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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 November 2019
Style Name: Fire 7Digital Storage Capacity: 16 GBConfiguration: with AdsColour Name: BlackVerified Purchase
First of all: I own a smartphone and a laptop, so I didn't buy the Kindle Fire to use as my main device. I get distracted easily when watching Netflix/Amazon Prime on my laptop ("oh I'll just click onto Twitter and see what's happening whoops I've missed the big twist, better rewind...wait, when did that character die?") so I was after a cheap tablet that could handle streaming media to curl up in bed with on long winter nights.
I also had an old microSD card hanging around in a drawer doing nothing, so I figured that spending £30 on the Kindle Fire in the Black Friday sale wasn't too big an outlay if I didn't get on with it (and I've had nothing but good experiences with Amazon customer services over my Echo Dot and Fire Stick). And honestly, this is probably the best £30 I've spent so far in 2019. The tablet looks great (I went for the green version and I love it), feels sturdier than the 2017 entry (which had a weird bit in the middle where if you pressed too hard the plastic would bow) and the screen is also much better.
Yes, the Kindle is locked into Amazon's ecosystem - but it has all the apps I personally wanted and I did plenty of research beforehand, so this doesn't bother me. If you are looking for a tablet to use as your Main Everything, I would recommend seeking out a standalone Android product as they will have the freedom of the Play Store.
I've broken the review down into the apps I use most frequently on the device:
NETFLIX/AMAZON PRIME/YOUTUBE (3rd party app)
The screen quality isn't the best, but I don't think it's as bad as some reviews are making out. It can be a little pixelated at times but after a while I stop noticing, and the subtitles offered by the various services are clear and legible. The sound level can be quite low (especially in those dramas where everyone mumbles off camera because DRAMA) but if I stick in my headphones I can understand everything just fine. If I'm going to watch the latest blockbuster then I'll do it on my telly, but the tablet is more than serviceable for when I just want to clear a couple of episodes of Bob's Burgers before sleep, or check my YT subscriptions. (Whilst there is an official YouTube app on the Fire TV stick this hasn't made its way to the Kindle yet - but the 3rd party option offered is perfectly serviceable).
The only issue I have is that the Kindle's dedicated operating system having its own Amazon Prime Video tab on the main homescreen is great...but it doesn't remember what I watch, so I have to go into the app anyway. Bit of wasted real estate (unless I'm doing something wrong).
SPOTIFY
From the reviews talking about the performance speed of the Fire, I figured Spotify may not work well...but it does! There's no lag whatsoever, even if I switch between Spotify and the reading app. It also generates a small player on the notification bar if you want to skip/pause. On the first day I received the tablet I connected it to my Anker speaker via bluetooth (100% painless) and listened to several playlists whilst dying my hair with absolutely no problems, and I now play music via the tablet when reading too. Not that big a drain on the battery either!
KINDLE
The text on the Kindle app is crisp and clear, and the font options all work beautifully on the screen. I love that it's possible to change the colours (Black text on white background, dark brown text on ochre background, dark green text on light green background, and Lights Out white text on black background) and have found the Sepia option to be the best choice for my eyes. I don't use things like X-Ray or bookmarking as I tend to read one book at a time (sometimes in one go) and with the screen brightness turned down to the right level I don't find it a strain.
I also like that the Kindle shows what I'm currently reading on the 'main' screen above my apps.
SILK BROWSER
Works fine for me. I've used it to look at Wikipedia, Tumblr, TV Tropes, Etsy, and general Google searches and have yet to have any issues. You can change the default search engine from Bing to Google via the Settings menu, which makes finding things so much easier. :|
TWITTER
Works just like on my smartphone! They even have the most latest update with the Lights Out mode, which looks lovely on the Kindle screen. I'll only use the app on the Kindle in case of emergencies (i.e. I am in the living room and my phone is in the bedroom and I am lazy) but it's nice to know it's an option.
The battery life is...probably standard for a device of this kind? I've turned off Alexa, keep the bluetooth disabled unless I use it, keep the screen brightness turned down to about halfway, and routinely close the apps I'm not using. I used the tablet to read a book (3 hours) and then watch a couple of YouTube videos (~20 minutes) last night and got down to around 45% from a full battery. It does take a while to charge, which is why I do that overnight.
Finally, an app recommendation: download "A+ Gallery". Any pictures you save from the Silk Browser can be viewed in this app, and can also be applied as a wallpaper for your homescreen via the Settings menu.
