Kindle Fire Review

Kindle Fire vs Apple iPad2 Comparison Chart

For those of us that like specs and tables!

If you haven’t seen our Kindle Fire Review where we talk about 25 reasons to fall in love with the Kindle and 10 reasons not to, please read it first. This is only a summary of the main differences between the Kindle Fire and the iPad2 for those who like side by side spec comparisons!

IMPORTANT: This iPad2 vs Kindle Fire comparison chart is not meant to scare you away from the Amazon Kindle Fire. In our humble opinion, in spite of the many differences, the differences with the biggest impact are

  1. Screen size
  2. No 3G option
  3. No microphones/cameras for video chatting
  4. GPS
  5. Advanced Apps – e.g. financial/business

But that’s why the Kindle Fire is priced at $200 and not $630 (for basic 3G version of iPad2)

Kindle Fire vs iPad Comparison Chart/Table

  • Tablet

  • Wi Fi

  • 3G

  • Internal Memory

  • Camera

  • Mic

  • Display

  • Battery Life

  • Apps

  • Blutooth

  • GPS

  • MicroSD card for on-device memory expansion

  • Apple iPad2

    • Yes
    • Optional.
    • The basic iPad2 without 3G costs $499 while the most basic iPad2 with 3G (and Wi Fi) costs $629 + tax.
    • 3G would also mean monthly subscription plans in case of the iPad2
    • 16GB - 64GB
    • $499 - $829 + tax

    • Rear Camera: 960 x 720 pixels (0.7Mp)

    • Front Camera:640 x 480 pixels (0.3Mp)

    • From personal experience, lot of snow/pixels in pics and videos unless there's a lot of light
    • Yes
    • 9.7" diagonal
    • 1024 X 768 pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
    • 10 hours on paper
    • Mine never lasts 10 hours depending on what I do
    • Comprehensive
    • ~425,000 business, education etc. etc. related apps
    • Yup
    • Yup (on 3G iPads only)
    • Awesome feature given the large screen
    • Nope

  • Kindle Fire

    • Yes

  • There is no 3G option, even if you were willing to pay some extra dough

    • 8GB only
    • $199 only
    • That's enough space for "80 apps plus 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books" according to Amazon
    • Don't forget the FREE Amazon cloud storage (unlimited for Amazon content and extra 5GB for non-Amazon content: so 8GB is really only the on-device storage limit)
    • None
    • Would have been nice to have for Skype/Video chatting
    • No
    • 7" diagonal
    • 1024 X 600 pixel resolution with 169 pixels per inch (ppi) (BAM! beats the iPad2 there!)
    • 8 hours of reading OR
    • 7.5 hours of video
    • Don't be surprised if it doesn't last that long
    • "...several thousand of the most popular Android apps and games, including Netflix, Rhapsody, Pandora, Twitter, Comics by comiXology, The Weather Channel and popular games from Zynga, EA, Gameloft, PopCap and Rovio..."
    • That's plenty for the average user like me - probabaly haven't used more than a couple dozen apps on my iPad yet
    • UPDATE: Here is a list of the Best Kindle Fire Apps
    • Nope
    • Nope and that would have been really nice!
    • Nope

What do you think? Did we confirm what you were thinking?

You can go back to our Kindle Fire Review or go here for more info

Also please don’t forget to LIKE us or leave a comment on your thoughts!

Leave A Reply (15 comments So Far)


6 + = ten


  1. dorothy
    10 days ago

    perfect, thank you!! :)


  2. Melissa Kitchens
    60 days ago

    This comparison is exactly what I needed to know. I’ve never had an iPad because I never thought I needed one (especially since they are so expensive). After looking at this comparison, I know that the Kindle Fire will be all I need. Thank you! :)


  3. Camcourt
    67 days ago

    I used your comparison chart of the Kindel Fire and the I pad to compare the Vizio Tablet that I bought from Costco for $189.00.
    Vizio
    Wi Fi Yes
    3G No
    Internal memory 2.4 GB
    Camera Front Only
    Mic Yes
    Display 8”
    Battery Life Not Sure
    Apps Over 20 apps preloaded
    Can download from
    Android Market
    Blutooth No
    GPS Yes
    Micro SD Card Yes Expandable to 32GB
    For the price I found the Vizio Tablet to be the better buy.


