Get your Kindle Fire right away by Clicking Here
(we constantly check for deals and update the above link with current offers, if available)
The last time we checked, there was also a 6 month financing offer with the Kindle Fire
You will need to Add it to your cart and see if you qualify for this offer. We don’t know if everybody gets qualified for this offer or if the offer is valid at the time you are reading this.
It is NOT quite an iPad2. The Fire doesn’t have some of the high end hardware features of the Apple iPad, but then that’s also why you’re paying $300 less than what you would pay the entry level iPad2.
3G, camera, microphone, Bluetooth, GPS, longer battery life, larger on board storage, microSD card slot, HDMI out with a core i7 processor and 4GB RAM would have been awesome, but could Amazon have squeezed in all these features at $199?
Seriously, we don’t think there’s anything UGLY about Amazon’s Kindle Fire. You just can’t expect a $200 tablet to do the same stuff a $500+ tablet is capable of.
Get your Kindle Fire right away by Clicking Here
(we constantly check for deals and update the above link with current offers, if available)
If you really want all those features for a lower price point, we recommend you check out the Acer Iconia Tab. It has some really nice hardware features (e.g. 10.1” HD Multi-Touch Display, 1GB DDR2 Memory, 16GB on board memory, MicroSD memory card up to 32GB, Dual Analog Microphone, Bluetooth, 1X Micro USB 2.0 Port, 1X USB 2.0 Port, 1X Micro HDMI™ Out, 5MP Rear Facing Camera with Auto Focus and single LED flash, 2MP Front Facing Camera, G-Sensor, E-Compass, L-Sensor, and a Gyro-meter) for about $150 more (on sale at the time of writing). But be aware that you won’t get Amazon’s content ecosystem with the Acer Iconia Tab.
Don’t forget to read about the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. When you purchase an Amazon Prime membership, you get to access the Kindle Owners’ Lending library which lets you borrow thousands of books for free. Read all about it below.
Article was helpful.
I would like a side-by-side comparison of the Kindle Fire and the Nook.
Also, if I like to read in bed before I go to sleep, do I have to have the light on? or is the Kindle Fire light so I can read it without a light on.
We already have a Nook Tablet Review that compares features between the Kindle and the Nook. As for reading before going to bed, the LCD screen is bright just like on that of a laptop, so you don’t need an external light source whereas if you went with the Kindle Touch (anything with an E-ink screen), you will need an external light source! Hope that helps!
so can you turn on and off your tv with this and also can I order netflix from here and watch on my tv as well
Can you turn on and turn off the TV? You mean like with a remote? Not as far as I know.
2nd part of the question – the answer is yes!
Yes, it was quite easy to see pros and cons without much tech lingo,
seems unbiased, thanks
Does the Kindle fire have a place for Sim card? & if Ɣε̲̣̣̣̥§, can any type of sim card be used?
Nope!
Thank you for the concise review. You answered all my questions before I even thought of them.
I’m leaning toward buying the Fire because I already spend a lot of money on various amazon products (books, mp3, etc) and would love a second device ( I currently use my Samsung Galaxy S). However after your review I think I’ll wait for the next generation Fire and hope they’ll add an sd card slot and 3g as well as support for some native google apps like Maps.
I live in Lagos, Nigeria and want to get a kindle fire. Will this be advisable, as it seems I may not be able to maximise its use & get the benefits it offers!
Hi Oyin,
Yes it appears that you may not be able to get the maximum use of it. But I read somewhere that you can get the ‘max use’ if you have (access to) a US address and credit card. So for example, if you have friends and family here in the US, you may be able to buy it through them and use their details. Then again, make sure what you’re doing is legal and doesn’t break Amazon’s terms and conditions. I also saw on their app store, they say that the apps are available only for US customers, so you may run in to a problem there as well!
Sorry, I couldn’t give you a comprehensive answer there!
Admin
I got a Kindle Fire as a gift and I absolutely love it!. I had just got an Android-Powered phone 2 weeks prior (Samsung Galaxy SII) so I’d just begun to explore the possibilities of the Android O.S..
Android offers WAY more free apps than iOS does, seriously I haven’t paid for a single app yet and I’m one of those people who downloads everything I want…
and with the Kindle Fire…Amazon’s App-Store features a quality PAID application, for FREE.
An AWESOME thing that Amazon does for Kindle Fire users… every day they feature a PAID application that you download for FREE.
this isn’t the ‘Free Version” of the app.. you get the FULL REGISTERED PAID VERSION..
In the last week I’ve got a $9.99 email application “Enhanced Email”
a Full, Registered version of “Documents to Go” $14.99 office application (lets me create, view and edit MSWord, Excel and PowerPoint documents, and export to PDF. it also links to google docs and more..)
a (really fun!) Tennis video game
There are map programs on the FIRE, but of course you need to have wifi to use them ‘live” .. but if you have an android phone like i do.. you can tether the FIRE to the phone’s WIFI.. and you’re set!
