The Amazon Kindle Fire was released on Nov. 15 and continues to remain Amazon’s bestselling product since it was first introduced.
Overall, this seven-inch tablet has a lot to offer its users while its simplicity allows people who are not very tech savvy to use it easily as well.
CNET’s review of the Kindle Fire said, “there are great products and there are cheap products, but very few great, cheap products.” This is the case for the Kindle Fire which is fairly inexpensive for a tablet (at $199). This low price attracts the attention of many more buyers, especially college students who may not have the money to purchase a pricey iPad.
The excellent screen quality is somewhat surprising due to the tablet’s low price but it makes it that much more appealing to potential buyers.
When using the Kindle Fire to read books, users are able to adjust the font size, screen color (black, white, cream), and font type. This personalization is great for some users who may need bigger font to read.
Another great benefit of the Kindle Fire is the backlight. The other Kindle’s do not have backlit screens but rather a grayscale e-ink display. The e-ink display makes it difficult for users to read in places not very well lit. The backlight on the Kindle Fire allows for nighttime reading especially during car rides or in bed where lighting is limited.
Unfortunately, an old-school Kindle will be easier to read in the sunlight compared to the Kindle Fire, which has a screen surface similar to that of a smartphone.
The Kindle Fire runs the Android operating system, which may appeal to users who already have an Android smartphone and are familiar with it. This allows for ease of use for pre-existing Android users but again, it is still user friendly for those who are not familiar with the Android operating system.
After reading, watching movies, and playing games on it, many people might question the battery life of this device. In the end, the Kindle Fire has sufficient battery life even after a day of all these activities.
When the Kindle Fire eventually needs to be charged, the micro USB charging port is beneficial to those who already have a cell phone that uses a micro USB charging port. This eliminates plugging another charger into the wall since owners can use their phone charger for the Kindle Fire as well.
One of the few weaknesses of the Kindle Fire is the need for an Amazon Prime subscription to take advantage of some of the more unique features the device has to offer. Luckily, users receive a free month trial to try out Amazon Prime. This free month trial helps users decide whether or not they want to subscribe to it later on.
The biggest complaint about the Kindle Fire is that the built in 8GB storage could be bigger. There is also no expandable storage compared to the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet which has expandable storage up to 32GB with a micro SD card.
Overall, the Kindle Fire was received very well by the public, and its few weaknesses, most likely, are not enough to deter most buyers.
Hannah Burner is a fourth-year student majoring in English, with a minor in journalism. She can be reached at HB674784@wcupa.edu.