  4. holly sweet
    71 days ago

    thank you so much !!! I have a love/hate relationship with Apple… and I can’t help but think you’re coming from the same place as I. …. I use very very very few apps.. I’d like to be able to use my iPhone as an actual cell phone (silly me)

    planning three big trips over the next 2 months and need something to keep me from stabbing the person next to me on the flight, and then spending the rest of my life in prison. Where – in all liklihood – I would not be able to bring either a Kindle, an iPad or my crummy iPhone4.


  5. cfb
    93 days ago

    your comparison was helpful. The Kindle Fire has only an on/off switch with no capacity to ‘delete’ anything previously viewed. Items glanced at briefly for review continued to be displayed on the screen.The screen fades drastically in sunlight. It seems heavy for its size which makes it almost as inconvenient to carry as other kinds of reading material which would not be destroyed if dropped or cause as much distress if stolen. Since this was a gift, I didn’t do a comparison ahead of time and I had to return the device ASAP so the person who bought it could get a refund. I am concerned that a free (for the first month only) “trial subscription”to Amazon Prime was added to my account the moment I registered the device. If not cancelled this “fee” will add up to a considerable amount of money. If Kindle were really innovative, the least it could do would be to have a solar powered battery charger, but here it is, along with cell phones and laptops, another thing that has to be recharged everyday.


  6. Val
    126 days ago

    Nice comparison chart. I was looking for the need of virus protection on each. I was told by Apple that no protection was need because the Apple Store is protected. Do you know if it is the same with a KindleFire?


  7. csb
    136 days ago

    thanks, this is just what i was looking for – a quick summary, helpful.


  8. Randi
    137 days ago

    I like the size of the Kindle Fire because I do a lot of reading in bed, and the iPad just feels too big for that purpose. And, I was definitely pleased that the Kindle Fire has a backlight feature because I absolutely refuse to pay for a reading product that needs a booklight. Since I currently do all of my reading from an android phone with limited text re-sizing, I was also pleased to see so many different font sizes. However, what the comparison made clear to me is that the Kindle Fire can use applications from the Android Market. I didn’t know that before reading the comparison, but that makes the Kindle Fire a more attractive product to me. What am I waiting for to purchase one? Waaaaay more consumer feedback affecting the product design and upgrades. Since the Kindle Fire is a first generation product, I think I can wait a little while longer before I put my hard-earned cash down. It may be a while, but I am a very patient consumer.


  9. Kurt Simmons
    138 days ago

    The screen on the Kindle fire might have a higher ppi than the Ipad, but so far the rendered quality doesn’t seem to be as good as the Ipad. Netflix and youtube video looks second rate by comparison.


  10. TL
    140 days ago

    What about specific videos such as adobe related videos for academic purposes? I know that kindle does support but what about IPad2? My online courses are not always web optimized such as scrolling down on iPhones or iPads- so I noticed that kindle Fire does support that. I was somewhat disappointed because I really am loyal to Apple… Maybe iPad 3?


  11. Frog Prince
    176 days ago

    Good comparison…for $300 more the iPad2 offered nothing that I really needed. I went with the Kindle Fire and love it!


  12. Valery Doody
    186 days ago

    This was a wonderful and extremely helpful comparison. Very comprehensive and informative. By the way, I will be getting the Kindle.


  13. nancy taylor
    187 days ago

    This was helpful information, as I consider my purchase. I have a kindle and love it fro reading books. I also have a mac plus an I Touch and love them.. Not sure which way to go; still debating…..


  14. Morgan Danielle
    188 days ago

    Super duper helpful!


  15. alex
    188 days ago

    you are the best reviewer THE CHART IS AMAZING u have facebook?

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