So, all in all, for £30 and for Me Specifically this tablet is an absolute steal. It does everything I want it to, I'm impressed with the performance, but I would only recommend it if you're aware of the Amazon restrictions (or you're big into their ecosystem and using the Amazon Prime Video/Kindle Library routinely) or using it as a secondary device.
I also had an old microSD card hanging around in a drawer doing nothing, so I figured that spending £30 on the Kindle Fire in the Black Friday sale wasn't too big an outlay if I didn't get on with it (and I've had nothing but good experiences with Amazon customer services over my Echo Dot and Fire Stick). And honestly, this is probably the best £30 I've spent so far in 2019. The tablet looks great (I went for the green version and I love it), feels sturdier than the 2017 entry (which had a weird bit in the middle where if you pressed too hard the plastic would bow) and the screen is also much better.
Yes, the Kindle is locked into Amazon's ecosystem - but it has all the apps I personally wanted and I did plenty of research beforehand, so this doesn't bother me. If you are looking for a tablet to use as your Main Everything, I would recommend seeking out a standalone Android product as they will have the freedom of the Play Store.
I've broken the review down into the apps I use most frequently on the device:
NETFLIX/AMAZON PRIME/YOUTUBE (3rd party app)
The screen quality isn't the best, but I don't think it's as bad as some reviews are making out. It can be a little pixelated at times but after a while I stop noticing, and the subtitles offered by the various services are clear and legible. The sound level can be quite low (especially in those dramas where everyone mumbles off camera because DRAMA) but if I stick in my headphones I can understand everything just fine. If I'm going to watch the latest blockbuster then I'll do it on my telly, but the tablet is more than serviceable for when I just want to clear a couple of episodes of Bob's Burgers before sleep, or check my YT subscriptions. (Whilst there is an official YouTube app on the Fire TV stick this hasn't made its way to the Kindle yet - but the 3rd party option offered is perfectly serviceable).
The only issue I have is that the Kindle's dedicated operating system having its own Amazon Prime Video tab on the main homescreen is great...but it doesn't remember what I watch, so I have to go into the app anyway. Bit of wasted real estate (unless I'm doing something wrong).
SPOTIFY
From the reviews talking about the performance speed of the Fire, I figured Spotify may not work well...but it does! There's no lag whatsoever, even if I switch between Spotify and the reading app. It also generates a small player on the notification bar if you want to skip/pause. On the first day I received the tablet I connected it to my Anker speaker via bluetooth (100% painless) and listened to several playlists whilst dying my hair with absolutely no problems, and I now play music via the tablet when reading too. Not that big a drain on the battery either!
KINDLE
The text on the Kindle app is crisp and clear, and the font options all work beautifully on the screen. I love that it's possible to change the colours (Black text on white background, dark brown text on ochre background, dark green text on light green background, and Lights Out white text on black background) and have found the Sepia option to be the best choice for my eyes. I don't use things like X-Ray or bookmarking as I tend to read one book at a time (sometimes in one go) and with the screen brightness turned down to the right level I don't find it a strain.
I also like that the Kindle shows what I'm currently reading on the 'main' screen above my apps.
SILK BROWSER
Works fine for me. I've used it to look at Wikipedia, Tumblr, TV Tropes, Etsy, and general Google searches and have yet to have any issues. You can change the default search engine from Bing to Google via the Settings menu, which makes finding things so much easier. :|
Works just like on my smartphone! They even have the most latest update with the Lights Out mode, which looks lovely on the Kindle screen. I'll only use the app on the Kindle in case of emergencies (i.e. I am in the living room and my phone is in the bedroom and I am lazy) but it's nice to know it's an option.
The battery life is...probably standard for a device of this kind? I've turned off Alexa, keep the bluetooth disabled unless I use it, keep the screen brightness turned down to about halfway, and routinely close the apps I'm not using. I used the tablet to read a book (3 hours) and then watch a couple of YouTube videos (~20 minutes) last night and got down to around 45% from a full battery. It does take a while to charge, which is why I do that overnight.
Finally, an app recommendation: download "A+ Gallery". Any pictures you save from the Silk Browser can be viewed in this app, and can also be applied as a wallpaper for your homescreen via the Settings menu.
So, all in all, for £30 and for Me Specifically this tablet is an absolute steal. It does everything I want it to, I'm impressed with the performance, but I would only recommend it if you're aware of the Amazon restrictions (or you're big into their ecosystem and using the Amazon Prime Video/Kindle Library routinely) or using it as a secondary device.
