't looking for cutting edge technology...." Read more

"...The app not only takes time to load to open, but when I attempt to load a puzzle (I only use the free ones within the app) it can take more than a..." Read more

"...But it does seem very clunky and slow to do just about anything on it. There are times I'd swear it was locked up...." Read more

"...I fully encrypted my Fire 7 device and it became too slow to use practically...." Read more

2,707 customers mention54 positive2,653 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the charging capabilities of the tablet. They mention that the charging port is difficult to use and breaks easily.

"...Both fire models include a 5W wall charger and a VERY SHORT USB cable (just over 3 ft long)...." Read more

"...I could not plug it in with anything and power it up or charge it. After telling the first rep this they requested I try hard resetting the device...." Read more

"...The device consumes power faster than it can be supplied. You can start with a charged battery and plug it in and continue to use it...." Read more

"...Being a techie type person, I was disappointed that the Fire is in a closed Amazon ecosystem...." Read more

Amazon's two Bargain Fire Tablets – How good is the 7" model and how do they Compare? (And note sound quality limitations)
4 Stars
Amazon's two Bargain Fire Tablets – How good is the 7" model and how do they Compare? (And note sound quality limitations)
Amazon has just updated their bargain priced Fire tablets. While these latest models are only slightly better than the preceding generation, I believe that they still represent the absolute best value tablet on the market. It’s still hard for me to adjust to the fact that a tablet device can now be purchased for just fifty bucks, and it’s such a good all-around performer (for the most part)!I purchased both the 7" and 8" Fire models because I wanted to see how they compared, and I was curious how they performed. They are both shown in the video attached to this review. I will focus here on the 7" model, to try to help the potential buyer decide whether or not the more expensive 8" Fire tablet is worth the extra money (and if the 7" model is worth purchasing on its own merits).I've given this 7" model a 4-star rating after further consideration and largely because of the very mediocre quality sound output (see detailed comments below). It is still a terrific bargain at the price, but I do want to be clear that it is not ideal for all uses.SUMMARY- These new models represent minimal changes compared to the previous generation Fire tablets:--- Same display specs as before (Amazon says the 7” model has an improved display), same processors (1.3 GHz quad-core but a newer model that is probably slightly faster in operation), same standard and available storage (7” 8 or 16 GB; 8” 16 or 32 GB)--- New colors--- the 8” model is $10 cheaper--- the 7” model now has dual band wi-fi (previously single band wi-fi) for better connectivity--- Kids edition now available for both models (previously only the 7” model). Note that the Kids edition is only sold with the higher storage (7” – 16 GB; 8” – 32 GB)--- both models can use up to 256 GB microSDXC expansion storage (previously max 128 GB for 7”)--- both models offer Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant at the touch of a button--- both models are physically the same size as previously but slightly lighter – the 8” has lost 1 oz of weight, the 7” is 0.6 oz lighter- BOTH 7” and 8” MODELS are suitable for:--- web surfing using Amazon’s Silk browser--- watching streaming movies or TV shows **--- listening to music **--- reading Kindle books (the 7” is roughly the same size as a Kindle)--- playing games and other apps (within the limitation of Amazon's own ecosystem)--- Kid use – both offer the ability to set up child accounts with restricted access--- ** note comments below regarding sound quality and volume, particularly for the 7" model- IN ADDITION, THE 8” FIRE HAS:--- slightly larger and higher quality display (but I found both displays to be essentially equivalent in quality)--- larger standard storage (16 GB vs 8 GB)--- better sound – Dolby audio, stereo (7” has mono speaker) **--- larger battery / longer life between charges (Amazon states up to 12 hours, vs up to 8 hrs for the 7”)--- ** note comments below regarding sound quality and volume, particularly for the 7" model- WHAT DON’T THEY DO AND WHAT ARE THEIR LIMITATIONS?--- Neither model will display 1080p video--- camera specs are poor compared to most current phone and higher priced tablets, so don’t expect high resolution photos--- Sound quality and volume ability is a limitation - see next paragraph--- With limited built in storage, they both rely upon the expansion slot to store larger amounts of photos, videos, or music. Responsiveness using memory from the expansion slot is not quite the same as with a tablet that has greater hard wired storage built-in--- All Fire models are limited to using Amazon’s own Silk web browser, which is less flexible than the regular Chrome or Firefox browsers that can be used on regular Android or Apple tablets- THE SOUND QUALITY AND MAXIMUM VOLUME CAPABILITY IS A WEAK POINT--- Accepting the fact that these are very low cost tablets, they do offer the ability to listen to videos and music and so the built-in speakers will be relied upon by many users. In my opinion the most significant difference between these two Fire models, aside from the screen size, is the difference in sound quality. But I first want to say that neither model has the ability to provide much volume of sound, even at the very highest setting. This is a disappointment.--- The 7" Fire has a single speaker located on the rear of the device, near the bottom. It is weak and produces a very low quality sound. Also, depending on how you are holding the tablet, or if you're using a case to hold it in landscape or portrait mode, the speaker could be covered and even further muffled.