Whether you are looking to downsize your physical book collection or checking for an easy on-the-go entertainment option, Amazon offers an excellent variety of tablets to meet those needs. Originally known for their reading tablet, the Kindle e-readers, Amazon has also introduced an iPad competitor with their Fire series. This article breaks down the current available Amazon Fire and Kindle options available to help you make the best selection for your needs.
Amazon Tablet FAQs
Purchasing a new tech device typically comes with a variety of questions and considerations. Before we dive into reviewing the top Amazon tablets, let’s go over some frequently asked questions related to this purchase.
1. What is a tablet?
A tablet is a small, personal electronic device. They are bigger than a cell phone, but smaller and more portable than a laptop.
2. What does a tablet do?
A tablet is a great way to enjoy entertainment on-the-go. If you travel frequently, take public transportation to and from work, or even want to encourage yourself or your child to read more, a tablet can be an excellent tool.
3. How much does it cost?
The Amazon tablets reviewed here range in price according to memory size and capabilities.
4. Can a Kindle read .pdf files?
Yes! You can also link your tablet to a local library account to enjoy free books and audiobooks.
How We Reviewed the Amazon Tablets
We want you to feel as confident as possible with your new tablet purchase. When compiling the reviews below, we made sure to factor in both price and value into our ratings. We also read countless customer reviews to see what real users thought of each product, and we hope this best of list helps you narrow down the options available so that you can find the right Amazon tablet for your needs.
The Top 9 Amazon Tablets - Fires & Kindles
Key Features
- Designed to be the hub for all your favorite entertainment from books, to TV shows and movies, to music, audiobooks, and mobile games
- Enjoy apps like Netflix, Facebook, Spotify, and Prime Video
- Features a 7-inch high-contrast display with a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
- Take photos or record video up to 720p with the rear-facing camera and use the front-facing camera for video calls with family and friends.
- Affordable price point
- Durable design and features an 8-hour battery life
- Enabled with Alexa
- The layout has minimal customization options
- Some users say it starts to slow down with heavy use
Key Features
- Enjoy all the same apps and entertainment features as the Fire 7, but with 50 percent more RAM and Dolby Audio speakers
- The HD display boasts a bright, clear picture with less glare compared to the Fire 7
- Features the same front and back camera specs as the Fire 7 tablet
- Use the tablet all day with an increased 12-hour battery life
- Great screen resolution and excellent speaker quality
- Long battery life
- Enabled with Alexa
- Does not multitask apps well
- Device storage is fine for streaming but limits downloads
Key Features
- Enjoy all of your favorite entertainment apps like Kindle, Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, HBO, and more
- The display is 1080p full HD quality, and the device has a 1.8 GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM
- With 10 hours of battery life, you can enjoy entertainment on-the-go all day long
- Fast and responsive touchscreen
- Excellent screen quality
- Smooth and fast user experience
- Enabled with Alexa
- The price increases for the version without additional ads
- Heavy compared to other models
Key Features
- Amazon offers the Fire 7, Fire HD 8, and the Fire HD 10 in Kids Editions
- Parent controls allow you to manage content access, education goals, and usage limits directly on the device or from the Amazon Parent Dashboard
- Comes with a heavy-duty case designed for big drops and spills
- Add apps like Netflix or Minecraft in addition to the personal content library
- Variety of features available to meet your family’s needs
- Kid-Proof Case included
- Kid-Friendly navigation
- The larger tablets are heavier which impact easy portability
- Some users reported a long charge time
Key Features
- The high-resolution screen has no glare, even in bright sunlight
- The built-in backlight allows for easy reading – day or night
- Read, distraction free, with no pop-ups, messages, or other interruptions
- Additional features like adjustable text size and margins, plus Smart Lookup which provides access to word definitions easily
- The Time to Read feature adjusts to your personal reading speed and lets you know how long until the current chapter or entire book is finished
- A single battery charge can last up to 6 weeks
- Adjustable screen brightness so you can read for hours without eyestrain
- Lots of features to customize the device to fit your reading needs
- The device price increases for a version that removes additional ads
- No speakers for audiobooks
Key Features
- Amazon’s audiobook partner, Audible, is built-in to this device allowing readers to listen to audiobooks via Bluetooth-enabled speakers or headphones
- Distraction free reading with no pop-ups, alerts, or messages
- Customize your reading experience with adjustable text size, margins, and fonts
- Features like Time to Read, Smart Lookup, and Vocabulary Builder enhance the reading experience
- Affordable price
- Screen looks like real paper
- Small and easily portable size
- No backlight, so you always need a light source to read
- Some users found the page turning mechanics difficult
Key Features
- This Kindle features an improved ergonomic design for easy one-handed reading
- A waterproof tablet (up to 60 minutes) for reading on the beach or in the bathtub
- The Oasis also features Amazon’s Audible when paired with Bluetooth speakers or headphones
- The high-resolution screen with crisp, dark text reads just like paper
- Standard Kindle features like adjustable text, margins, and screen brightness as well as Smart Lookup and Time to Read
- Larger screen size is well suited for large fonts
- High price point
- The bigger size makes it difficult to fit in a pocket or other storage spaces
Key Features
- The PagePress feature allows for simple page turns without moving a finger
- High-resolution glass screen is specifically made to feel like paper and provide a crisp display.
- The Voyage has many similar elements featured in the Kindle Paperwhite including Smart Lookup, Time to Read, adjustable text size, margins, and text features.
- Light enough to read comfortably one-handed
- Easy use touch settings
- Long lasting battery with excellent screen resolution
- Higher price for many of the same features available in the Paperwhite
- Some users report the PagePress feature working inconsistently
Key Features
- Zero distraction reading, unlike other tablets with a variety of apps
- Helps kids build vocabulary with the Word Wise and Vocabulary Builder tools
- Includes a free cover with eight fun options to choose from
- Lightweight e-reader with a clear screen
- Very long battery life and quick charging
- Fun way to encourage kids to read more
- No speaker connection ability to play audiobooks
- Some parents mention the user interface not being kid-friendly
The Verdict
Hopefully, this article narrowed down the Amazon tablet choices and helped you pick a winner. Since we reviewed several different types of tablets, we have three categories for the top picks: Fire, Kindle, and Kids Edition.
The stand out Amazon Fire tablet is the Amazon Fire 10 HD. With it’s ultra-clear HD display, 10-hour battery life, and access to a wide variety of entertainment apps, the Fire 10 HD is an excellent all-around tablet.
If you are looking for a sleek e-reader that is designed for easy reading on the go, the Kindle Paperwhite is our pick. It has an excellent balance of cost and features that make it a high-value purchase that will last years.
Finally, if you are shopping for children, the Amazon Fire 8 HD – Kids Edition tablet is a solid option. With built-in parental controls and a kid-proof case, this tablet will provide access to countless books for your kids to enjoy, plus a variety of additional entertaining apps for long trips or weekend free-time.
