As with the original Fire, the out of box experience is very nicely done. Very straightforward process of just turning it on and letting the tablet register and update itself. It took about 10 minutes (with the majority of the time waiting for an update to download) and it was ready to go. It picked up all my original Fire music and books from the cloud and most of my Fire apps. I was disappointed to see that a couple of my favorite apps (TED Talks and Play Music Videos Free) were judged not compatible with my new Fire. Hopefully updates will be coming soon.
The screen is delightful! Crisp and clear, and a marked increase in resolution versus the original Fire. Videos on the HD Fire are simply amazing.
The sound quality is also a marked improvement. While it was pretty much mandatory to hook up an external speaker for the original Fire, the new Fire puts out pretty decent sound quality all on its own. I still hook it up to external speakers (I'm partial to the Bose Companion 20) for movies and music when I'm at my desk, but it puts out more than adequate sound all on its own.
Response time is more snappy than the original Fire, and the carousel is easier to navigate (smoother scrolling). Picking up a WiFi signal seems to be better with the new fire - I'm getting all signal strength bars displayed in areas of the house where I could only get 2 or 3 bars with the original Fire.
The form factor is great for video watching. The extra screen size makes a big difference. The other huge advantage to the size is typing. It's MUCH easier to see and use the onscreen keyboard than on the original Fire. I had no problems typing without a stylus; on the original Fire a stylus is a must.
So far I don't see many misses other than a hard-to-find power button. The casing and build quality is not at the same level as an iPad, but neither is the price. I'm very pleased with the price-performance level of the HD Fire.
This is not replacing my original Fire - I'll continue to use that for most of my book reading and when I need portability. For everything else, the larger screen is well worth the additional cost.
I have a Nexus 7, the iPad 2 and an HP Touchpad and the Fire is my favorite by far. Not because either the original or this new Fire are the best in terms of build quality or speed or tech specs, but for one simple reason: the Fire makes it so incredibly easy to avail myself of entertainment and content. The tight link to the Amazon ecosystem is, for me, a huge plus - it keeps my entertainment pipeline full of things I want to read, listen to or watch with little or no effort on my part. And, best of all, a lot of that content is free through Prime.
Love it, and highly recommend.
Technical Details
|
Display |
8.9” 10 point capacitive touch high definition color display; 1920x1200 resolution at 254 ppi, video playback up to 1080p, with IPS (in-plane switching) technology, advanced polarizing filter, and anti-glare technology |
|
Size |
9.4” x 6.4” x 0.35” (240 mm x 164 mm x 8.8 mm) |
|
Weight |
20 ounces (567 grams) |
|
System Requirements |
Kindle Fire HD 8.9” is ready to use right out of the box - no setup, no software to install, no computer required to download content |
|
Storage |
16GB (12.7GB available to user) or 32GB (27.1GB available to user) of internal storage |
|
Battery Life |
Over 10 hours of reading, surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music. Battery life will vary based on device settings, usage, and other factors such as web browsing and downloading content. Actual results may vary |
|
Charge Time |
Fully charges in under 5 hours via the Kindle PowerFast charging accessory, or slightly longer with other micro-USB power adapters that you may already have. Charges in under 14 hours from your computer via the included USB charging cable |
|
Wi-Fi Connectivity |
Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) for faster streaming and fewer dropped connections than standard Wi-Fi. Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n standard with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks |
|
Ports |
USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) port for connection to a PC or Macintosh computer or to connect to the Kindle PowerFast charging accessory. Micro-HDMI (micro-D connector) port for high definition video output to televisions or A/V receivers |
|
Audio |
3.5 mm stereo jack and integrated stereo speakers with exclusive Dolby audio engine |
|
Content Formats Supported |
Kindle (AZW), KF8, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible Enhanced format (AAX), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3), non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, PCM/WAVE, OGG, WAV, MP4, AAC LC/LTP, HE-AACv1, HE-AACv2, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, HTML5, CSS3, MP4, 3GP, VP8(.webm) |
|
Sensors |
Ambient light sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope |
|
Location Services |
Location-based services via Wi-Fi |
|
Additional Features |
External volume controls, front-facing HD camera, built-in microphone, built-in Bluetooth with support for A2DP compatible stereo headphones, headsets, and speakers |
|
Accessibility Features |
Voice Guide, Explore by Touch, Text-to-Speech, adjustable font sizes and color, built-in dictionary. Learn more about these features |
|
Warranty and Service |
1-year Limited Warranty and service included. Optional 2-year Extended Warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Kindle is subject to the terms found here |
|
Included in the Box |
Kindle Fire HD 8.9” tablet, USB 2.0 cable, and Quick Start Guide. Power adapter sold separately |
eBOOK with the mind of a Tablet PC
It's heavier than I thought it'd be, but no more than most current best selling books. It JUST works.Keep in mind the OS takes up some of the memory. Get the 32GB, I have two HD 1080p movies, two book, one magazine, two apps, and a slew of pics, and I'm at 8GB left. (unless you're going the CLOUD route, then disregard this)Skype works well! Though they can't see you while you do other things on the Kindle at the same time. And i do have a constant issue with calling someone, and it says call went through but it ended. It's wierd but not frustrating enough. (I must be getting used to SKype)Solid build, no warping or flimsy materials. The buttons feel like they'll be working for some years.The glass! (Look, it's perfectly transparent. It can also take on a days worth of ... fingering... and it STILL shows a stunning picture of an HD movie or high res pic.) But as a clean freak for my devices...this thing needs a cloth pocket on it. :D I'm constantly OCD about the smudges I see when it sleeps or when the light hits it at just the right angle. [Primarily when the screen goes blank]There are many apps, but not a treasure trove.IT NEVER HEATS UP, unless you play a graphic intensive game. I've used it nearly all day with brightness on full. and nowhere near hot enough to even feel like it's heating up. I love it. My phone heats up WAY more than the kindle under similar conditions of use.OH! UPDATING when i first received it and turned it on: took about 20min. Coming from a PS3 user, this is super speedy!CONS: the charging. Man this thing takes A LONG TIME to fully charge. Though it is smart about WHEN it charges. You can plug it in and depending on what you do, it may or may not charge during that particular action. You can scroll through your carousel and it'd be green battery indicator. Meaning it's charging, but as soon as something uses the WiFi, it stops. As soon as it stop using wiFi, it goes right back to charging.OVERALL: Worth the purchase, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE research what you NEED from your tablet/ebook, and you won't be wrong if KINDLE Fire HD 8.9 is maybe what you're looking for.#####UPDATE#######After a week of use,I have to say I do not regret getting this instead of a true tablet or netbook or even a laptop.The charging situation was rectified by getting a charger USB box. Get that and the in car charger if you're a heavy user like I am. it'll charge in four hours!It's fallen flat on the glass onto a wooden floor from the feet, and not a scratch or malfunction on it. Maybe it was the case maybe it was just the kindle, maybe it's Maybelline. But this thing took a beating and kept on ticking.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2012
- Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2013
