Amazon Fire tablets 2015: comparisons, tech specs, pictures, more

In 2015, the giant online store refreshes the range of Fire tablets with budget models that should appeal to customers who want to buy tablets for their family.

All the models were announced on September 17, 2015, and went on sale on September 30. They launched in the US and few other countries.

Their common feature is an affordable price.

Highly reduced prices are a factor that differentiates Fire from tablets produced by other well-known producers. It’s also Amazon’s effort to make us, consumers, rethink the way we use tablets in a family.

If you have two kids, you may think of buying them… now, what – one tablet? Two tablets, one for each child.

Two iPads Mini are a clear waste of money. But two Fire 7 or Fire Kids Edition tablets are a reasonable choice (we’ll compare some buying options in the price section, so keep reading).

Here are the short descriptions of the 2015 Amazon Fire tablets:

• Amazon Fire 7 – the cheapest Amazon devices ever launched. It’s cheaper than the basic Kindle ($79) – costs only $49.99, and is sold in six-pack for which you’ll pay for five devices, and get the sixth for free,
• Amazon Fire Kids Edition – second generation tablet for kids is based on Fire 7, includes kid-proof case and unlimited access to 10,000 books, movies, games. It comes with a 2-year worry-free warranty. All for $99.99,
• Amazon Fire HD 8 – again, the affordable price – $149.99. For this, you’ll get the 1280 x 800 display – something the users of Fire HDX might not accept,
• Amazon Fire HD 10 – a bigger version of Fire HD 8, with just a bigger screen that sports the same resolution. Quite clearly, the weakest proposal out of the four. Price: $229.99.

We’ll now compare Amazon Fire tablets 2015 in detail in three areas: tech specs, prices, and international availability. You can skip the comparison section and jump directly to the selected device:

• Amazon Fire 7
• Amazon Fire Kids Edition
• Amazon Fire HD 8
• Amazon Fire HD 10

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Amazon Fire tablets 2015 – tech specs

Besides price, there are a few other features the new Fire tablets share.

First and most important is the fact that the devices offer the advanced integration with Amazon ecosystem. That means, for instance, that it will be much easier to watch movies from Amazon Instant Videos collection that from Netflix.

All 2015 Fire devices are powered by the new version of Amazon’s operating system – Fire OS 5 Bellini. It offers even deeper integration of Amazon-exclusive services.

One of the new features is Mayday, offered so far only on Fire HDX devices. The Mayday on-device customer service offered in 2015 Fire tablets is Mayday Screen Sharing. It lets Amazon stuff remotely guide you on your screen by pointing to the areas, links or buttons you have to tap to solve the issue.

There is another common feature – and we have to say it clear – a below-the-standard screen resolution. The display of the Fire HD 8 has 1280 by 800 pixels. Compare it to 2048 x 1536 in Samsung Galaxy Tab S2. But, hey, there is also a huge difference in price, right? Yes, Fire is twice as cheap.

The internal memory is also below the standard. In Fire 7 and Fire Kids Edition, it’s only 8 GB. That means some 5 GB is available to the user. The good news is that all new models have a microSD slot. You will be able to expand the memory by up to 128 GB with a microSD card (sold separately).

There is another reason why you won’t need more internal memory. Many users will probably decide to join Amazon Prime. Once they subscribe, they will get Prime Photos – unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive.

Is the low-price approach going to work? I think that it will definitely work when Fire 7 and Fire Kids Edition are considered.

Just imagine: suddenly, the $50 price tag makes a tablet an affordable product, and not only a waste of money.

Obviously, when you are an experienced tablet user, you’ll not even look at Fire 7. But new Fire tablets are meant to land in the hands of people who rarely used tablets before – the family members.

Amazon Fire tablets 2015 – prices and launch details

The new budget Fire tablets won’t meet the needs of many users. Poor screens, processors, and storage may discourage many customers from buying.

However, by introducing the affordable range of tablets, Amazon proves they know where buying habits evolve.

A tablet is not a personal device any longer. There are other members of the family who would want to use your device, or – even better – own one.

When you are planning to buy a tablet for a family, one iPad may suddenly become not enough. Your wife would want to find a cooking recipe on it, your kids will love to play games.

If usability matters for you more than performance, look what you can get for the price of one iPad Mini 4 ($399):

• Fire HD 8 – $149,99
• Fire Kids Edition – $99,99
• Fire 7 – $49,99

We can go even further with the comparison. For $400 you get one iPad Mini or – watch it – seven Fire 7 tablets. If you buy a six-pack of Fire 7 for the price of five ($250), you’ll still have $50 for the seventh one.