--- The 8" HD Fire has better quality sound - two stereo speakers located on the side, positioned so that they will be at the top when the tablet is supported in landscape mode. It also has better sound processing ('Dolby Atmos'), and the sound quality is noticeably better than the 7". Still, the maximum volume capability is modest.--- Bottom line - if you plan to use either model for listening to music or videos, then ear pods or headphones or an external speaker is probably going to be necessary in order to get satisfactory sound. Sound quality is not going to be something owners of these small Fire tablets will be bragging about.- MY IMPRESSIONS OF BOTH MODELS AND HOW THEY COMPAREI purchased both models and illustrate them side by side in my video. They’re obviously very similar in feel and appearance, and the quality is excellent. I also like the matching Amazon cases that protect the screen when not in use and prop the tablet in either landscape or portrait orientation to make it easy to set it on a table to read or watch videos. The cases work exactly the same for both sizes.The display is the most obvious difference – not only size, but the slightly greater display content and resolution. At least that is what the Amazon specs suggest, but to my eyes they are both pretty much the same. I did find that the 7" model seemed to have a slightly brighter display, and the 'whiteness' of the display also seemed to be better.The other difference I wanted to evaluate was the sound quality, since the 7" model has only a single speaker and the 8" model has two (stereo) speakers with Dolby sound processing. For anyone using this tablet for watching videos or listening to music, I thought that would be an important difference.What I found, as also mentioned elsewhere in this review and with respect to the sound quality, was that the limited volume ability of the built-in speakers makes ear pods or headphones or the use of an external speaker almost mandatory. If those considerations are acceptable, then the higher price of the 8" model is probably well worthwhile for users who will use the table very much to listen to music or videos.For reading Kindle books or those who prefer the smaller and lighter size, the 7” model is just great (either model is fine, really).By comparison, the latest small iPad mini has a 7.0” display and is roughly between the 7” and 8” Fire tablets in size (width and height), quite a bit thinner, and about the same weight as the 7” Fire. It’s considerably more powerful and has 128 GB storage standard, but think about it – you can purchase eight 7” Fire tablets for the price of a single iPad mini today! That is really a striking difference.FURTHER THOUGHTSThese two models are the 7th generation Amazon Fire tablet – the first generation was introduced in November, 2011 as the Kindle Fire, offering the same screen size and resolution but a considerably less powerful processor, and selling for $199. Along the way they’ve offered models of various sizes and specifications, and for a short time (generations 3 and 4) their Fire models included the more sophisticated (and expensive) Fire HDX model that may have been intended to be a more direct competitor to Apple’s iPad.Then, in September 2015, Amazon introduced the $49.99 Fire 7, and since that time it seems that they’ve been happy to offer these bargain priced tablets that do everything that most people really need on a day-to-day basis. They make great Kids tablets, too, particularly the ‘Kids Edition’ models that come with the more protective case and 2-year replacement guarantee, just in case your kid drops it in the, ah, swimming pool or some such!WARRANTYThe standard warranty for both Fire models is a short 90-days. Longer warranties - 1, 2 or 3 years - are available at extra cost ($10.99, $14.99, $16.99 respectively). Compared to most devices this is a very short standard warranty.CAMERA QUALITYBoth Fire models have a 2 MP rear-facing 'HD' camera, and a 'VGA' front-facing 0.3 MP camera. These are very mediocre cameras compared to just about any smart phone or tablet currently available and anyone wanting to take photos or videos with their tablet is not going to be satisfied with the quality that can be obtained from these Fire models, but they do suffice if all you want is to take a photo to make a visual note of something for future reference.INCLUDED ACCESSORIESBoth fire models include a 5W wall charger and a VERY SHORT USB cable (just over 3 ft long).As with pretty much all Amazon Fire and Kindle models these days, you can purchase either of these tablets either with or without ‘special offers’. The $15 difference in price eliminates the ads that show when the screen is locked (but disappear when unlocked).For anyone who wants a smaller and lighter weight tablet, these Fire models have become the logical choice. The prices are now so low that they can be a casual purchase for many people, not quite disposable but something easy to pass on when the next new model comes out.I will continue to add more details here as I use these tablets more and have thoughts and comments to share.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2024
Style: 8 GBColor: BlackOffer Type: With Special OffersVerified Purchase
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2017
Style: 8 GBColor: BlackOffer Type: With Special OffersVerified Purchase
1,161 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2017
Style: 8 GBColor: Punch RedOffer Type: With Special OffersVerified Purchase
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4.0 out of 5 stars Amazon's two Bargain Fire Tablets – How good is the 7" model and how do they Compare? (And note sound quality limitations)
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2017
Amazon has just updated their bargain priced Fire tablets. While these latest models are only slightly better than the preceding generation, I believe that they still represent the absolute best value tablet on the market. It’s still hard for me to adjust to the fact that a tablet device can now be purchased for just fifty bucks, and it’s such a good all-around performer (for the most part)!

