The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX is definitely the easiest tablet ever released into the market. Its new Mayday remote video support feature is as revolutionary as Apple’s Genius bars once was, giving users access to unlimited, personalized support for all their tablet needs. it combines an easy to use interface with very solid specs at an affordable price, making the Kindle Fire an ideal first tablet—as long as you are comfortable purchasing your media from Amazon. For the tech-savvy ARS Guide reader, though, the more versatile and user-configurable Google Nexus 7 tops the list of small tablets and remains our Editors’ Choice.
Design
Amazon have always given each generation of Kindle fire a more classier look. The Fire HDX feels downright premium expect for a few reservations: A huge bezel surrounding the 7-inch, 1,920-by-1,200 323-pixel-per-inch screen. On the back is an angled soft-touch panel, with a big embossed Amazon logo. Unlike previous-gen Fires, the Fire HDX has sizeable Power and Volume buttons on the back edges with is a big leap in design.
At 7.3 by 5 by .35 inches (HWD) and weighing in at 10.7 ounces, the HDX is slightly wider than the Google Nexus 7 but not as wide as the somewhat awkward Apple iPad Mini. The Google Nexus 7 can be certainly used with ease using a single hand in portrait mode, but the HDX is still usable as well.
Performance
The Kindle Fire HDX features a 7-inch IPS LCD screen with remarkable sharpness, marred only by barely noticeable blue glows on the edges. It has dual stereo speakers on the top back edge, with the positioning offering good aesthetics in terms of space but almost no bass. All is not lost, you get a lot more when you plug in headphones thanks to integrated Dolby Digital Plus technology.
The Fire HDX suffers the same fate as all slim, small, super-high-resolution tablets, which is definitely is mediocre battery life. Although Amazon claims that it offers uncompromised 11 hours of reading, other apps may likely drain the battery faster. It is a Wi-Fi based tablet and supports 802.11 b/g/n class on the 2.4 and 5GHz bands.
Kindle Fire HDX is the first tablet to be powered by the 2.2 GHZ quad-core Snapdragon processor, making it possible for the tablet to clock in at over 2 GHz.This processors provide up to three times more processing power in addition to 2GB of RAM for fast app launches, faster website load times, smooth multi-tasking and improved general performance. It runs on “Kindle OS 3.0 Mojito” which is a fork of open source version of Android 4.2.2. This makes it compatible with most Android apps, although it ha entirely a completely different interface.
Other Features
The HDX runs on Amazon’s Silk browser which is simulated for cloud-based pre-fetching of web pages. It also feature relatively good graphics for playing games like Asphalt 8, although some games may appear not ready for the new higher-resolution screen with equally high-res graphics. It also features updated email, calendar and contacts with similar capabilities as those available in Android 4.2.2.
Mayday is so far Amazon’s most exiting feature, whereby with a single pull from the notifications bar and press of a button, an Amazon rep appears in a video windows within fifteen seconds, 24/7. Kindle is meant for reading after all. For text-books, the fonts are extremely sharp although the white backlight makes the blue light leak around the edges more pronounced, although magazines are also readable.
It has 16GB (10.9GB user-available) and lacks a memory card slot, but Amazon gives ample constant cloud storage. It has a single, front-facing, 720p still camera. It comes with pre-installed Skype and AIM, but Google Chat is missing. for video chats, the camera is right but it will be horrible if used like a real camera. Please don’t.
Conclusion
The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX is the most user-friendly, easy to use, high quality tablet in the market. If you are intimidated by today’s technologies, this is a terrific choice for you, as long as you are willing to media purchases from Amazon stores. The difference between the Kindle Fire and Google’s Nexus 7 is really one of philosophy. The Nexus 7 is a blank slate which you can customize to your whims, while the Kindle Fire is a cheerful personal shopper.
Recommended Configuration
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The Review
Amazon Kindle Fire HDX
The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX is the most user-friendly, easy to use, high quality tablet in the market. If you are intimidated by today's technologies, this is a terrific choice for you, as long as you are willing to media purchases from Amazon stores.
PROS
- Gorgeous high-res screen
- Super lightweight
- Great battery life
CONS
- Doesn’t have Play Store access
Review Breakdown
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ARS Guide SCORE