With a price of below $50, Fire 7 suddenly becomes a great gift idea. Not only for yourself but other members of the family and closest friends.

The price is a convincing factor only when you pick up the basic versions. When you want an upgrade – either the bigger memory, or add-free interface, or both – the price advantage disappears.

Amazon Fire tablets 2015 – international availability

Just like Kindle Paperwhite 2015, the new Fire tablets launch on the same day not only in the US but also a couple of Amazon stores localized in other countries.

The full range is available in the UK and Germany. In Japan, you’ll buy all tablets except Fire Kids Edition. The basic Fire 7 goes on sale in France, Italy, and Spain.

As usual, users in the United Kingdom will pay the biggest price. In a table below you’ll see the highest prices in red, and the cheapest in green.

Let’s see which models started selling across the globe, and at which prices. The data and currency rates were collected on September 30, 2015.

Please let us know if any of the tablets appreared in your local Amazon store, and we’ll update the table accordingly.

Amazon Fire 7

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Fire 7 – details

Fire 7 is Amazon’s bravest move. The device enters the land of cheap tablets that cost under $50.

Besides Chromo or NeuTab N7, there are dozens of other brands you probably haven’t even heard about. And it’s the big market. Android-powered Chromo 7 tablet alone has more reviews than Kindle Fire HDX 8.9.

Many consumers are not aware of cheap tablets because news channels are populated by rumors and announcements from major players, like Samsung and Apple.

And major players move away from 7-inch tablets, putting more stress on larger models like recently introduced iPad Pro. Why? Because a bigger and more powerful device will let earn more money when you buy it.

Amazon has a different approach. The company doesn’t want you to buy the tablet. Amazon wants you to buy the content for the tablet.

An example. When you buy the tablet for $50, you will save some money – a considerable amount of money. It’s the money you could spend on buying Amazon Prime membership or Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Fire 7 – pics

Fire 7 – full specs

Display	7″ touchscreen, 1024 x 600 resolution at 171 ppi, SD video playback, with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and advanced polarizing filter
Size	7.5″ x 4.5″ x 0.4″ (191 x 115 x 10.6 mm)
Weight	11.0 ounces (313 grams) Actual size and weight may vary by configuration and manufacturing process
CPU & RAM	Quad-Core 1.3 GHz with 1 GB of RAM
Storage	8 GB of internal storage (5 GB available to user). Add microSD card for up to 128 GB of additional storage for even more movies, TV shows, music, photos, personal videos, and apps. Some apps may require that they are installed on internal storage.
Battery Life	Up to 7 hours of reading, surfing the web, watching video, and listening to music. Battery life will vary based on device settings, usage, and other factors such as web browsing and downloading content. Actual results may vary.
Charge Time	Fully charges in under 6 hours using the micro-USB power adapter included in the box, or slightly longer with other micro-USB power adapters that you may already have
Wi-Fi Connectivity	Single-antenna Wi-Fi. Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n standard with support for WEP, WPA, and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks.
4G Connectivity	N/A
Ports	USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) to connect to a PC/Macintosh computer, or to charge your device with the included power adapter; microSD slot for external storage
Audio	3.5 mm stereo jack and integrated speaker
Content Formats Supported	Kindle (AZW), KF8, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible Enhanced format (AAX), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, PCM/WAVE, OGG, WAV, M4V, MP4, AAC LC/LTP, HE-AACv1, HE-AACv2, MKV, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, HTML5, CSS3, 3GP, VP8 (WEBM)
Sensors	Accelerometer
Camera Specs	VGA front-facing camera. 2 MP rear-facing HD camera
Location Services	Location-based services via Wi-Fi
Available Colors	Black
Additional Features	External volume controls, built-in Bluetooth with support for A2DP compatible stereo headphones, speakers, microphone, and LE accessories support
Accessibility Features	VoiceView and Screen Magnifier enable access to the vast majority of Fire tablet features. VoiceView features IVONA’s award-winning natural language text-to-speech voice. Fire OS 5 also includes system wide closed caption settings, adjustable font sizes up to 50% larger, and a variety of book reading text adjustments such as adjustable colors and text spacing. Also includes adjustable font sizes/color, and built-in Oxford dictionary. Learn more
System Requirements	Fire is ready to use right out of the box—no setup, no software to install, no computer required to download content
Warranty and Service	90-day Limited Warranty and service included. Optional 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year Extended Warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Fire tablet is subject to the terms found. here
Included in the Box	Fire tablet, USB 2.0 cable, 5W power adapter, and Quick Start Guide

Fire 7 – product chart

Amazon Fire Kids Edition

Fire Kids Edition – details

Fire Kids Edition 2015 is a second generation of Amazon tablets addressed to children aged 3 to 10.

