# New Fire tablets and new Fire TV



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Here is the new TV:

http://www.cnet.com/products/amazon-fire-tv-4k/

New 8 and 10 inch tablets:

http://www.cnet.com/products/amazon-fire-hd-8/

And video of the new budget tablet:

http://www.cnet.com/videos/an-amazon-tablet-anyone-can-afford/

Alas, I will not be getting any of them. I don't need a new tablet, and will go with an Apple anyway when I do (trying to *not* convince myself I need an iPad Mini4 for travel). And I just don't find the TV boxes valuable or compelling. So my bank account is safe for now!


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## MichelleB675 (May 27, 2012)

I'm glad Amazon is finally doing card slots. That will make a lot of people happy. 

*edit to add*  I think I'm going to go with the HD 10. I had been holding off on the HDX 8.9 for a few weeks waiting to see what was coming.. and I really like the idea of a card slot. 

I'm hoping there will be a way to turn off the On Deck feature because I really don't want anything automatically downloading movies and eating up my gb from my ISP... but knowing Amazon there will be. They are usually pretty good at that kind of stuff.


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## German_Translator (Jul 26, 2015)

Pretty good specs at the $49.99 price point. 
Does anyone know whether the power supply supports different voltages so that you can simply use a plug adapter when traveling abroad? Could not find any info about that on the Amazon page.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Like claw, my bank account is safe.  I have no need or desire for a new tablet (whether or not it's fruit based  ) . . . sold on my 8.9" Fire this summer as I realized I never used it. I do use my 7" HDX daily, however. And the Fire TV has never appealed. . . .TiVo does what I need.

The card slot will be attractive to a lot of folks, I think, though. It looks like it takes a quite large one . . .so you could have movies on a number of cards and switch them out. Thought: not sure why anyone would feel the need to purchase the one with more on board memory, in that case.  

The choice of white or black case is nice, though that choice is NOT available if you opt to buy out of special offers. Not sure why that would be.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

German_Translator said:


> Pretty good specs at the $49.99 price point.
> Does anyone know whether the power supply supports different voltages so that you can simply use a plug adapter when traveling abroad? Could not find any info about that on the Amazon page.


I've traveled with a Fire for years and only used an adaptor....

Betsy


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Me too. A plug adapter has been all I needed.


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## D/W (Dec 29, 2010)

Here are links to Amazon's press releases for their new Fire/Fire HD tablets and Fire TV...

*FIRE/FIRE HD TABLETS*

*7" Fire tablet* ($49.99): Introducing Fire--Setting an Entirely New Standard for a Tablet under $50

*Fire HD tablets* - *8"* ($149.99) | *10.1"* ($229.99): Introducing the All-New Fire HD: Powerful Tablets Designed for Entertainment

*7" Fire Kids Edition tablet* ($99.99): Introducing the All-New Fire Kids Edition--Built from the Ground Up for Kids, Now Under $100

*FIRE TV*

*Fire TV Stick* ($49.99 w/voice remote & $39.99 w/reg. remote) | *Fire TV box with remote* ($99.99): Introducing the New Amazon Fire TV with 4K Ultra HD and Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote

*Fire TV Gaming Edition* ($139.99): Introducing the New Amazon Fire TV Gaming Edition--Take Game Night to the Next Level


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## SandraMiller (May 10, 2011)

I have pre-ordered that $50 Fire.

I blame you all 

Seriously, I've wanted a Fire for forever, but I could never justify it since I have an (admittedly old) iPad. At this price point, it becomes a lot easier to justify. And did you see their offer--buy five, get one free? 

I did not take advantage of their offer. But I am eagerly awaiting Sept 30.


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

I had no idea..  just saw email from Amazon.

I wonder if there will be a cover that actually works with the cameras without sliding it down.

I have a cover that works for my 8'9" HDX and use the camera a LOT, so that is an issue for me.

I just bought a car, as my Camry was over 23 years old.. so I have car payments.. which means I am trying to avoid snap Amazon expenses.  

Do I even want the larger size?

Maybe.  Maybe not.

Are they dropping HDX?


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

Not much info on cases, especially in terms of using the camera.

Expansion slot is a good idea, though I have never suffered from the lack of one.
Sandra, you will love it!!


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## SandraMiller (May 10, 2011)

Seamonkey said:


> Sandra, you will love it!!


I hope so. I'm so excited! I love new gadgets


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## Speaker-To-Animals (Feb 21, 2012)

It's hard to say whether I'm excited because they're so cheap or disappointed because the screens are so low resolution. I think they're still missing the problem though. The issue is the app store. I loved the HDX 7" It felt great in the hand and the speakers were good for when I wanted to show something to my daughter. But I ended up turning to an ipad mini more and more because it was just too much of a PITA to sideload apps and wonder if there was a crash whether that was the issue.

