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Although the retail behemoth has never been recognized for producing the sleekest or most fashionable electronics, it sure does know how to produce inexpensive devices for the general public. Take the Fire 7 tablet’s most recent 2022 revision: The base version of Amazon’s entry-level tablet costs just $60, which is less than a quarter of the cost of the 10.2-inch Apple iPad.
Such significant cost savings come with significant caveats, as one might anticipate. The Fire 7 is significantly slow overall, has a dull, fuzzy display, and is only compatible with Amazon’s own ecosystem; there are no Play Store or approved Google apps to be found. However, the pricing is excellent if affordability is your top priority and you want a portable screen for viewing videos, a web browser, and staying in touch with pals. so long as you use the tool with some care.
Amazon Fire 7 (2022) review: Design
When you use the Fire 7 in public, the design won’t draw much attention. It’s a straightforward plastic shell with a glass slab on top that is made to perform the job. There are three colors available: black, denim, and rose. When the Fire 7 is in landscape configuration, the front-facing camera has been moved to the center of the display, making video chats from the compact tablet simpler. Each of the two cameras, front and back, has a 2-megapixel sensor. Images and videos are passable but not outstanding.
When the tablet is lying on its side, almost all of the ports and buttons are on the right edge of the shell. There is a USB-C port for charging the tablet in addition to the power and volume up/down keys, which is my favorite feature. The business has been aiming to replace micro USB on all Amazon products, so the inclusion of USB-C on the $60 tablet is noteworthy. You can buy this tablet from its official website.
Amazon Fire 7 (2022) review: Display
The 7-inch LCD display on the tablet is decent at best. It’s average, not bad, and in line with what you might anticipate from an Android tablet priced around $100. Its 171ppi screen tops out at a resolution of 1024 x 600, which frequently gives higher-res graphics a distinctly gritty feel. At worst, it makes great photographs look like they’re slightly out of focus. I obviously would prefer a high-quality screen, but for $60, it’s hard to find too many problems.
The Fire 7’s performance is also not particularly noteworthy. When utilizing straightforward word processors, streaming apps, and other fundamental tools, it shines the brightest. The MediaTek MT8168V chip can keep up when performing straightforward activities, but when asked to perform much more, the chipset typically finds this to be a stretch.
Amazon Fire 7 (2022) review: Audio
We quickly forgot about the grainy screen once I got into what I was reading or viewing, especially at night. The Fire 7’s new Fire OS 8, a customized version of Android 11, is the reason behind this. A few useful user interface adjustments, such as dark mode and a setting that reduces blue light, come with that new OS. The menu can even be somewhat altered. We like reading on the tablet the most. The screen has a somewhat higher resolution than the e-ink screen on the base Kindle, which has a very low resolution of 167ppi.
Given that the Fire 7 is $30 less expensive than the Kindle, it might be a benefit if you use tablets as secondary e-readers. The 3.5mm audio jack helped me quickly forget about the terrible speaker, which produced a tinny sound that was neither full nor clear. You may connect it to a variety of headphones and speakers thanks to Bluetooth compatibility, which newer tablets frequently lack. That greatly enhances sound quality, whether you’re watching a TV online, listening to music, or streaming services from Audible.
Amazon Fire 7 (2022) review: Performance
The All-new Fire 7 deviates from the ridiculously low cost of its predecessors by costing £60. You will then receive the 16GB model with lock screen advertisements. While the 32GB tablet without advertisements (reviewed here) costs £80, an additional £10 will get you either the 32GB version with ads or a 16GB device.
Depending on the model you choose, Amazon’s own Fire HD 8 tablet, which serves as the All-New Fire 7’s sole rival in the sub-£100 market, begins to approach uncomfortably close. The 32GB version with advertisements costs £90 and features a little larger 8in screen and greater performance and battery life than the All-New Fire 7.
Amazon Fire 7 (2022) review: Battery life
Under the appropriate conditions, Amazon’s promise that the Fire 7’s battery life can last up to 10 hours is accurate. With our battery depletion test, in which the tablet continuously browses the web at a dull 150 nits, we actually beat that time. Even though the tablet automatically switched to a low power mode toward the end of the test, we managed to clock in at nearly 10:55. For a little tablet, you’ll still get a pretty reliable uptime even at maximum brightness. The Fire 7 lasted for more than seven hours while playing hours of Netflix and YouTube videos at maximum brightness. In terms of movies, web browsing, and other apps, that is a reasonable objective as well, though 3D games might deplete it much more quickly. It takes a while to recharge once it runs out of power because the Fire 7 only picked up 8% of its battery in 15 minutes and 15% in 30 minutes of charging.
Amazon Fire 7 (2022) review: Configuration options
The Fire 7 is a decent option if you’re looking for a tiny, affordable tablet for reading, watching videos, or listening to audiobooks. At this price, decent is acceptable. I’d especially suggest it as a substitute for the $89.99 Kindle. The Fire 7 plays videos in addition to having a higher-density 171ppi display, greater storage options, and access to the same Kindle environment. Furthermore, based on my experiences with its predecessor, you should be able to use it for a substantial amount of time. My old Fire 7 is painfully slow, but it hasn’t gotten any slower over time. I anticipate that this version will continue to function well for at least three years.
However, if you’re, say, a movie fan looking for a cheap tablet, think about purchasing Amazon’s $89.99 Fire 8 or $149.99 Fire 10. They offer larger screens with higher resolutions, dual rather than mono speakers, and more space for built-in storage. And you should think about more expensive options if you require a tablet primarily for work, demanding chores like mobile gaming, or creative work like graphic design – this affordable tablet, like the rest of the Fire family, simply lacks the CPU power and programs.
Amazon Fire 7 (2022) review: Conclusion
The Amazon Fire 7 is the tenacious underdog of the tablet market since it lacks a gimmick, class-leading hardware, and the ability to convince you to ditch your iPad anytime soon. It fills a unique niche by being a functioning and enjoyable tablet for about the cost of half a tank of gas, so it doesn’t need any of those things.