© dennizn / Shutterstock.com
The 2022 Amazon Fire 7 tablet is a budget-friendly entertainment tablet that lets you enjoy watching movies, reading books, and browsing the web. It’s lightweight and portable, making it great for traveling and home entertainment. It costs slightly more than its predecessor—the Fire 7 (9th Generation)—but comes with 1 GB more RAM, a 30% faster quad-core processor, and 40% more battery life. You also get 16 GB or 32 GB internal storage, which is expandable up to 1 TB. We can’t forget that it’s twice as durable as the Apple iPad Mini (2021). But do all these features make it a worthy purchase? Read on to find out.
Best Deal Today
- Amazon Fire 7 (Amazon) – $56.99
- Amazon Fire 7 (NewEgg) – (Not yet stocked)
- Amazon Fire 7 (Best Buy) – $61.99 – $79.99
- 7” touchscreen; 16 GB or 32GB of storage (add up to 1TB of expandable storage with microSD).
- Up to 10 hours of reading, browsing the web, watching videos and listening to music.
- Enhanced performance - up to 30% faster quad-core processor and 2 GB of RAM (double compared to Fire 7—9th generation).
- Unwind with your favorite content from Netflix, Facebook, Hulu, Instagram, TikTok, and more through Amazon’s Appstore (Google Play not supported. Subscription for some apps required).
- Stay in touch with Zoom, or ask Alexa to make video calls to friends and family.
Amazon Fire 7 2022 Overview
The Amazon Fire 7 2022 is a low-cost entry into the Amazon ecosystem. The Fire 7 allows you to browse the web, read, watch movies, tackle to-do lists, and go hands-free with Alexa.
It’s a great fit for the whole family. It comes with free Amazon Kids and gives parents the autonomy to create kids’ profiles, set educational goals, and implement parental controls.
You can also subscribe to Amazon Kids+ to access thousands more apps, books, games, and content from your child’s top favorites.
Adults can access Kindle books, Audible audiobooks, and Amazon Prime resources, such as Prime Photos, Prime Music, and Prime Video. It offers just enough performance to get by, keeping you a little occupied and kicking boredom to the curb.
Release Date and Price
Amazon announced the release of its latest version of the Fire 7 tablet on May 18, 2022. They also made it available for preorder, with shipment slotted for the end of June 2022.
Now, the tablets are widely available and retail for $59.99 on the Amazon site. You can also get them at the same or slightly higher price at Best Buy or NewEgg. Sales for the tablet ride on the wave of the double RAM in the Fire 7 (2022) compared to the Fire 7 (2019).
Different Models
The Fire 7 (2022) is a step up from Amazon Fire 7 (2019). So, inevitably, the two are similar in multiple ways yet different in some significant ways.
One of the major similarities is that both feature a pixelated or grainy 7” display with a 1024 x 600-pixel resolution (171 PPI). However, the 2022 model has a bigger display size thanks to the bezel being reduced by half an inch on every side.
At first sight, you’d hardly tell the difference between them because they both come with a colored matte plastic finish. However, on keen observation, you’ll notice that the 2022 Fire 7 has the Amazon arrow logo and the text on the back of the device flipped horizontally. For convenient charging, a USB-C port replaces the microUSB port.
The Amazon Fire 7 (2022) was released alongside another almost identical version of the Fire 7—the Amazon Fire 7 Kids. The Kids’ version is significantly more expensive, costing $109.99 for the SAME exact specifications as the Fire 7 (2022).
The mega additions to the Fire 7 Kids tablet include:
- A large, poofy foam bumper case: The rubber case almost doubles the thickness of the Fire 7 and absorbs shock from falls and rough impact.
- A two-year warranty: Amazon backs this device with a two-year no-questions-asked guarantee. In case it falls, you can send it and get a replacement.
- A year-long subscription to Amazon Kids+: Provides a wider range of kid-friendly content to be viewed on the tablet.
Features
The Amazon Fire 7 has just enough features and qualities to help keep you entertained.
The design: Like its predecessors, the Fire 7 (2022) tablet has a plastic body. It has slightly more curved edges, making it easier to hold in one hand. The front of the tablet is always black, and you can choose any color for the backplate and sides. It also has narrower bezels and a wider screen than the 2019 model, which improves your viewing experience significantly.
1024 x 600-pixel resolution (171 PPI): Fire 7’s resolution isn’t the industry’s best, but it provides a good viewing experience. The display could be better.
Side speakers: Fire 7 (2022) has its speaker on the side. You can use it while lying down without worrying about the sound getting muffled.
Connectivity: You can still enjoy good sound quality by connecting this tablet to a wide range of speakers and headphones through the 3.55 mm audio jack. You can also enjoy wireless connectivity with earbuds thanks to Bluetooth 5.0 and dual-band WiFi radio connectivity.
A 2.0 GHz quad-core processor: The 2022 Fire 7 version is almost twice as powerful and faster than the 2019 version. Its powerful processor, combined with 2 GB of RAM, allows you to open multiple web pages simultaneously without slowing down the device.
App selection: The Fire 7 is designed to increase the consumption of Amazon content. So, you can download and enjoy some popular apps from Amazon’s store, like Spotify, Netflix, Hulu, and Disney.
A lot is still left to be desired, considering this device doesn’t have Play Store or other Google apps, like YouTube, Gmail, or Google Drive. You can side-download your favorite Google apps, but you must jump through several security hoops.
