Kindle Fire - Evaluation

The soon to be launched completely new tablet from Amazon that was recently announced by Jeff Bezos on 28th September has been creating a big buzz amongst tech enthusiasts. The Kindle Fire presents the functionality of a tablet plus a color e-Book reader, but at an incredibly appealing low rate.

The Fire is designed primarily as a media usage tool which runs on a modified version of the Android OS. Does the Kindle Fire have what it takes to scorch the competition in the tablet planet and be the tablet to defeat or does it fall short? Continue reading to find out.

Qualities of the kindle fire review

7 inch color (IPS) touch screen (1024 x 6000 display resolution) 8GB internal storage memory 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity Amazon Cloud for unlimited storage of content Lightweight, weighs just 413 grams A single charge offers up to 8 hrs of usage Headphone jack, built-in stereo speakers Free 1 month trial of Amazon Prime Design

The Kindle Fire bears a powerful resemblance to the BlackBerry Playbook in terms of the weight and feel of the device. The design itself is incredibly streamlined, including just a power button on the unit. With its relatively small dimensions of 7.5 x 4.7 x 0.45 in ., the Fire is small enough to fit in a reasonably sized pocket or be held one-handed.

Display

The 7-inch multi-touch display with IPS (in plane switching) offers a maximum quality of 1024 x 600 at 16 million colours. The ISP technology used offers a great array of viewing angles, allowing the display to be viewed at 178° and greater.

In spite of having a lower quality than the iPad, text on the Fire's display looks crisp and sharp. The display doesn't utilize e-Ink technology though nonetheless, so if you want a Kindle primarily for reading I recommend one of the earlier models which function an e-Ink display to reduce eye strain over extended periods.

Connectivity

The Fire isn't too strong on the connectivity front. There's assist for Wi-Fi, yet no support for Bluetooth, 3G or GPS. The headphone jack is really handy for when you would like to watch movies or listen to music in private.

User-interface

Amazon has taken a leaf from Apple's book and opted for simpleness when designing the Fire. The user-interface is pretty simple and provides simple navigation via the touch screen. There is a screen to flip via all your digital content plus an icon tray to store your favorite objects.

Final Thoughts

When all is explained and done, the Kindle Fire isn't an iPad killer, yet it sure packs a punch with its spec and is an excellent entry for Amazon into the tablet market. The lack of cameras, extra internal storage options and 3G connectivity will be off-putting to some individuals who're after a full-fledged tablet experience, but for a lot of who're after a pure media consumption device, what the Fire delivers will suffice.

The low price range point of the Fire and its media capabilities are hugely interesting, making it worth serious consideration for anyone interested in enjoying media on the move.