I purchased both the 7" and 8" Fire models because I wanted to see how they compared, and I was curious how they performed. They are both shown in the video attached to this review. I will focus here on the 7" model, to try to help the potential buyer decide whether or not the more expensive 8" Fire tablet is worth the extra money (and if the 7" model is worth purchasing on its own merits).

I've given this 7" model a 4-star rating after further consideration and largely because of the very mediocre quality sound output (see detailed comments below). It is still a terrific bargain at the price, but I do want to be clear that it is not ideal for all uses.

SUMMARY

- These new models represent minimal changes compared to the previous generation Fire tablets:
--- Same display specs as before (Amazon says the 7” model has an improved display), same processors (1.3 GHz quad-core but a newer model that is probably slightly faster in operation), same standard and available storage (7” 8 or 16 GB; 8” 16 or 32 GB)
--- New colors
--- the 8” model is $10 cheaper
--- the 7” model now has dual band wi-fi (previously single band wi-fi) for better connectivity
--- Kids edition now available for both models (previously only the 7” model). Note that the Kids edition is only sold with the higher storage (7” – 16 GB; 8” – 32 GB)
--- both models can use up to 256 GB microSDXC expansion storage (previously max 128 GB for 7”)
--- both models offer Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant at the touch of a button
--- both models are physically the same size as previously but slightly lighter – the 8” has lost 1 oz of weight, the 7” is 0.6 oz lighter

- BOTH 7” and 8” MODELS are suitable for:
--- web surfing using Amazon’s Silk browser
--- watching streaming movies or TV shows **
--- listening to music **
--- reading Kindle books (the 7” is roughly the same size as a Kindle)
--- playing games and other apps (within the limitation of Amazon's own ecosystem)
--- Kid use – both offer the ability to set up child accounts with restricted access
--- ** note comments below regarding sound quality and volume, particularly for the 7" model

- IN ADDITION, THE 8” FIRE HAS:
--- slightly larger and higher quality display (but I found both displays to be essentially equivalent in quality)
--- larger standard storage (16 GB vs 8 GB)
--- better sound – Dolby audio, stereo (7” has mono speaker) **
--- larger battery / longer life between charges (Amazon states up to 12 hours, vs up to 8 hrs for the 7”)
--- ** note comments below regarding sound quality and volume, particularly for the 7" model

- WHAT DON’T THEY DO AND WHAT ARE THEIR LIMITATIONS?
--- Neither model will display 1080p video
--- camera specs are poor compared to most current phone and higher priced tablets, so don’t expect high resolution photos
--- Sound quality and volume ability is a limitation - see next paragraph
--- With limited built in storage, they both rely upon the expansion slot to store larger amounts of photos, videos, or music. Responsiveness using memory from the expansion slot is not quite the same as with a tablet that has greater hard wired storage built-in
--- All Fire models are limited to using Amazon’s own Silk web browser, which is less flexible than the regular Chrome or Firefox browsers that can be used on regular Android or Apple tablets