Yes. This review was extremely helpful to me. I have decided the KindleFire would be best for me. Thanks!!
The problems I got with the Kindle fire are lack of expandable storage&bluetooth.
If I could expand storage I can carry even more media at a time and not have to think about what I should download or shouldn’t download.
A micro SD card would have been great! But then they may not have been able to give it for $200. I read that Amazon loses $2.70 per each Kindle Fire! As for Bluetooth, to listen to music? There is no mic or camera, so you can’t use it to voice ‘chat’ anyway!
I really like the Fire, but is a bit too heavy. Anyway, if you want a little bit more technical review, check this one – includes rooting, side loading and real screenshots.
http://reviewhorizon.com/2011/11/amazon-kindle-fire-review/
This review was very helpful, it gave me a pretty good summation of what the Fire is and what it is not.
Sure answered a lot of my questions. Very helpful.
Will the Kindle function as well in Africa?
It will function, but will the Amazon Prime membership work? Not sure. If you checkout the Amazon App store, it says, it is only open to US based customers. But at the same time, I’ve seen others saying that if you have a US credit card and address, it will work, but I’m not sure about that. Sorry I can’t help you with that!
Very helpful. Thank you!
Already rooted, one day since they started shipping. Tutorial below:
http://reviewhorizon.com/2011/11/how-to-root-jailbreak-kindle-fire-using-one-click-solution-superoneclick-also-enable-sideloading-apps/
unbelievable!!
Can you read it in the sun? The older Kindles can but the iPad can not.
I still haven’t taken it out! Will make a video on that soon! This one also has a LCD screen like the one on the iPad2. So theoretically, you will have a glare unlike in the case of the Kindle Touch, or other E-ink screens!
Another issue, i have the kindle app on my phone and I can not find the harry potter books at the store, and I’ve searched everything i can think of, any suggestions?
Found your review very interesting but am waiting till people have time for hands on with the Fire.
I have a kindle 2 and know the battery life is only several years and then you return it to kindle for a new battery or replacement.
Also you loose all of your content and must redownload everthing. Does the Fire work simular? I know with the Nook you can
replace your own battery at a much less cost than the kindle process.
I did find your review helpful. I had already pre-ordered the Fire when I read it, so it did not influence my decision to buy it. What it did do was give me a “warm – fuzzy” abut the decision I already made. We have an iPad in the family and it is OK, but for me, personally the smaller size (yet larger than my iphone) and smaller price along with my love for my other Kindle prompted my purchase. Nothing said in this review makes me think I made the wrong decision.
I just have a question about the kindle fire because i would like to buy one, but i was wondering if i downloaded notes and power points from the internet would i be able to add to them from the kindle like the ipad can do, i ask for school based reasons, my lap top is just to much to bring with me everywhere and if i can use the kindle instead it would be awesome.
Thanks for the question Stephanie,
You should be able to using an app like this one The product description says
The program supports Microsoft Office 97 to 2010 text documents – DOC and DOCX (open , edit, and save), Microsoft Office 97 to 2010 spreadsheets – XLS and XLSX (open , edit, and save), opening PPT, PPTX, PPS, and PPSX presentations, PDF files viewing, and integration with Google Docs.
HOWEVER we don’t know yet if this app has been modified to work with Kindle Fire yet. This is an app meant for android devices and Kindle Fire is also an android device. However the android platform of Kindle Fire has been modified a little, so every single app that works on a regular android platform does NOT work on the Kindle Fire. So until we actually test it, we can’t say if it works on the Kindle Fire or not for sure. OK? Thanks!
Kindle fire can never match ipad2. The review wants to say that Kindle fire is better than ipad? really? what a joke
You got it wrong! Never said that! Kindle Fire cannot match the iPad 2, you obviously didn’t read the whole thing!
My SigO ordered the Fire for me the first day it came out and I’m really jazzed. He has an iPad and dropped a grand on it and all the doo-dads. While it’s nice, it’s just more than I wanted. Besides, I have an Android phone and an iPod Touch – how much stuff do I really need?? I’m not settling – I’m getting something I will really enjoy and the review just reinforces that opinion!!
STILL THE CAMERA IS IMPORTANT. REMEMBER WHEN THE IPAD CAME OUT… PEOPLE CRITICIZE IT FOR NOT HAVING A CAMERA…
SO THE CAMERA IS STILL A VITAL FEATURE….
This was a very informative article! Thanks. My husband and I decided to give each other a Kindle Fire for Christmas…I cannot wait
Does the Kindle Fire have virus protection?
There are certainly antivirus android apps originally meant for mobile phones. Here is a list I found starting at Free going up to $9.99. Right now, I don’t know if they will work on the Kindle Fire or not, sorry!