The concept of a Kids Edition is simple. It’s a selected Fire tablet with three extra elements to make it most suitable for children:

• a kid-proof case – it will protect against drops and bumps, and “the typical mayhem caused by kids at play,”
• 1 year free of Amazon FreeTime subscription – free access to 10,000 books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, and games,
• a 2-year warranty – if the tablet breaks, Amazon will replace it for free without any questions.

A first generation of Fire Kids Edition tablet was launched last year. There were two versions, based on Fire HD 6 and Fire HD 7. Let’s compare the bigger model with this year’s edition.

As you see, the lower price has its price. Amazon has decided to downgrade the screen in order to offer the devices at a lower price. The $200 price tag was apparently too high for a device parents would not use by themselves, and probably not the first tablet in a family.

Getting the basic Fire tablet below $50 and Kids Edition below $100 resulted in using the 1024 x 600 screen vs. the last year’s 1280 x 800.

The 1024 x 600 display is not a standard any longer. For instance, it was used for the last time in Samsung’s entry-level 7-inch Tab 3, released over two years ago, in July 2013.

What’s also important is the video playback. The 2014 Kids Edition played at 720p. The new model offers a lower standard-definition video playback.

If a video quality is not your – and your kid’s – main concern, you may appreciate what Fire Kids Edition offers, and the predecessor didn’t.

First, it has a microSD slot, so you can expand the memory by up to 128 GB (you’ll have to buy the card separately, though).

Secondly, the 2015 Fire Kids Edition tablet will offer later this year a controlled access to over 20,000 YouTube videos and websites, hand-curated by Amazon staff. It will add up to 10,000 books, movies, and games, already available via a free access to Amazon FreeTime.

Fire Kids Edition – pics

Fire Kids Edition – full specs

Display	7″ touchscreen, 1024 x 600 resolution at 171 ppi, SD video playback, with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and advanced polarizing filter
Size	8.6″ x 5.4″ x 1.0″ (219.0 x 138.0 x 25.5 mm)
Weight	14.3 ounces (405 grams) Actual size and weight may vary by configuration and manufacturing process
CPU & RAM	Quad-Core 1.3 GHz with 1 GB of RAM
Storage	8 GB of internal storage (5 GB available to user). Add microSD card for up to 128 GB of additional storage for even more movies, TV shows, photos, personal videos, and apps. Some apps may require that they are installed on internal storage.
Battery Life	Up to 7 hours of reading, surfing the web, watching video, and listening to music (based on mixed usage outside of Amazon FreeTime mode). Battery life will vary based on device settings, usage, and other factors such as web browsing and downloading content. Actual results may vary.
Charge Time	Fully charges in under 6 hours using the micro-USB power adapter included in the box, or slightly longer with other micro-USB power adapters that you may already have.
Wi-Fi Connectivity	Single-antenna Wi-Fi. Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n standard with support for WEP, WPA, and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks.
4G Connectivity	N/A
Ports	USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) to connect to a PC/Macintosh computer, or to charge your device with the included power adapter; microSD slot for external storage
Audio	3.5 mm stereo jack and integrated speaker
Content Formats Supported	Kindle (AZW), KF8, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible Enhanced format (AAX), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, PCM/WAVE, OGG, WAV, M4V, MP4, AAC LC/LTP, HE-AACv1, HE-AACv2, MKV, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, HTML5, CSS3, 3GP, VP8 (WEBM)
Sensors	Accelerometer, Gyroscope
Camera Specs	VGA front-facing camera. 2 MP rear-facing HD camera.
Location Services	Location-based services via Wi-Fi
Available Colors	Blue or Pink Kid-Proof Case
Additional Features	External volume controls, built-in Bluetooth with support for A2DP compatible stereo headphones, speakers, microphone, and LE accessories support
Accessibility Features	VoiceView along with Screen Magnifier enable access to the vast majority of Fire tablet features. VoiceView features IVONA’s award-winning natural language text-to-speech voice. Fire OS 5 also includes system-wide Closed Caption settings, adjustable font sizes up to 50% larger, and a variety of book reading text adjustments such as adjustable colors and text spacing. Also includes adjustable font color and built-in Oxford dictionary. Learn more
System Requirements	Fire Kids Edition is ready to use right out of the box—no setup, no software to install, no computer required to download content
Warranty and Service	2-year worry-free guarantee. Coverage for anything that happens to your Fire Kids Edition including electrical and mechanical breakdowns. See details. Use of Fire Kids Edition tablet is subject to the terms found here
Included in the Box	Fire tablet, Amazon Kid-Proof Case, USB 2.0 cable, 5W power adapter, and Quick Start Guide
Age Range	Ages 3 and up. Warning: choking hazard – small parts. Not for children under 3 years.

