The new Amazon Fire 7 2019 is an update of the tablet launched a few years ago by Amazon, on the one hand as an alternative proposal for Android-based tablets (heavily costumed here) on the other as an alternative, if you want, to the classic ink-based Kindle readers. electronic, for those who think of reading as one of the many activities and not as their main one.
Accomplice on the one hand the commercial power of Amazon, on the other the presence of integrated Kindle technology and on the other hand the affinity with the Android world, this product has gone around the world without problems, because in addition to the technological points indicated above it must also be said that in the price range below 100 euros, finding a branded tablet is no small feat.
We reviewed this Tablet by analyzing different points of view, crossing them with what users expect and with the (not a few) surprises we found inside, and we were satisfied with them, even if we need to understand what product it is.
Amazon Fire 7 2019, the review
Monolithic but with style
The first compromises imposed by the price can be seen in the package, which does not have many frills and a soft cardboard that houses the Tablet, the power supply and the USB-A cable. The tablet is presented in a sober and monolithic way: the black column is total, even if the glossy screen corresponds to an opaque back where the Amazon logo stands out.
All the connectors and buttons are located on a short side: a physical button for on / off, two for the volume, the analog Jack connector, the microphone and the Micro-USB connector for charging.
Although the layout of the buttons appears to have changed compared to the previous model, the old cases fit perfectly: Amazon has put on sale for this a series of new cases, the shape and use of which we liked a lot, as well as the choice of colors, but which are identical in shape to the old ones.
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Technical features
The technical characteristics speak of a device with a 7 ″ IPS 1024 x 600px display at 171 dpi (not many but sufficient) with a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor. The RAM remains anchored to 1 GB but increases the disk space which goes from 8 to 16GB (with option to 32 in the purchase phase) although we suggest opting for an internal SD, up to 512 GB).
There are two cameras available: the front one is an HD 720p (here a big step forward compared to the past) while the rear camera should not have undergone any changes, remaining at 2MP.
The Wi-Fi chip, essential because there is no 3G or 4G version, is dual band and allows access to 2.4 Ghz and mixed networks, not 5Ghz ones. The battery life is estimated at 7 hours, which become about double with discontinuous use but which has as its weak point the conservation of the charge when not in use: in any case the full charge is obtained in about 4 hours of recharging.
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Power on
Once ready we proceeded to switch on and register, using our Amazon account, covered among other things by a Prime subscription (not necessary, but very convenient).
Initialization is very simple and basically just follow the instructions: you need a Wi-Fi network and an Amazon account, which you can still do on the fly if necessary, and in a few minutes you are already up and running.
The interface is very different both from the most common Android tablets and from iOS in a much more commercial way and, pass the term, aggressive with proposals, free Apps (many), Books, Movies and a bit of all the Amazon services available from the Amazon Fire 7 2019.
Basically, if you have Amazon Prime active you can take advantage of many services, such as Amazon Prime video integrated (with, among other things, the TV series “The Gran Tour”, at the home of the writer loved by all) but also unlimited space for photos, a selection of songs on Amazon Music, and free books and comics from time to time.
Experience of use
We used Amazon Fire 7 2019 at home to manage various household chores, some games, some music and movies and even some reading, but we didn't spare it even when traveling, via a Wi-Fi connection given by a portable Access Point.
For those coming from a different environment such as an iPad Air can be, it is clear that first of all you need to understand the meaning of the Fire operating system, which despite having roots in Android, retains only a technical relationship, with even a different App Store. .
There are a few things we really liked: Amazon services are integrated beautifully and pretty much things work without not even knowing how, in a very simple and fluid way, like the services of Kindle and Amazon Music.
In addition to this, the Amazon Fire 7 2019 comes with several free pre-installed apps, especially for children, which the child of the house has appreciated very much and many others can be found on the dedicated App Store.
We also really liked the engine that allows you to read comics (in Kindle format) with a very good attention to the media, focused on cartoons, which can be scrolled optimally with a few taps.
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The vision of the films is very good even using vertical apps such as Plex, at least up to FullHD, and obviously no problem on the streaming of Amazon Prime Video. We didn't like other things, like the lack of RAI or SKY apps, as well as several other successful titles on iOS and Android.
Browsing through Silk, the default browser of Amazon Fire 7 2019, is good and comes to fruition, but from time to time the computing power has shown some too many waiting. It is clear that this Amazon Fire 7 2019 cannot be asked to balance the scores with models that cost four or five times as much, for obvious constructive reasons, even from the other side the proposals present (such as the default Apps) work well and allow a correct use above the elementary threshold that would be expected from a tablet of this range.
Considerations
Considering the price of 69.99 euros for the 16 GB version and 79.99 euros for the 32 GB version, already a few more euros for an SD that considerably increases the available space and an Amazon Prime account that opens the doors to a series of very interesting services, we can say that this is probably the most interesting tablet in the price range below 100 Euros.
Obviously there is some compromise but there are also several unexpected positive aspects, such as a display (not HD) with good brightness, an audio department that defends itself and software up to it, even if it is necessary to remember that it is not Android and that it is not there is Google Play Store (in the old model something could be done, but a lot of mastery was needed, with this new model we have not tried).
Considering the access price, which cannot be better with these features, the vote is undoubtedly positive: we recommend users to definitely evaluate an integrated cover, also very useful in reading.
Pro:
• Interesting price / performance ratio • Excellent integration with Amazon services • IPS screen is very good
Cons:
• Amazon's App Store is good, but lacks several Apps • Battery tightness when idle is below forecast
Price:
• 69.99 Euros (16 GB) • 79.99 Euros (32 GB)
Amazon Fire 7 2019 is available exclusively through the Amazon.it online store in both 16 and 32 GB versions. The covers are also available through the same shop in various colors.
For those interested in reading digital books only, we recommend the new backlit Kindle Reader, with very different characteristics.