Fintie makes really professional cases and they're cheap. They're usually only a few weeks behind new models.

I wonder if we're going to see a drop on the Kindle line. $49 tablet vs $79 e-ink.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I think the app store on Amazon is pretty good . . . . there haven't been too many things I couldn't find there.  One or two, yeah, but nothing critical.


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## SandraMiller (May 10, 2011)

Speaker-To-Animals said:


> Fintie makes really professional cases and they're cheap. They're usually only a few weeks behind new models.


I have a Fintie case on my Paperwhite, and I love it. I hope they come out with one for the new Fire.

Yeah, the screen resolution isn't great...but coming from an iPad 2, I probably won't notice as much as some others. I haven't had any experience with their marketplace. I'm interested to try this new Underground thing, it looks great, at least for the game players. I wonder if developers regard it the same way writers think about Kindle Unlimited...


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## BruceS (Feb 7, 2009)

Hooked again. I just ordered the 10" Fire.

For your information, I also ordered the 128GB Sandisk memory card at the same time. When I received the e-mail acknowledging the order, it said that the memory card was on back order, so you might want to consider another one.

Of course, I really don't need this. I have been mostly using my iPad Air this summer, but who knows what problems iOS9 will introduce.


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

I have the original 1st gen Kindle Fire. How does the new $50 model compare? The specs seem like only a _slight_ improvement, but it does offer these upgrades: lighter, ability to add additional storage, newer OS and features, and a camera. I haven't touched my older Fire in years. Wondering if this model is worth getting. The price is certainly right.


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## VondaZ (Apr 21, 2009)

Here is a list of the developer specs for all of the Fire tablets, current and legacy: https://developer.amazon.com/appsandservices/solutions/devices/kindle-fire/specifications/01-device-and-feature-specifications

You pretty much nailed the differences. The new budget 7" has twice as much RAM as the first Fire tablet and a faster processor along with 10-point touch rather than 2-point touch. But I am curious, if you haven't touched your legacy Fire in years, what about this new model makes you think you might start using it again? It seems like it would be very similar to what you already had - although the newer version of Android that it is built on will likely give you access to more compatible apps.


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## funnycat (Dec 30, 2010)

CS said:


> I have the original 1st gen Kindle Fire. How does the new $50 model compare? The specs seem like only a _slight_ improvement, but it does offer these upgrades: lighter, ability to add additional storage, newer OS and features, and a camera. I haven't touched my older Fire in years. Wondering if this model is worth getting. The price is certainly right.


Wow, I thought I was the only one left still using an 1st Gen Fire. I've been wanting to upgrade for a few years now but couldn't justify the cost since my Fire still works just fine. (Just without some of the fancier bells and whistles.)

Now the $49 version seems like a bit of an upgrade & keeps the screen size the same for me (I like the size a lot) and comes with some of the features I've been looking for. I might have to snag one.


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## MichelleB675 (May 27, 2012)

I changed my mind and decided on the HDX 8.9. I don't really NEED the SD card slot. and I do love my HDX 7


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## LaraAmber (Feb 24, 2009)

I have the Kindle Fire HDX 7" with 64GB memory.  When I saw the 10" model I was tempted, I could get a new larger model and give my 7" to my 5 year old son.  I mostly use my Fire for magazines, comic books, and movies and the larger screen would be nice.  But then I saw the slower processor, smaller memory, and lower resolution screen. 

Shouldn't specs improve over time


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## ct85711 (Jan 25, 2015)

I was thinking the same thing.  While I haven't got me a Fire yet, I'm starting to wonder if it's even worth it now.  All of the newer Fires, have pretty much the same processor (1.5Ghz, the $50 one having 1.3Ghz) compared to the old HDX models that had 2.2Ghz-2.5Ghz.  Onboard storage for the new kindles also got a general downgrade, now starting at only 8GB of space, where the older ones had 8GB for the lower models, but normaly was 16GB.  The screen resolutions, also dropped significantly compared to the old HDX.

To me, all this sounds more of a downgrade than anything else.  Personally, I'm not worried about the card slot or camera, as I wouldn't have used them anyways so have little affect on my thoughts on them.  It's almost like amazon is trying to do what Samsung did with their new tablet that looks like a downgrade compared to last year's one.


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

VondaZ said:


> But I am curious, if you haven't touched your legacy Fire in years, what about this new model makes you think you might start using it again? It seems like it would be very similar to what you already had - although the newer version of Android that it is built on will likely give you access to more compatible apps.


A fair question. Honestly, the 1st gen Fire was a little too bulky and uncomfortable to hold. I am hoping the lighter weight on this new $50 model will make enough of a difference. Also, the "carousel" design of the OS drove me nuts - that's gone now, right? The improvements on the $50 Fire are somewhat minimal, but I'm guessing it will be a smoother, more polished experience overall on the OS/software/browsing side.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

CS said:


> Also, the "carousel" design of the OS drove me nuts - that's gone now, right?