This was a great review. It answered alot of the questions I had about the fire. Thanks.
excellent, concise, non-geeky review. thanks!
Thanks for the great review, I think the Fire will do for my need and budget:)
Great review (except anyway does not have an s on it – no such word as ‘anyways’).
It answered exactly every question I had when considering a Kindle Fire over an IPad2.
Thank You!
Thank you Tamara! Correcting it now!
very helpful!!!! but i might wait to get the Fire to see if they add 3G. I currently own a Kindle DX and love it. It has 3G. What’s nice is that feature does not cost me anything. I wonder if Amazon will charge a fee if they do decide to put 3G on the Fire.
Have you heard about the Verizon MIFI? If you really must have 3G, this is a solution!
Great review. I purchased a Kindle 3G last May and now wish I had waited. I guess I’ll become a two Kindle family as the Fire really excites me. I am perplexed by the comment in the review that adding a GPS to the Fire would require 3G. I have several GPS units -I’m a “geocacher” – and know the GPS system is free and does not require 3G…unless you need 3G for maps. I am trying to decide if I want to buy a Fire now or wait and see what “upgrades” Amazon will put on Kindle II … which I am sure will follow. Again, thanks for the best Kindle review I have read to date.
Thank you Sammy for pointing that out! Actually I didn’t express myself properly there. On the iPad 2, you get GPS only on 3G models (no idea why they didn’t include GPS on Wi Fi models); for some reason that confused me at the time of writing. Correcting it now! Thanks again!
GREAT REVIEW! REALLY PROVIDED THE INFORMATION THAT I NEEDED TO MAKE A DECISION.
Thank you all for the great comments. Please also don’t hesitate to point out the negatives, if any. We want to make it informative and useful to everybody as much as possible! Thanks again and really appreciate the time taken!
Since it’s a kindle and I and many others are thinking about using it as a book reader, I am looking for a review that compares its comfort as a book reader with the E-ink kindles and the color nook.
Thank you Charlie, will have that up sometime, but may not be soon enough to help you make a decision. Did you check our Kindle Touch vs Nook Touch review? We are going to have a Kindle Fire vs Nook Tablet review soon though!
Wow! What a great review! I pre-ordered the K-Fire even before I read this, bit this definitely seals the deal. The person that I am giving it to for Christmas will absolutely love it!! She wanted an Ipad2, but I think she will enjoy the K-Fire even more. Plus, you can’t go wrong with the price!
Thanks for the great review. I have recently been given a card from my wife presenting a Kindle Fire for Chistmas. Knowing very little
about KIndle or ipad I found the information very usefull. Had I made the purchase myself this information would have convinced me to
follow suit. Thanks, Fireproof
Excellent Review.. Am buying a Kindle Fire as soon as I can…….
Great review. I have been checking between kindle and ipad2 for Christmas gifts and this will save me hundred of bucks.Thanks
Helped make up my mind. Does just what I need it to and at half the cost of an iPad.
Thanks for a good review. One great thing about the iPhone/Pad is the screen reader(text to speech), which Kindle lacks in a functional form. One really good thing about the Kindle is now being able to borrow from the Alliance Digital Media Library.
Great review. Answered alot of questions I had about it.
great review!
Sounds great. I am normally a Mac person but this is for my husband who is an avid reader. I also like the availabilty of Pandora and Nwtscape as well as Amazon. Can’t wait to be able to use it!
Kindle Fire looks and sounds great.
I don’t see the smaller size as a downsize. I think it is better for reading. There is such a thing as just the right size.
Excellent review. Answered most of my questions. Will order a unit tonight. Thanks.
I’ve read that the kindle does not have a full web browser. Does this mean that you can only view mobile sites or what?
The Kindle eReaders don’t. But the Kindle FIRE does – called Amazon Silk and supposed to be fast because it’s ‘cloud-accelerated’
Thank you for the thorough, informative reviews. I think I am going to hold out for the upcoming next edition of the Fire in the hope that it will offer 3G. What I love about my Droid is Web access while traveling in the car, and WiFi doesn’t exist where we go.
An interesting review… perhaps a little biased toward the Fire. I’ve already ordered mine and expect it to be very useful and fun too.
The iPad is no doubt somewhat superior but I would not spend twice the cost of the Fire to get a larger screen.
Great review… I want it all so will try a Toshiba Thrive 10 inch tablet. It seems to have all of the features for half the cost of ipad. Hope Amazon makes a larger version.
I have a Kindle Fire and I agree with the above review. I also love my Kindle Fire. The reduced screen size has not been an issue for me and nearly all of the features we love about the iPad are available including being able to zoom Web screens with a touch. The apps and books download in a blink and even checking e-mail is no more difficult than with an iPad. This review is right on the mark and the $199 I spent on my Kindle makes me love it that much more!