The Amazon Kindle Fire: Benchmarked, Tested, And Reviewed
Table of contents
- 1. Meet Amazon's Kindle Fire
- 2. Quick Navigation Tour
- 3. Books And Documents: Not Quite An e-Book Reader...
- 4. Video And Music: Amazon Prime Members Rejoice
- 5. Amazon Appstore Is Not Android Market
- 6. The Shopping Experience: All About Amazon
- 7. Amazon Silk: Assisted Web Browsing (Sort Of)
- 8. Web Browsing: The Same Old Android Restrictions
- 9. TI's OMAP 4430: CPU And GPU Performance
- 10. An Experiment: Gaming Performance, Tegra 2-Porting
- 11. Storage Performance: Slightly Faster Than USB 1.0?!
- 12. Display Performance: IPS Confirmed
- 13. Display Performance Examined: Very Bright, So-So Gamut
- 14. Benchmark Results: Battery Life And Recharge Time
- 15. Benchmark Results: Real-World Performance
- 16. Benchmark Results: Wireless Performance
- 17. Awesome For Amazon Addicts
- 18. Appendix A: Background Information On Our Benchmarks
- 19. Appendix B: Notes For Kindle Fire Owners
A low price is earning Amazon's Kindle Fire a lot of press. We take a fine-tooth comb to this new tablet and turn up some surprising results. While there's a lot to like, there are also plenty of quirks. We go over the good, the bad, and the ugly.
When Amazon announced it was going to produce a tablet, we weren't surprised. At some point, everyone knew that the company would expand beyond its e-reader base and jump onto the more functional tablet bandwagon. The question was always how far, exactly, Amazon would go in bridging the divide between its popular Kindle and successful tablets like Apple's iPad 2. After using the Kindle Fire for the last week, we can say it's probably not what you were expecting.
Let's start with what the Kindle Fire is not: it isn't an iPad killer. But that doesn't make it a bad product. In fact, that's not even a fair comparison, really. If you've already started reading reviews of the Fire, then you know this is a different beast intended for a different type of customer.
Physically, the Kindle Fire is hardly even comparable to the 10.1" tablets we've reviewed. It's 0.3" thick and weighs 0.89 pounds, making it thicker and heavier than many models with larger screens. The Fire's 7" display gives it a look similar to Research in Motion's smaller PlayBook.
Aside from the power button on the bottom of the Fire, Amazon's tablet is otherwise button-free. And while there's a headphone port, there is no dedicated volume control. The speakers are up along the top edge, and the whole tablet is surrounded by a rubberized plastic shell, similar to Toshiba's Thrive. The difference is that Amazon opted for a smooth finish, so it's easier to see fingerprint build-up.
Even compared to 7" Android-based tablets, the Kindle Fire is still a completely different piece of hardware, intended to serve a unique purpose. Notably, it's missing a slew of features, including a GPS, front- and rear-facing cameras, and a microphone. That rules out video conferencing using Skype or mapping out directions to the bar across town. Clearly, when Amazon designed its Fire, it was going for a device more similar to its e-book readers.
| Specifications | Length | Width | Height | Screen Size | Resolution | Aspect Ratio | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Kindle Fire | 7.5" | 4.7" | 0.45" | 7" | 1024x600 | 16:10 | 0.89 lb. |
| Apple iPad 2 (3G) | 9.5" | 7.31" | .34" | 9.7" | 1024x768 | 4:3 | 1.33 lb. |
| Motorola Xoom | 9.8 | 6.6" | .5" | 10.1" | 1280x800 | 16:10 | 1.5 lb. |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 | 10.1" | 6.9" | 0.34" | 10.1" | 1280x800 | 16:10 | 1.3 lb. |
This makes sense, of course. The company's priority was never to replace your netbook, or even to give you a jaw-dropping tablet experience. Amazon makes its money by selling products and services, and its Kindle Fire makes it easier to consume both. If you're already a fan of Amazon's offerings, this is a tablet that caters to your base desires.
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Should of done other comparisons with Tablets around the Kindles Price range like the Coby Kyros. I personally don't have either the Kyros or the Kindle Fire. But recently My sister bought it and she is thoroughly enjoying it. I received a Ipad2 though because of the Academy at my School that I belong to and I'm quite pleased with it, even though I'm a big android fan.
How do I win a Radeon 6990?
How do I win a Radeon 6990?
Ummm.... what?
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
Ummm.... what? This is a Kindle Fire review.....Cheers,Andrew KuTomsHardware.com
Just give him the 6990, the poor fellow just wants to play BF3.