Really? Where did you read that . . . . I admit I've not done much research but I'd be surprised to here they got rid of that. It's what distinguishes the Fire from other tablets. Personally, I kind of like it, though I wish we could customize a bit more what shows up there.

It is definitely the case that originally the Carousel held pretty much everything . . . . now it seems like it tops out at the last 40 things you downloaded or used. (based on what I see on my HDX7. <quick visit to Amazon> Huh. The pictures do seem to show that they've changed the home screen . . . . .

Surprises me a little that the tech specs aren't keeping up with older models. I get that they want to add some low end models to entice people. But it seems like newer, bigger, models ought to be at least as good as the previous ones in some area. Perhaps they figure the HD resolution is good enough for most folks and why build in bigger on board memory if you're going to include the ability to use your own SD card.* Frankly, the specs on the new ones look really pretty good; it's just that the HDX looks a bit more top-of-the-line. But I'm not sure it actually sold all that well . . . ..

I also note that they've stopped offering 3G at all . . . . . and it seems like they're including the power adapter (plug) now, which I don't recall they did with the HDX models. I'm thinking they just included the USB cords . . . but it's been a while since I bought mine so I may be mis-remembering.

*I think this is going to be a very popular feature with a lot of people.


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## MichelleB675 (May 27, 2012)

The HDX comes with a USB and a plug.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

MichelleB675 said:


> The HDX comes with a USB and a plug.


Thanks! I couldn't remember . . . I know the eInk kindles haven't come with a plug for a while . . . . .


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I  haven’t done more than take a cursory look at the coverage, too dangerous.  But it looks to me like Amazon wants to focus on the low and middle end of the market and keep up their strategy of making their electronics the way to sick people into their content consumption system.  At least with these devices, they aren't directly challenging ipad.

I find lower resolution detracts from reading quite a bit. When ipad resolution bumped up, it became a much better reading device IMO. For video on a tablet, lower resolution is fine.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I haven't done more than take a cursory look at the coverage, too dangerous. But it looks to me like Amazon wants to focus on the low and middle end of the market and keep up their strategy of making their electronics the way to sick people into their content consumption system. At least with these devices, they aren't directly challenging ipad.
> 
> I find lower resolution detracts from reading quite a bit. When ipad resolution bumped up, it became a much better reading device IMO. For video on a tablet, lower resolution is fine.


Can't comment directly on the reading aspect, because, as I've said before, I mostly use my Voyage (or other eInk kindle). But I do feel like Amazon is more emphasizing the video/game aspects of the tablet. In fact they've changed Kindle Free Time to Amazon Free Time and, while there are still kids books in the program, they list apps and videos first. And, yeah, definitely focussing on the low end to get people hooked. Even more: to get them to get their kids hooked!


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## VondaZ (Apr 21, 2009)

CS said:


> Also, the "carousel" design of the OS drove me nuts - that's gone now, right? The improvements on the $50 Fire are somewhat minimal, but I'm guessing it will be a smoother, more polished experience overall on the OS/software/browsing side.


Yes, the carousel is gone. As AFTVNews reports "Amazon has thankfully scrapped the old carousel interface for a more familiar homescreen grid of icons." Link with pics: http://www.aftvnews.com/amazon-refreshes-their-line-of-fire-tablets-with-new-hardware-and-software/).


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

VondaZ said:


> Yes, the carousel is gone. As AFTVNews reports "Amazon has thankfully scrapped the old carousel interface for a more familiar homescreen grid of icons." Link with pics: http://www.aftvnews.com/amazon-refreshes-their-line-of-fire-tablets-with-new-hardware-and-software/).


Dang, I loved the Carousel.....maybe there's an App for that.


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## JumpingShip (Jun 3, 2010)

I just put an 8" on pre-order.   I have a 7" Fire HDX but it has a technical glitch where every time Amazon does any kind of update, I lose all my books and music on my Kindle and not only that, it can't even 'see' them in the Cloud. I have to do either deregister the kindle or do a factory reset. I've talked to Kindle Support several times and that's their only solution.   It wouldn't be so bad if it was a one time thing, but since the device seems to update every few months, I get a nasty surprise when I go to use my Kindle. One time, I was on my way to a writer's group where I had been invited to be on a panel for self publishing. I was bringing my Kindle to show my books on it, as well as my paperbacks. So there I was, five minutes from having to leave, and realizing I had nothing and I had to jump on my computer and send at least a couple to my Kindle. 

Anyway, that's my justification for the new Kindle.   I'd like to get my Dh a new one as well. He still has the original Fire.

