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Amazon Fire (2015)
Amazon Fire (2015)
Amazon Fire (2015)
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6.9/10
Informr score
The Amazon Fire (2015) currently has an Informr score of 6.9 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 18 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Incredibly affordable
  • Great standby battery life
  • Smooth performance in basic tasks
  • Easy access to Prime content

What's bad

  • Abysmal front and rear camera
  • Delays when opening apps
  • Lackluster screen
  • Generic "dowdy" design
  • Lack of apps in app store

Budget tablets have come a long way in terms of usability and Amazon hopes to overtake that market with the release of their 2015 Amazon Fire. Priced below $100, the Fire 2015 isn't exactly what experts would call a looker. There's no unibody construction or chamfered edges here. Instead, Amazon opted for what critics consider a relatively generic design - a single sheet of glass on the front and a matte finish plastic back. Large bezels surround the screen, giving it what experts call a dowdy and unfashionable appearance. For the most part they were satisfied with build quality though they did notice a bit of give when they pressed down on the plastic back. It is also a bit on the bulkier side compared to other tablets measuring in at 7.5 x 4.5 x 0.4 inches and weighing 313 grams, but critics still found it comfortable to hold thanks to the rounded edges.

The 7-inch, 1024 x 600 display offers a low pixel density of 171ppi. As expected, reviewers were underwhelmed not only because of its lack of clarity but also its low contrast and poor color accuracy. This was most noticeable when they attempted to watch HD movies or video as the images were often blurry and dull. They do offer some praise for its overall brightness and good viewing angles though they mention it is horrible to read in sunlight due to high reflectiveness of the glass. While it can't compare to even their own Fire HDX, critics point out it is perfectly fine for browsing the web and checking email.

With only a 1.3GHz quad core processor and 1GB of RAM, the 2015 Amazon Fire obviously won't be topping the benchmark tests. Still, experts were surprised that it scored last on all these tests. Despite the low test results, it performed relatively smoothly when they were navigating the home screen or using simple apps. Due to its slower processor and smaller RAM allotment, critics weren't surprised to notice delays when opening apps or frame rate drops when playing demanding 3D games. There's not too much room for bigger apps anyway as it only comes with 8G of internal storage, though this can be expanded via the microSD slot. The biggest surprise was the battery life. Experts were able to get around 7 hours of continuous mixed usage, which translated to around a full day of use without charging. Even better, when put on standby mode it lasted some experts over a weak without a charge.

The biggest weakness of the Amazon Fire 2015 is its use of Fire OS instead of Android. This means consumers only have access to Amazon's library of apps (of which there are only a couple thousand). It also means there is no access to popular Google Services such as Gmail, Chrome, Google Maps or the official YouTube app. They do have access to the more popular apps such as Facebook, Twitter and Angry Birds among others. Another perk of the Fire tablets is their easy access to Amazon Prime content and the Amazon store itself.

The other big weakness is its main and front camera. At only 2MP experts have no issue calling it horrible. They point out the camera produces overexposed and blurry photos with poor color depth. Ars Technica adds, "…the rear camera is really only suitable for snapping quick pics for tweets…For everything else it's terrible."

Do reviewers think the Amazon Fire (2015) is worth it? For people who cannot afford a more expensive tablet they recommend it. Engadget states, "…with all these shortcomings, the tablet offers respectable performance and good battery life…for [a] paltry sum." Alphr adds, "There's no question that [you] could do much better than the Fire, but you could pay more and do much, much worse."


Fire OS
Operating system
Operating system
Fire OS
1.3 GHz
Processor
Processor
1.3 GHz
7"
Screen Size
Screen Size
7"
2+ MP
Camera
Camera
2+ MP
Unknown
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


Notebookcheck
Notebookcheck

Considering what the Fire Tablet (2015) sells for, it definitely has its appeals. The build quality is decent, the IPS panel features great viewing angle stability and the color accuracy is acceptable as well. The purchase prise is unrivaled, as it is incredibly low. The battery life is sufficient,...

- Marcus Herbrich, Notebookcheck
Tech Advisor
Tech Advisor

It's certainly not perfect, and the lack of Google apps will still put some people off, but the Fire is excellent value at under £50. The latest Fire OS is so Android-like that it's easy to use, and the Fire for Kids app makes it possible to limit what you kids can do and how long they can use...

- Jim Martin, Tech Advisor
What Hi-Fi
What Hi-Fi

This is no tablet for the techies and first adopters among you, but for an affordable tablet that does the basics with reasonable ability, it ticks a lot of the boxes. We’d like a speedier, more responsive user interface, and those looking for the absolute best in picture and audio perfor...

- What Hi-Fi team, What Hi-Fi
Coolsmartphone
Coolsmartphone

I love my Amazon Fire. At that price? Nothing to complain about really. My Amazon Fire makes accessing and consuming my Amazon content simple and easy. I can play games and do web browsing from an inexpensive device which has bags of storage expansion space with a 128GB MicroSD card. The battery lif...

- Matteo Doni, Coolsmartphone
Good E-Reader
Good E-Reader

It is hard to go wrong with a tablet that costs $50. I remember a few years ago when tablets were this cheap, they often self-destructed within a few months. Amazon released a tablet that is so cheap, that you would have a hard time passing on it. It is your personal gateway to all things Amazon. Th...

- Michael Kozlowski, Good E-Reader


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Quick view

Screen Size
7"

The Amazon Fire (2015)'s screen size is 7 inches with x pixels resolution.

Processor
1.3 GHz

There is a Quad core 1.3 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The tablet runs on proprietary operating system firmware.

Camera
2+ MP
You can take photos or capture video with the tablet's onboard 2+ MP camera. There is also a secondary front facing camera with VGA (640 x 480) resolution.
Storage
8 GB

Internal memory is 8 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 128 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
Unknown

The tablet is powered by a battery.

Fire (2015) Specs

Overview
Release Date September 30, 2015
Regions Available USA, United Kingdom
Operating System No

Compare Fire OS Smartphones

Processor Quad core 1.3 GHz
Internal Storage 8 GB
RAM 1 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible No
TTY/TDD No
SAR Unknown
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included Data Cable, Manual, USB Power Adapter
Cellular
Networks
Mobile / Cellular Data
No (Option available)
Wi-Fi Calling No
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) No
SIM card size
No
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Micro-USB 2.0
USB OTG Support No
Infrared No
Bluetooth Yes
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 128 GB)
NFC No
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
2+ Megapixels
Zoom
Unknown
Flash
No
Additional Main Camera Info
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4
Video Recording Parameters
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
VGA (640 x 480)+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
No
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology LCD (IPS)
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution x pixels
Pixel density 171 pixels
Size 7 inches
Sensors Motion / Accelerometer
Backlit Illumination Yes
Zoom / Magnification Yes
Screen Orientation Lock Yes
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen
Power & Battery
Battery Capacity No
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging No
Battery Charge Time 6 hours
Video Playback Time Unknown
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Unknown
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Standby Time Unknown
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Material Plastic
Colors Black
Dimensions [H x W x D] 19.1 x 11.4 x 1.0 cm (7.5 x 4.5 x 0.4 in)
Weight 313 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Unknown
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Touchscreen Yes
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key No
Physical keyboard No
Text-to-Speech Yes
Screen Reader No
Keypad/Screen Lock Yes
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor No
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Additional Information Other Names (AKA):
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