Ummm.... what? This is a Kindle Fire review.....Cheers,Andrew KuTomsHardware.com
Ever heard of bots? There're tons of those on Tom's nowadays.
Just give him the 6990, the poor fellow just wants to play BF3.
A GPU of a 560 Ti level maxes it out @ 1080p, no need for a 6990.
Back to topic...
ROFL, and who needs a tablet without all that? That's right, Amazon fanboys. That company is an utter POS that is not unlike Apple, designing underpowered useless products and delivering them as "innovative". The only "innovative" thing here is a complete dependency on the company's online services... oops, nevermind, Apple did it first
Wait, what? Is there such a thing as an Amazon fanboy?
The iPad took a part of the market away from the PC, in the sense that there are folks out there who don't need the full functionality of a PC and the media consumption tablet gave them a device more suited for their needs. The same thing is happening here, if not as dramatically. The Fire may not have all the functionality of an iPad, but there's a lot of folks out there that will get the Fire *instead* of the iPad because it provides all the functionality they need. It isn't an iPad killer. But it *is* going to hurt iPad sales.
I think it's hilarious how the best selling droid tab this year is completely closed off, limited, and controlled. Sounds familiar doesn't it
And do not say "ya, but you can root it!!!". That's nice, people can jailbreak their iPads. You cannot include rooting and jailbreaking when you talk about something being open
"That rules out video conferencing using Skype or mapping out directions to the bar across town."There are some new devices called WEBCAM and bluetooth or usb GPS that would enable that. you might want to check this huge innovation. -.-
The Fire doesn't have either of those things. Not going to work. You should check out the specs of the Fire first.
Actually this tablet surprised me, I didn't expect that much from the kindle fire.
Actually this tablet surprised me, I didn't expect that much from the kindle fire.
Oh yeah? You bought a Fire?
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
i was playing with my classmate's kindle fire yesterday, an amazing little device. despite all the negative reviews ive been reading, it just showed me that we've been seriously spoiled with some amazing technology.... it's really an amazing piece of tech
At that price ($199), why not buy a 16GB Playbook? At least it's a "real" full featured tablet. The QNX OS rocks too. Anyone who's tried it loves the interface compared to an Android tablet...
This article is a big fail.. they should have included it to compare.
Just sayin...
Like the author implied, the fire will make a great Trojan for amazon store
Like the author implied, the fire will make a great Trojan for amazon store
You can say the same thing with the Ipad and the Itunes store. Except for the fact that Amazon isn't making money with just selling the Kindle Fire alone.
Still though I like both the Ipad and Kindle Fire.
Is the A5's RAM really clocked at 1066MHz, or is it actually 533MHz and 1066 after the DDR conversion? It's a little unfair to list it after the DDR conversion and the others before.
Also, I want to elaborate on the GPU. The OMAP 4430's SGX540 runs at 300MHz, not 200MHz, so those figures are a little misleading.
A very informative review. I was interested in the Kindle Fire for a while for its super-cheap price tag, but didn't pull the trigger on it because I don't really need a tablet.
It seems like a good product from Amazon, but for my expected use, it isn't sufficient. I mainly use my iPod touch to read comics in JPEG format, so not being able to install many apps + having limited space really hurts.
A very informative review. I was interested in the Kindle Fire for a while for its super-cheap price tag, but didn't pull the trigger on it because I don't really need a tablet.It seems like a good product from Amazon, but for my expected use, it isn't sufficient. I mainly use my iPod touch to read comics in JPEG format, so not being able to install many apps + having limited space really hurts.
Glad you liked it! Most of the time I cringe when the table discussion turns to tablets. A lot of tech reviewers aren't even really technies. They come from a Communication background, which is why the Fire is always pitted in a iPad 2 fight. Plus, the investors want the Apple fight cause they only see things in terms of units sold.
The engineers and consumers want a comparison based on features and usability. And the executives and PR people want a comparison based on demographics.
The truth lies somewhere in the middle. For me, this tablet is very attractive, but then again, I like amazon. If you're not part of that crowd, it's a harder purchase to justify in the long run.
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
I pruchased on, love it! no need to root. Just sideloading is all you need. The interface is easy, quick, fun. My mom loves it and is getting one for xmas. My phone has a camera plus who uses video conferencing apps anyways? I'd rather wait for a Dick Tracy watch.
Good review, but not clear why Xoom makes it into review, while much more popular Galaxy Tab 10.1 doesn't