#Amazon kindle fire review android
#Amazon kindle fire review software

The content presented changes constantly and cannot be manually adjusted. Of the three, the coverflow-style view of your most recently accessed content is the largest, taking up at least 30 or 40-percent of the interface, and it’s arguably the least useful. Amazon also made odd choices with the main interface, which consists of three main elements a category navigation bar at the top, a chronological coverflow view of your most recently used/viewed content and static virtual shelving for your favorite apps and media. While you can certainly adapt to this control method, it is jarring at first and presents a seemingly unnecessary step in the process. For one, the navigation controls (home, back, etc.) are all on-screen, but instead of being readily available at any time, they are hidden in a pop-up bar at the bottom of the screen.

#Amazon kindle fire review android

In terms of usability, the Kindle Fire is fairly intuitive, though if you’re accustomed to traditional Android and iOS, some learned behaviors might be tough to shake. The OS was designed to be user friendly and to provide seamless integration of both localized, cloud-based and purchasable content. Amazon has made the OS their own, creating a unique interface that trades app icons and extensive menus for graphic-heavy cover art and multiple scrollable areas.

#Amazon kindle fire review software

Small and insignificant as it may sound, these kinds of mildly irksome design choices are many and extend to software as well.Īs mentioned, the Kindle Fire is based on Google’s Android mobile operating system, though it bares little resemblance to it. Too often did I find myself accidently tapping the power button when gripping the device, changing orientation or setting it down. Not only is the button placement unusual – power toggles are typically found at the top or top-right side of the device – it’s also extremely sensitive. Even more frustrating is the Kindle Fire’s power button, which is a small circular button built into the bottom trim. That’s right, no video output, no expandable SD card slot and no volume controls. Amazon has done away with many controls and connectivity options users have come to expect on a tablet device, with the Fire incorporating only two small speaker cutouts, a headphone jack, a microUSB port and a power button. There are no built-in cameras, which is uncommon for tablets these days, but the feature was undoubtedly cut to maintain the low-cost.

Other low-end products tend to have washed out colors and poor viewing angles, but the Kindle Fire looks more akin to its pricier competition. Despite its low price, the 7-inch 1024圆00 pixel LCD display looks great. At just under a pound, it can be easily held with one hand, though because it is so small and dense, it feels hefty. At first glance, these measurements sound fairly normal, but when seen in-person and compared directly with other tablet devices, the Kindle Fire is surprisingly compact.

What’s most striking about the Kindle Fire is its size, coming in at less than 5-inches wide, only 7.5-inches tall and less than half-an-inch thick. Many have likened the design to the BlackBerry Playbook, which shares a similar shape, size and construction, but even the Playbook’s small addition of a metallic RIM logo and silver volume buttons make it more visually alluring. It’s about as aesthetically uninspired as it gets. It features black matte plastic casing, black glossy plastic trim and a black bezel with black speaker grating, black buttons and black ports. To call the Kindle Fire a ‘no frills’ design would be an understatement.