What's good
- Good feature set for the price
- Sleek design
- Decent HD display
What's bad
- Only 16GB of onboard storage
- No camera
- Basic specs
Like it’s predecessor, the Kindle Fire HD 2 offers 800 x 1280 resolution. Although HD, experts note that it still falls short of displays like the Nexus 7.
The processor has been upgraded to a 1.5GHz dual-core although the RAM stays the same at 1GB and onboard storage remains limited at 16GB. Latino Post notes the faster processor leads to a shorter battery life in this model - clocking in at 10 hours of mixed use versus the 11 hours of the previous generation.
While the display and specs have mostly remained the same, The Verge notes the Fire HD 2 has a much more pleasing design with its beveled edges and back-mounted controls. It is also thinner and lighter than its predecessor. The tablet measures in at 7.5" X 5.0" X 0.42" inches and weighs 345 grams (12.2 oz).
Unlike its HDX siblings, this Kindle does not offer the Mayday live tech support button as it does not have a forward facing camera or microphone. It does, however, give Amazon Prime members the ability to download Prime Instant Videos so members can watch movies without the need for internet access.
Despite its low cost, Latino Post notes that the tablet itself is “worse than its previous generation.” On the other hand, Technobuffalo mentions that the new design and emphasis on software to Amazon’s content makes this tablet “great.”
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Jim Martin, Tech AdvisorThe Fire HD feels like a step backwards from the model it replaces: there's no camera, no HDMI output, half the storage and shorter battery life. It's faster, though, and has a slicker operating system. But you're still limited to Amazon's app store which lacks the choice you get with Google Play.
- Jim Martin, Tech AdvisorThe Fire HD feels like a step backwards from the model it replaces: there's no camera, no HDMI output, half the storage and shorter battery life. It's faster, though, and has a slicker operating system. But you're still limited to Amazon's app store which lacks the choice you get with Google Play.
- Michael Kozlowski, Good E-ReaderIn the end, the Fire HD 2013 model is a solid entry level device that is not worth to upgrade if you have the 2012 model. If you have a two year old or older device this might be for you. I think the people who will benefit it the most are students on a budget, a Christmas gift, or for your mom.
- Eric Franklin, CnetThe 2013 Kindle Fire HD works perfectly as an e-reader with a few extra tablet features
- John V., PhoneArenaSure, its specs sheet is so last year, so it isn’t the fastest thing on the block. Plus, there isn’t any kind of camera on board with this, which kind of limits its functionality. However, once you’re able to overlook those two blatant concerns, what we have here is a tablet that a...
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