- THE SOUND QUALITY AND MAXIMUM VOLUME CAPABILITY IS A WEAK POINT
--- Accepting the fact that these are very low cost tablets, they do offer the ability to listen to videos and music and so the built-in speakers will be relied upon by many users. In my opinion the most significant difference between these two Fire models, aside from the screen size, is the difference in sound quality. But I first want to say that neither model has the ability to provide much volume of sound, even at the very highest setting. This is a disappointment.
--- The 7" Fire has a single speaker located on the rear of the device, near the bottom. It is weak and produces a very low quality sound. Also, depending on how you are holding the tablet, or if you're using a case to hold it in landscape or portrait mode, the speaker could be covered and even further muffled.
--- The 8" HD Fire has better quality sound - two stereo speakers located on the side, positioned so that they will be at the top when the tablet is supported in landscape mode. It also has better sound processing ('Dolby Atmos'), and the sound quality is noticeably better than the 7". Still, the maximum volume capability is modest.
--- Bottom line - if you plan to use either model for listening to music or videos, then ear pods or headphones or an external speaker is probably going to be necessary in order to get satisfactory sound. Sound quality is not going to be something owners of these small Fire tablets will be bragging about.

- MY IMPRESSIONS OF BOTH MODELS AND HOW THEY COMPARE
I purchased both models and illustrate them side by side in my video. They’re obviously very similar in feel and appearance, and the quality is excellent. I also like the matching Amazon cases that protect the screen when not in use and prop the tablet in either landscape or portrait orientation to make it easy to set it on a table to read or watch videos. The cases work exactly the same for both sizes.

The display is the most obvious difference – not only size, but the slightly greater display content and resolution. At least that is what the Amazon specs suggest, but to my eyes they are both pretty much the same. I did find that the 7" model seemed to have a slightly brighter display, and the 'whiteness' of the display also seemed to be better.

The other difference I wanted to evaluate was the sound quality, since the 7" model has only a single speaker and the 8" model has two (stereo) speakers with Dolby sound processing. For anyone using this tablet for watching videos or listening to music, I thought that would be an important difference.

What I found, as also mentioned elsewhere in this review and with respect to the sound quality, was that the limited volume ability of the built-in speakers makes ear pods or headphones or the use of an external speaker almost mandatory. If those considerations are acceptable, then the higher price of the 8" model is probably well worthwhile for users who will use the table very much to listen to music or videos.

For reading Kindle books or those who prefer the smaller and lighter size, the 7” model is just great (either model is fine, really).

By comparison, the latest small iPad mini has a 7.0” display and is roughly between the 7” and 8” Fire tablets in size (width and height), quite a bit thinner, and about the same weight as the 7” Fire. It’s considerably more powerful and has 128 GB storage standard, but think about it – you can purchase eight 7” Fire tablets for the price of a single iPad mini today! That is really a striking difference.

FURTHER THOUGHTS

These two models are the 7th generation Amazon Fire tablet – the first generation was introduced in November, 2011 as the Kindle Fire, offering the same screen size and resolution but a considerably less powerful processor, and selling for $199. Along the way they’ve offered models of various sizes and specifications, and for a short time (generations 3 and 4) their Fire models included the more sophisticated (and expensive) Fire HDX model that may have been intended to be a more direct competitor to Apple’s iPad.

Then, in September 2015, Amazon introduced the $49.99 Fire 7, and since that time it seems that they’ve been happy to offer these bargain priced tablets that do everything that most people really need on a day-to-day basis. They make great Kids tablets, too, particularly the ‘Kids Edition’ models that come with the more protective case and 2-year replacement guarantee, just in case your kid drops it in the, ah, swimming pool or some such!

WARRANTY

The standard warranty for both Fire models is a short 90-days. Longer warranties - 1, 2 or 3 years - are available at extra cost ($10.99, $14.99, $16.99 respectively). Compared to most devices this is a very short standard warranty.

CAMERA QUALITY

Both Fire models have a 2 MP rear-facing 'HD' camera, and a 'VGA' front-facing 0.3 MP camera. These are very mediocre cameras compared to just about any smart phone or tablet currently available and anyone wanting to take photos or videos with their tablet is not going to be satisfied with the quality that can be obtained from these Fire models, but they do suffice if all you want is to take a photo to make a visual note of something for future reference.

INCLUDED ACCESSORIES

Both fire models include a 5W wall charger and a VERY SHORT USB cable (just over 3 ft long).

As with pretty much all Amazon Fire and Kindle models these days, you can purchase either of these tablets either with or without ‘special offers’. The $15 difference in price eliminates the ads that show when the screen is locked (but disappear when unlocked).

For anyone who wants a smaller and lighter weight tablet, these Fire models have become the logical choice. The prices are now so low that they can be a casual purchase for many people, not quite disposable but something easy to pass on when the next new model comes out.

I will continue to add more details here as I use these tablets more and have thoughts and comments to share.
Images in this review
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