Fire Kids Edition – product chart

Amazon Fire HD 8

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Fire HD 8 – details

Fire HD 8 is a fourth generation of Amazon tablets. The larger-display Fire HD was offered already in 2012 – it was Kindle Fire HD 8.9″.

When we compare the two devices, we have to keep in mind that consumer expectations evolve. What was the standard in 2012 is not a standard now.

Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ had a 1920 x 1200 display with a pixel density of 254 ppi. A bit smaller 2015 device, also called “HD”, has a worse display: 1280 x 800 at 189 ppi. Amazon calls it “stunning”, and the only question is what do they mean by that.

Amazon puts everything at stake to make people buy their devices and start buying the content their movies, music, games, apps, and ebooks. The affordable price is the proven way to do it.

If price is at stake, let’s see how Fire HD 8 compares to same-size tablets released in September 2015:

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
• iPad Mini 4

This comparison is clearly showing where the producers are heading.

Apple and Samsung make their tablets more powerful while keeping the price at the same level.

Amazon decided to choose the other way: keep the old standards and make the price as low as possible.

Amazon is twice as cheaper as the newly-released tablets from major players. You will have to decide what is better for you.

If you are going to buy your first tablet, and your budget is up to $200, you will probably be satisfied with the Fire HD 8. But if you owned the tablet before, you should be careful about its screen and overall performance – may may find it highly disappointing.

Fire HD 8 – pics

Fire HD 8 – full specs

Display	8″ touchscreen, 1280×800 resolution at 189 ppi, HD video playback with fully laminated IPS LCD display
Size	8.4″ x 5.0″ x 0.3″ (214 x 128 x 7.7mm)
Weight	11.0 ounces (311 grams) Actual size and weight may vary by configuration and manufacturing process
CPU & RAM	MediaTek Quad-Core: 2 @ 1.5 GHz + 2 @ 1.2 GHz , with 1 GB of RAM
Storage	8 GB (4.5GB available to user) or 16 GB (11.6 GB available to user) of internal storage. Add a microSD card for up to 128 GB of additional storage for even more movies, TV shows, music, photos, personal videos, and apps. Some apps may require that they are installed on internal storage.
Battery Life	Up to 8 hours of reading, surfing the web, watching video, and listening to music. Battery life will vary based on device settings, usage, and other factors such as web browsing and downloading content. Actual results may vary.
Charge Time	Fully charges in under 5 hours using the micro-USB power adapter included in the box, or slightly longer with other micro-USB power adapters that you may already have
Wi-Fi Connectivity	Single-antenna, dual-band Wi-Fi. Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n or 802.11ac standard with support for WEP, WPA, and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks
4G Connectivity	N/A
Ports	USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) to connect to a PC/Macintosh computer, or to charge your device with the included power adapter; microSD slot for external storage
Audio	3.5 mm stereo jack and integrated stereo speaker with Dolby Audio
Content Formats Supported	Kindle (AZW), KF8, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible Enhanced format (AAX), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, PCM/WAVE, OGG, WAV, M4V, MP4, Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3), AAC LC/LTP, HE-AACv1, HE-AACv2, MKV, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, HTML5, CSS3, 3GP, VP8 (WEBM)
Sensors	Accelerometer, gyroscope
Camera Specs	720p front-facing HD camera. 5 MP rear-facing HD camera
Location Services	Location-based services via Wi-Fi
Available Colors	Black, Magenta, Blue, Tangerine
Additional Features	External volume controls, built-in Bluetooth with support for A2DP compatible stereo headphones, speakers, microphone, and LE accessories support
Accessibility Features	VoiceView and Screen Magnifier enable access to the vast majority of Fire tablet features. VoiceView features IVONA’s award-winning natural language text-to-speech voice. Fire OS 5 also includes system wide closed caption settings, adjustable font sizes up to 50% larger, and a variety of book reading text adjustments such as adjustable colors and text spacing. Also includes adjustable font sizes/color, and built-in Oxford dictionary Learn more
System Requirements	Fire HD is ready to use right out of the box—no setup, no software to install, no computer required to download content
Warranty and Service	1-year Limited Warranty and service included. Optional 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year Extended Warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Fire HD 8 tablet is subject to the terms found here
Included in the Box	Fire HD 8 tablet, USB 2.0 cable, 5W power adapter, and Quick Start Guide

