Amazon Fire tablets are fantastic inexpensive tablets for your basic pad needs. The Fire 7 (7th generation) is priced starting at $49.99 (8GB version), making it easily the best cheap tablet on the planet. The Fire HD 8 (7th generation) tablet starts at $79.99 (16GB version). At a slightly higher price, you get better memory and viewing resolution. Other than that, they are very similar and both comes with four color options. Check out the chart below for a detailed comparison.
By default, the lock screen shows ads for products on Amazon. You can get rid of the ads for an extra $15. If you can deal with seeing the ads on the lock screen, it’s really no big deal as it does not affect normal tablet operations.
Both tablet versions comes with matte plastic housing. The volume buttons, power button, microSD charging port, and headphone jack are on the top of the tablet, along with a microSD card slot on the top right side. While it isn’t technically ruggedized or waterproof, it does feel more sturdy than a lot of other tablets out there.
All Amazon Fire tablets run on its own Fire OS, which is derived from Android operating system. With the Amazon Fir OS, you can easy access to your Kindle books, Amazon Music, Videos, Games and other Amazon ecosystem apps. Even though it’s very similar, it’s not exactly the same. For example, you can only install apps from the Amazon app store, not the Google Play Store. Because there Amazon and Google are competitors in many categories, most of the Google apps, like Maps, YouTube, Nest, and Google Home apps can’t be installed from the Amazon app store. What the hell, right? However, if you can’t live without your Google apps, you can sideload the Google Play Store. It’s easier than ever and it won’t void your warranty because you’re not rooting your device.
If you already have Echo devices, then the fire tablets are nice complimentary devices to your Alexa ecosystem. All the new generation Fire tablets are Alexa enabled, meaning you can hold the main button and give Alexa commands. With voicecast turned on, you can also send visual info cards to your tablets from your Echo devices.
Comparison chart with tech specs
| Fire 7 (2017 7th Generation) | Fire HD 8 (2017 7th Generation) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49.99 (8 GB), $69.99 (16 GB) | $79.99 (16 GB), $109.99 (32 GB) |
| 2017 Black Friday Price | $29.99 (8 GB), $49.99 (16 GB) | $49.99 (16 GB), $79.99 (32 GB) |
| Display | 7″ | 8″ HD |
| Resolution | 1024 x 600 (171 ppi) | 1280 x 800 (189 ppi) |
| Storage | 8 or 16 GB version (expandable up to 256 GB by microSD card) + unlimited cloud storage for Amazon content | 16 or 32 GB version (expandable up to 256 GB by microSD card) + unlimited cloud storage for Amazon content |
| Battery Life | Up to 8 hours of reading, surfing the web, watching video, and listening to music | Up to 12 hours of reading, surfing the web, watching video, and listening to music |
| Audio | Mono speaker, built-in microphone | Dolby Atmos, dual stereo speakers, built-in microphone |
| Alexa Enabled | Yes, press and ask | Yes, press and ask |
| Colors | Black, Marine Blue, Punch Red, Canary Yellow | Black, Marine Blue, Punch Red, Canary Yellow |
| Warranty and Service | 90-day limited warranty | 90-day limited warranty |
| Cover | Sold separately | Sold separately |
| Processor | Quad-core 1.3 GHz | Quad-core 1.3 GHz |
| Camera | VGA Front-facing camera + 2 MP rear-facing camera with 720p HD video recording | VGA Front-facing camera + 2 MP rear-facing camera with 720p HD video recording |
| Connectivity | Dual-band a/b/g/n Wi-Fi | Dual-band a/b/g/n Wi-Fi |
| Weight | 10.4 oz (295 grams) | 13 oz (369 grams) |
| Dimensions | 7.6″ x 4.5″ x 0.4″ (192 mm x 115 mm x 9.6 mm) | 8.4″ x 5.0″ x 0.4″ (214 mm x 128 mm x 9.7 mm) |
| Customer Support | Screen Sharing + email, web, and phone | Screen Sharing + email, web, and phone |