Ample storage: There are two versions of the Amazon Fire 7 tablets, the 16 GB and the 32 GB internal storage. You can expand the storage on either version with an SD card of up to 1 TB.
Battery life: A huge selling point for the Fire 7 is the improved battery, which offers up to 10 hours of continued use, which is 40% better than its predecessor. On the flip side, it should take about 4 hours to recharge the Fire 7 tablet fully.
Accessories: The Fire (2022) comes with a 5W charging brick and a USB-C charging cable. The 5W charging brick is what makes charging this device so slow.
Cameras: Are you photogenic or a photography enthusiast? Please forget that this device has cameras because you can’t do much with 2 MP front and rear cameras, which capture low-quality, grainy pictures and record 720p videos.
The operating system: This device boasts an improved user interface thanks to the new Fire OS 8, which is an upgrade of the Android 11 OS. The OS sufficiently promotes Amazon’s services and allows helpful user interface changes, including the option to customize the menu and a dark mode that minimizes blue light.
Specifications
| Size | 7.11″ x 4.63″ x 0.38″ (180.68 mm x 117.59 mm x 9.67 mm) |
| Weight | 9.9 ounces (282 grams) |
| Display | 7” screen with 1024 x 600 (171 ppi) resolution |
| Memory | 2 GB RAM |
| Storage | 16 or 32 GB (expandable by up to 1 TB) |
| Speakers | 3.5 mm stereo jack and integrated speaker |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0USB-C (2.0)Single-antenna dual-band wifi |
| Operating system | Fire OS 8 |
| CPU | Quad-core 2.0 GHz |
| Camera | 2 MP rear camera2 MP front camera720p video recording |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
| Charging time | 4 hours |
| Warranty | 90-days limited warranty |
Amazon Fire 7 (2022) Review
©© Raimond Spekking – License
Although the Amazon Fire 7 delivers on all its promises, its performance still remains sub-par.
For instance, this device’s grainy, pixelated display is very underwhelming. Its low display resolution—1024 x 600-pixel resolution (171 PPI)— doesn’t make sense for a device meant for entertainment.
Even more annoying is that it’s nearly impossible to use the Fire 7 outside under direct light due to its dim display that doubles as a fingerprint magnet. On the upside, once you’re engrossed in what you’re watching or reading, you may forget the grainy screen.
2022 Fire 7 is quite sluggish, which limits what you can do with this device. That’s despite the improved internal hardware that includes a 2.0 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT8168 processor with 2 GB of RAM, making it 30% faster than its predecessor.
The speaker is awful. It gives off a small, unclear, and weak sound that makes it hard for you to enjoy listening to music, an audiobook, or streaming a show. You can get better sound quality by connecting your Fire 7 to an external speaker or headphones via Bluetooth or an audio jack.
The cameras on this device are the least impressive feature. Amazon maintained the 2 MP rear and front cameras, which give grainy photos with low color saturation. The cameras cannot take any decent photos or selfies in either well-lit or poorly-lit environments.
It’s not all gloom and doom; the Fire 7 connects easily to all Amazon Prime services, including the Amazon Alexa speaker. So with this tablet, you can use your voice to turn on and off all smart systems around the house.
As an Amazon Prime member, you also get free access to Prime movies, music, and books without ads on your Fire 7. However, you’ll have to do without the Google Play services and the apps attached. This should not be a complete deal breaker considering you can still access all your favorite Google apps on your phone.
The best thing about the Amazon Fire 7 tablet is its improved battery life. The Fire 7 (2019) disappointed many users with its poor 4-hour battery life, which was not enough to keep you entertained during a long journey.
Amazon listened to the woes of its clients and upgraded the battery to 3,750 mAh, which allows you up to 10 hours of watching videos, listening to music, and browsing the web.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing like quick charging on this tablet. You must wait for at least 4 hours for the device to be fully charged, meaning it’s best to leave the Fire 7 to charge overnight.
Note: Both versions of the Amazon Fire 7 (2022) the 16 GB and 32 GB models include ads on the lock screen. To get an ad-free experience, you’ll need to pay an extra $15 for either model.
Pros and Cons or the Amazon Fire 7 (2022)
Pros
- Improved battery life
- Bigger RAM and expandable external storage of up to 1 TB
- USB-C support
- Headphone jack
Cons
- Low-resolution display
- Slow performance, making it unsuitable for anything more than entertainment
- Limited app selection
- No Google Play Store and its services
- Poor quality cameras
- Bad speakers
- Slow charging
To Buy or Not to Buy?
Now onto the bigger question: Is it worth buying the Amazon Fire 7 (2022)?
Here’s what we think:
Buy it if…
You’re only looking for a cheap tablet for nothing more than entertainment. At its price, you must be willing to make some huge tradeoffs and only use the tablet for entertainment and never for work.
It’s a great budget option with a portable design and excellent battery life. In short, it delivers on its promises, so you should only get it if you agree and are comfortable with what it offers.
If you don’t want to spend a dime more than $60, then you must be willing to tolerate ads.
Don’t buy it if…
You’re looking for a multi-purpose tablet that lets you get some work done and enjoy fun with movies and games. Even simple typing on Microsoft Word while using this device can feel like climbing a mountain.
Check out the Amazon Fire 7 on Amazon.
