PORTABILITY. The Amazon Fire is among the most portable tablets in the 7- to 8-inch category. Its battery life of 9.2 hours let you go a long time between charges. It's very slim and compact for its screen size, and at 0.69 pounds, it's a very lightweight tablet for its size.
EASE OF USE. It has a good amount of preloaded content and the parental settings provide some control on the tablet. It includes a 1-month subscription to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited but after cancellation, downloads are no longer available. Parents can block or allow specific apps for their children to play, playtime can be limited by controlling the amount of time spent on the tablet, and there is no browser available for children to use. Some or all settings can be changed remotely from a computer. The tablet includes educational goals that can prioritize educational content over entertainent.
DISPLAY. Colors were reasonably OK, but not as accurate as most tablets. The screen was somewhat dimmer than most tablets and readability in daylight was good. Viewing angle was quite wide in landscape orientation, making it easy to view photos or video with a friend. Viewing angle was quite wide in portrait orientation, making it easy to share the screen with a friend.
VERSATILITY. This tablet has some useful features - see the "About" section for more details. Included sensors that provide positional and environmental info to apps and games are: an accelerometer to give motion feedback to apps.
DURABILITY. This tablet had very good durability results. After tumbler tests, the tablet had light visible damages, such as dents or scratches, but was still functional. There were some scuffs on the tablet corners, and after many drops, the case began to separate but could still be snapped back. It was scored without its optional cover. With the optional cover, it still passed the tumbler test: it was still functional and sustained little or no visible damages. The tablet can be held securely without dropping.
RESPONSIVENESS. The capacitive touchscreen responds to a light finger touch and it can be used with up to 5 fingers to perform gesture actions. Swiping on the touchscreen feels smooth enough for quick motions, which is helpful for playing fast-paced games.
