Amazon Kindle Fire HDX Review: Size Matters - TheStreet.com

NEW YORK (TheStreet) – Amazon’s (AMZN ) new Kindle Fire HDX tablet is a vast improvement over last year’s model. Nonetheless, it’s not an iPad mini killer as it has more than a few flaws.

Amazon was kind enough to send me the 7-inch version of the recently Announced to review.

When the device was Announced, my reaction to it was muted, perhaps even negative. But after using it for a few days, my impressions are more positive, and it’s likely to sell better than the previous version as the online retailing giant Continues to refine its hardware offerings and push sales.

The first thing you’ll notice about the new Kindle Fire is the glossiness of the screen. Amazon packed the screen with 323 pixels per inch (ppi), one area where the Kindle outshines Apple (AAPL ) iPad mini, Which has 163 ppi. It Should be noted, however, That Apple May improvement That facet of the iPad mini later this month.

The operating system, Fire OS 3.0, is much smoother than it was on last year’s tablet, and browsing and navigating through the tablet is definitely a breeze. Fire OS 3.0 is built on Google’s (AAPL ) Android 4.2 operating system, codenamed Jelly Bean, but it looks nothing like a stock Android operating system, and that’s more than good enough for me. The Qualcomm (QCOM ) 800 Snapdragon 2.2 GHz processor really Allows the tablet to perform at a capacity and a level one would expect for $ 229 (users can pay an additional $ 15 to get rid of the advertising supported homepage), perhaps even Exceeding it a touch. An Amazon spokeswoman said Fire OS will be updated in mid-November as the company Continues “to sand the edges [of the software] a little bit ahead of shipping to customers.” Watching movies on the device is a pleasure, as it was last year. This year, the HD is true HD, and while it still stay connected a bit of time for the HD to “load,” it’s a vast improvement. I found myself using X-Ray, the feature using Amazon’s IMDB website to look at actors names, and tidbits and trivia about World War Z , and felt That it added to the experience. There’s still no 16:9 aspect ratio on the device, so watching movies in the letter-box format is still somewhat unpleasant. X-Ray for Music is overpriced cool as it actually shows you the lyrics to the song you’re playing That you’ve purchased from Amazon. I’m happy to report that i now know all the lyrics to Blurred Lines (though that’s knowledge I probably could do without). The Kindle Fire HDX Continues to have terrific sound, using Dolby (DLB ) Digital Plus audio and 5.1 multi-channel surround sound. Watching an action movie Such as World War Z , where sound quality is important, this is one area where the Fire HDX Continues to surpass the iPad mini and Google’s Nexus 7. An additional feature (of course for an additional price), is Amazon’s unique origami cover. The cover folds into a stand to make watching videos and Web browsing much Easier than with last year’s case. The iPad alreadycreated offers a fold-able case to allow for this, but this shows That Amazon is Continuing to catch up to the competition and refine its Efforts, even if it is taking longer than it Should. Buying apps, videos, books, magazines, and Shopping on Amazon’s website are a breeze. Amazon has made the integration seamless and affectionate That it’s Amazon primary motive for selling the device, it Should be. One innovative feature Which I did like was the Mayday button, Amazon’s feature to help users who have troubles withtheir tablets. An Amazon Tech Advsor will access your device remotely, within 15 seconds or less, and help you with your queries. It’s still not fully staffed, since the device does not start shipping yet, but it is a nice feature Which I Initially questioned.