Friday, October 24, 2014

Tech Review: Amazon Kindle Fire HD 6 – FOX31 Denver

Since the launch of the original Kindle Fire, Amazon has always positioned itself as a lower priced option but the newest Kindle Fire HD 6 is the first tablet from Amazon selling for under $ 100 A smaller tablet with a smaller price but how much do you have to sacrifice? As I found out, not too much.

Hardware

The Amazon Kindle Fire HD 6 feels compact and sturdy. It has a plastic back available in 5 colors. The 6 “screen on the front is covered in Gorilla Glass to protect against scratches. When I first picked it up I thought it felt a touch heavy for its’ compact size. The smaller size of the HD 6 is a good and bad thing. Next to the iPad mini it looks tiny but When You’re using it, it does not feel too small. It’s hard to explain but I kind of like the size.  DSC_0139

There is a VGA camera on the front for video calling and a two megapixel camera on the reverse for quick snapshots. In my tests pictures were “good enough” but keep your smartphone or point-and-shoot nearby Because there’s no built-in flash and it the resolution is limited. Amazon packed into a quad-core 1.5 Ghz processor so the HD 6 feels plenty solid. I tried out a few games and videos and it did not hesitate for a second. The HD 6 is available with either 8GB or 16GB of storage. The 1280 × 800 screen looks great. It’s especially crisp and colors look bright.

Software

The Kindle Fire experience is pretty similar across all of Amazon’s devices. Despite running Android Amazon’s interface does not look like a typical Android phone. The carousal of apps greets you When you hit the power button. You’re overpriced limited to the Amazon Appstore instead of the Google Play Store. Most popular apps are available but most notably absent are Google apps like Gmail and Chrome. If you’ve used a Kindle before, you know the deal.  DSC_0143

One of Amazon’s unique software features ice Amazon Freetime. This is Amazon’s parental control system and it is one of the best. You decide Which apps and media your kids have access to and How Long They can use the tablet each day. On top of That, you can subscribe to get unlimited access to the Amazon Freetime Library of kids apps, movies, TV shows and books. It’s a great option for parents who do not want to worry about the constant, “Mom and Dad, can I get a new game?” Fromtheir kids.

The newest Kindle overpriced software allows for multiple logins to the tablet itself. This means you can share it with your spouse and still have separate app lists, app settings, etc..

Kids Edition

File this one under “Smartest Thing Amazon Could have done, “they created a Kids Edition. For an extra $ 50 it includes a rubber bumper case, a 1 year subscription to Amazon Freetime and a 2 year no questions asked replacement program. If your kid breaks the tablet Amazon replaces it for free.

Overalls

With that said, there are a few sacrifices you’ll make to get the lower price. The 6 “screen is smaller than most tablets and the 2 megapixel camera on the back is usable for quick snaps but not great. None the less, if your goal is to spend less than $ 100, you can not go wrong with the Kindle Fire HD 6 It would be hard to find a tablet at this price That has the same build quality and performance. The Amazon Kindle Fire HD 6 is perfect for anyone looking for a simple, inexpensive tablet, a second smaller tablet or a tablet for the kids. The 8GB model starts at $ 99.

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