I hope someone comes up with a nice transparent cover for the 8" Fire because I ordered the Tangerine one and I don't want to cover up the color.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

The screen resolution on the new fires is worse than my HDX 8.9" but better than my ipad2.  I don't read on my ipad2 (except the NY Times occasionally) but I've never had a problem with the resolution.  The processor speed would be more noticeable, but I am not sure.  I doubt that I'd buy a new fire anyway, since I have the HDX 8.9" and last year's HD6, ipad2 and the 2nd gen. fire (that I don't use at all now).

I've been having some problems lately with the HDX's gmail app -- often it won't open a particular email (or any of them) and the edit mode doesn't show delete.  Early in my day I need to delete a lot of email messages that I won't look at.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Ok, so they're lighter and thinner and come in a few pretty colours but wow, talk about style over substance. 

I went back to my orders of the HD7 and HD8.9 - I never did update to the HDX - and checked the specs against these new ones. In almost every category the new ones are lower spec. Not just in the big stuff like the display, but in the other stuff like single antenna wi-fi and a battery that will take longer to charge but run out quicker. _Seriously?_

An SD card makes up for the lower capacity entry level and will attract some, but clearly these are aimed at _new_ customers who have nothing to compare them to and will be drawn in by the lower prices. I think most people who have an existing model will be better off keeping them.

I had planned to update mine at the next upgrade, but my bank account can heave a sigh of relief - at least till the next Voyage comes out!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Linjeakel said:


> Ok, so they're lighter and thinner and come in a few pretty colours but wow, talk about style over substance.
> 
> I went back to my orders of the HD7 and HD8.9 - I never did update to the HDX - and checked the specs against these new ones. In almost every category the new ones are lower spec. Not just in the big stuff like the display, but in the other stuff like single antenna wi-fi and a battery that will take longer to charge but run out quicker. _Seriously?_
> 
> ...


I agree they're looking for NEW customers. And probably hoping to grab some potential iThing people based on price. I suspect that maybe the HDX line didn't sell quite as well as they'd hoped so they decided to go with attractive entry level products.

The HDX models are still available if you search for them, even if not shown prominently on the main product page. I think that's a mistake, by the way, I think they should continue to feature the 8.9" HDX as a top of the line model. It would make the 10" HD look very attractive in terms of price.

I do think that the specs of the newest models are perfectly adequate for what most people would be using the things for. Or would be letting their kids use 'em for. On a small screen 720p looks pretty good -- heck, it looks decent on my TV which is around 40"!  And a lot of people will REALLY like the idea of a swappable SD card -- which is something most other tablets don't have.


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## D/W (Dec 29, 2010)

I just pre-ordered a Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote. It'll be delivered on release day, October 22.

I've been connecting my Fire HD6 tablet to the TV via HDMI cable to watch Amazon movies/TV shows, so this'll be much more convenient!

We do use our Amazon Echo every day for news, weather, Wikipedia, music, etc., so it'll be nice to have Alexa on the TV, too.


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## hamerfan (Apr 24, 2011)

My wife ordered the $50 Fire, a cover, and SD card. Al she'll really want it for is to use with a weather app, a calendar, and copies of our photos from our iMac. The first two look simple. I may have to dig around a bit to figure out how to copy our photos to the Fire. 
But the price is right, and I really don't want any iToys.


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

hamerfan said:


> I may have to dig around a bit to figure out how to copy our photos to the Fire.


I was going to suggest Dropbox, but I can't find an "official" app for it on Amazon. One of the alternatives - Amazon's own Cloud Drive, OneDrive, Box, etc. - may work.


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## D/W (Dec 29, 2010)

hamerfan said:


> I may have to dig around a bit to figure out how to copy our photos to the Fire.
> But the price is right, and I really don't want any iToys.


You can transfer photos to the Fire via USB: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201730520.

Amazon Prime members can store an unlimited number of photos on Amazon Cloud Drive for free: https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/primephotos. If you're not a Prime member, there are two Amazon Cloud options, including $11.99 per year for unlimited photo storage: https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/pricing. The benefit of Cloud Drive is that the photos can be accessed from any device (phone, tablets, computer, Fire TV, etc.).


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

CS said:


> I was going to suggest Dropbox, but I can't find an "official" app for it on Amazon. One of the alternatives - Amazon's own Cloud Drive, OneDrive, Box, etc. - may work.


I use Dropbox on my Fire (HDX7). I got it, I believe, via 1mobile.com. Works great.

But, yeah, loading things into Amazon's cloud drive will work as well.


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## hamerfan (Apr 24, 2011)

Thanks to all for your help in transferring files from Apple to Android! I'll use DreamWeaver's suggestion with the USB transfer, as I've been turned off using "clouds" after first hand experience with Apple's clouds. They make a fine computer, but their clouds… let's just say they leave something to be desired. 
So once the Fire gets here, I'll come back to this thread to re-read the instructions, and I'll look like a genius to my wife!   
Thanks for this.


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