Amazon is bolstering its Amazon Fire tablet range with the release of a new and improved Amazon Fire 7 and a new Fire 7 Kids Edition.
If you’re looking for a great tablet on the cheap, then Amazon’s Fire range has always been one of the best places to start. With good build quality, decent power, and a rock bottom price, Amazon’s tablets have been the tablet of choice when you’re not willing to spend hundreds of dollars on the latest Apple iPad. The Fire 7 has always been the cheapest option, but it’s no lesser choice, especially with Amazon’s new upgrades.
The biggest changes are undoubtedly to the processing speed and storage space. The new Amazon Fire 7 sports an improved quad-core 1.3GHz processor, making it more powerful than the previous Fire 7. Also included is a boost to the base level of storage space. Amazon has finally ditched the frankly embarrassing option for 8GB of storage space, doubling the basic model’s storage to a more respectable 16GB, with the option for a 32GB model. Best of all, there’s still space for a MicroSD card, so you’ll be able to boost that storage by 512GB.
Owners will also have access to hands-free Alexa to start movies, music, or just do a quick Google search, even while the device’s 7-inch IPS LCD is on standby. The new Fire 7 also adds three new color options, so you’ll be able to choose between black, sage, plum, and Twilight Blue.
Being cheap doesn’t mean it’s easily broken; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Amazon boasts that the new Fire 7 is twice as durable as the latest iPad Mini in tumble tests, making it the perfect option for your everyday use.
That durability also makes the Fire 7 a great choice as a child’s tablet, and that’s why Amazon is also boosting the Fire 7 Kids Edition. It will also get the improved processing speed and 16GB of storage, all wrapped up in Amazon’s kid-proof case with an adjustable stand and Amazon’s two-year, worry-free guarantee. It won’t be getting the new color options, but a new purple variant will be joining the blue and pink options.
As ever, Amazon’s Fire Kids Edition tablets come with a year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, which offers over 20,000 books, Audible audiobooks, educational apps, games, and videos that have been curated for age-appropriateness. (It also comes with over 2,000 Spanish-language titles, twice the selection on offer this time last year.) And of course, Amazon’s parental controls allow you to set screen time limits, educational goals, and make sure they’re not accessing content they shouldn’t be.
The Amazon Fire 7 will be available from $50 in both 16GB and 32GB variants. The Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition is more expensive, with prices starting at $100, but that price comes with the tablet, a kid-proof case, Amazon’s two-year guarantee, and a year’s access to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited. Both new versions are currently available for pre-order, and will ship on June 6.
