The Amazon Fire tablets are among the best Android tablets due to their affordability. Now Amazon has confirmed plans to release upgraded versions of two Fire tablets, the Fire 7 and Fire 7 Kids.
According to Amazon, the new 2022 Fire 7 and Fire 7 Kids will have double the RAM and 40% longer battery than the current iterations. Both will also sport a 30% faster quad-core processor. Other features include USB-C charging, along with two 2MP front and rear-facing cameras capable of 720p recording and video calls. Alexa support is also included.
Though these two Fire 7 tablets are essentially the same device, the Fire 7 Kids is aimed at children and thus also comes with a kid-proof protective case, a year subscription to Amazon Kids+ and a two-year worry-free warranty.
Both tablets are expected to begin shipping June 29. The Fire 7 is available to pre-order now from Amazon at a starting price of $59. In addition to choosing between either 16 GB or 32 GB storage options, you have three colors to choose from: Black, denim, and rose, with coordinating covers for $28.
The Fire 7 Kids is also available to pre-order today starting at $109. The aforementioned kid-proof case comes in blue, red and purple and has an adjustable kickstand that can be used as a handle. If you’re an Amazon Prime member and want to keep Amazon Kids+ after the free trial, you can subscribe starting at $2.99 per month. Amazon says you can use the same Amazon Kids+ subscription across compatible devices.
Fire 7 and Fire 7 Kids: Outlook
These new Fire 7 tablets seem like solid refreshes of the existing line and could be welcome news for Android tablet shoppers on a budget. Of course, we'll have to get some in for testing ourselves to see if they deserve to take their forebearers' spot on our list of the best Amazon Fire tablets you can buy.
That said, these tablets will have the same limitations as before – most notably that Amazon’s Fire OS doesn’t allow easy access to the Google Play app store and its wealth of apps. Because of that, you’re unable to get the full YouTube Android app experience, for example. Many other popular apps are also unavailable on the Amazon app store. If you’re invested in the Amazon ecosystem, then this weakness may well be negligible.
