I didn't encounter as many performance quirks as I was expecting. As with the Fire HD 8, download times were also on the slow side.

To be sure, everything from apps to videos take at least a handful of seconds to load, especially if they're bigger file. James Martin/CNET Is it unbelievably slow? We've never seen tablet at this price that was worth recommending. The review answers the important questions by focusing on what the Fire has to offer, if it's worth buying and, if so, for whom. Since it's a tablet with specs so dated we haven't reviewed a comparable model in over two years, it's an exception to the rule. Just like the Fire, this review is simplified to the bare essentials. At a price this low, you can buy six of them for less than the cost of one Apple iPad Mini 2 - you pay for five and Amazon throws in the sixth for free. For an undiscerning user, the Fire is simply an inexpensive device for watching video, reading, light gaming, browsing the Web and, of course, shopping the Amazon store. In fact, it's a great option for those who don't care much about technology at all. (Amazon doesn't typically sell hardware in Australia, but the US price converts to about AU$70.) It's an unremarkable-looking tablet that runs Amazon's custom Fire OS 5 Bellini operating system, which is based on Android but can't natively access the Google Play store, and offers easy access to Amazon's vast media library.Īt its low price, the Fire is an attractive option for frugal customers who don't care about the latest and greatest technology. The Amazon Fire is special for one reason: it costs $50 or £50.

Amazon fire 7 tab