Fire HD 8 – product chart

Amazon Fire HD 10

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Fire HD 10 – details

Fire HD 10 is one of the most affordable 10-inch devices, but it’s not the cheapest one.

Lenovo Tab 2 A10 or Asus ZenPad 10 are also the 2015 models, have comparable specs to Fire HD 10, and cost below $200.

The question you should ask yourself is whether you need a 10-inch tablet at all. It’s just a bigger and heavier version of the 8-inch tablet. And on the 8-inch tablet you can comfortably watch movies, play games, read ebooks, or browse the web.

What you have to know is that in many cases the 10-inch devices are just the 8-inch tablets with a bigger – but not better – screen.

In other words, the 8-inch and 10-inch Fire HD have the display with the same resolution: 1280 x 800. This results in a worse pixel density on a larger device as there is the same amount of pixels to be distributed on a larger space.

Let’s compare Fire HD 10 to the tablets from Samsung and Apple.

Fire HD 10 – pics

Fire HD 10 – full specs

Display	10.1″ touchscreen, 1280 x 800 resolution at 149 ppi, HD video playback, with IPS (in-plane switching) technology and advanced polarizing filter, fully laminated HD display
Size	10.3″ x 6.3″ x 0.3″ (262 x 159 x 7.7mm)
Weight	15.2 oz. (432 g) Actual size and weight may vary by configuration and manufacturing process
CPU & RAM	MediaTek Quad-Core: 2 @ 1.5 GHz + 2 @ 1.2 GHz , with 1 GB of RAM
Storage	16 GB (11.6 GB available to user) or 32 GB (26 GB available to user) of internal storage. Add microSD card for up to 128 GB of additional storage for even more movies, TV shows, music, photos, personal videos, and apps. Some apps may require that they are installed on internal storage.
Battery Life	Up to 8 hours of reading, surfing the web, watching video, and listening to music. Battery life will vary based on device settings, usage, and other factors such as web browsing and downloading content. Actual results may vary.
Charge Time	Fully charges in under 5 hours using the micro-USB power adapter included in the box, or slightly longer with other micro-USB power adapters that you may already have
Wi-Fi Connectivity	Single-antenna, dual-band Wi-Fi. Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n or 802.11ac standard with support for WEP, WPA, and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks
4G Connectivity	N/A
Ports	USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) to connect to a PC/Macintosh computer, or to charge your device with the included power adapter; microSD slot for external storage
Audio	3.5 mm stereo jack and integrated stereo speaker with Dolby Audio
Content Formats Supported	Kindle (AZW), KF8, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible Enhanced format (AAX), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, PCM/WAVE, OGG, WAV, M4V, MP4, Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3), AAC LC/LTP, HE-AACv1, HE-AACv2, MKV, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, HTML5, CSS3, 3GP, VP8 (WEBM)
Sensors	Accelerometer, gyroscope
Camera Specs	720p front-facing HD camera. 5 MP rear-facing HD camera
Location Services	Location-based services via Wi-Fi
Available Colors	Black or White
Additional Features	External volume controls, built-in Bluetooth with support for A2DP compatible stereo headphones, speakers, microphone, and LE accessories support
Accessibility Features	VoiceView and Screen Magnifier enable access to the vast majority of Fire tablet features. VoiceView features IVONA’s award-winning natural language text-to-speech voice. Fire OS 5 also includes system wide closed caption settings, adjustable font sizes up to 50% larger, and a variety of book reading text adjustments such as adjustable colors and text spacing. Also includes adjustable font sizes/color, and built-in Oxford dictionary. Learn more
System Requirements	Fire HD 10 is ready to use right out of the box—no setup, no software to install, no computer required to download content
Warranty and Service	1-year Limited Warranty and service included. Optional 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year Extended Warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Fire HD 10 tablet is subject to the terms found here
Included in the Box	Fire HD 10 tablet, USB 2.0 cable, 5W power adapter, and Quick Start Guide

Fire HD 10 – product chart

All images via Amazon.

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