Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Reviews

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Review at CNET

The Kindle Fire HD 8.9 was made for Amazon’s new Fire interface. Compared with the 7-inch version, navigation is snappier and the higher-resolution screen better displays menu options. Amazon’s content offerings are vast, especially if you’re a Prime member, and its 4G LTE speeds are incredibly fast. Starting at $299, it’s one of the best tablet values available. The Kindle Fire line is still the strongest media consumption tablet line going, and this latest version is the best one yet. Read more...

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Review at Engadget

At $199, the Kindle Fire HD 7 stacked up squarely against the Nexus 7 and, for power users, that's something of a tough sell. But, with a size and price that slots in well below much of the larger, 10-inch tablet competition, the $299 Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is more of a difficult proposition to directly compare. So, it's more a question of what does it offer that its smaller predecessor lacks? The answer, of course, is slightly better performance, slightly more size and cellular connectivity -- if you're willing to spend a further $200.

In general we're quite fond of 7-inch tablets and so, of these two, we'd still take the more portable 7-inch Kindle Fire HD. However, those who need just a bit more workspace, or who can't stand to ever be offline from any location, might want to consider the 8.9. Meanwhile, if you're a more serious tablet user who wants access to the full power of the Android operating system, the decision is still simple: go with something else. Read more...

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Review at LaptopMag

While the 8.9-inch Fire HD is no longer a one-handed device, those who plan to use it for watching movies and reading magazines will find its full HD display and stereo speakers to be very satifying. The built-in parental controls, while limited, will broaden this device's appeal for families. Our biggest concern is the occasional freezes and crashes we experienced. This tablet was glitchier than the 7-inch model we tested.

As with the 7-inch Fire HD and the Nexus 7, consumers will have to choose between Amazon's ecosystem, or Google's, which offers a greater selection of apps, a rear-facing camera, a more familiar interface and innovative features, such as Google Now and offline voice typing. However, the 16GB version of the 8.9-inch Fire HD costs $100 less than the Nexus 10 and offers better viewing angles. Ultimately, the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is a good value, but it's a better choice for consuming than creating content. Read more...

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Review at PCMag

The Kindle Fire 8.9 is very inexpensive given its specs, and the question here isn't really if this is the best large tablet. The question is if the Kindle Fire 8.9 is worth the price. And there, the answer is absolutely yes.

The Kindle Fire also competes with a slew of Android tablets, including the $399-$499 Nexus 10, the $499-$599 Asus TF700 and the $499-$549 Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. The simplified Amazon interface makes the Kindle Fire easier to use than any of them, although the other Android tablets have a wider range of apps and media stores. The Nexus 10 has the best specs, but the unit I tested was slow and buggy. The Galaxy Note 10.1 comes with a lower-resolution screen and is the top pick for productivity. The TF700 is the best direct comparison to the Kindle Fire, with a somewhat faster processor, the same screen resolution, an even more premium-feeling body and a rear camera, but it costs $200 more. Read more...

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Review at TechHive

As with Amazon's 7-inch tablet, the Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9's greatest appeal lies with families and with people who tend toward mainstream, multipurpose uses that won't push the tablet's performance limits too hard. The tablet's integration with Amazon's numerous and varied services remains its core strength; from shopping to streaming media to storing your documents in the cloud, Amazon has you covered. E-reading and music playback are both well executed, and the email capabilities are more functional than before. You're buying into Amazon's limited app ecosystem, though, so if a wide selection and the ability to get the latest apps are a primary concern for you, a standard Android tablet would be a better choice. For other tablet shoppers, the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is a good, affordable starting point to test the big-screen tablet waters. And the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 4G LTE is one of the best deals for light always-on connectivity. Read more...

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Review at Gizmodo

It's not that the 8.9-inch Fire HD isn't a bargain. It is. But at $300, you're halfway from a $200 7-inch tablet to the $400 Jellybean 4.2 Nexus 10. And if you're looking for a full sized tablet that can multitask and run any Androidy thing you want, that's probably a better deal for you. It's not quite cheap enough to take a flier on, and not quite good enough to win on merits.

But! If you're specifically looking for something to read comic books or magazines, and that's more or less it, then holy crap, this is an amazing deal and you should get one immediately. All three of you. Read more...

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 Review at TechCrunch

Can I unequivocally recommend this Fire to the average user? I would say no. A tablet of this size and style has a very specific space in the pantheon of tablets, and I don’t believe the Amazon app store and Fire UI are robust enough to support the tools users may want from a tablet at this price and this size. A similarly outfitted Nexus 10, for example, costs $400 without LTE while an iPad is nearly double that with LTE ($729), so you’re definitely getting a deal. It’s clear Amazon is playing on price here. However, is the price low thanks to expected revenue from users who are buying books, movies, and movies from Amazon on this thing? Yes. This device is subsidized by content.

So it’s great for reading (if you like a bigger screen) and great for media (in some cases). But I didn’t find it fully featured enough to make me want to use it as an everyday tablet. As a coffee table screen, sure, and as a reader for someone with bad eyesight it’s a really good value. Any other use may be problematic.

The 8.9-inch tablet means Amazon is gunning for its competitors. The list of those competitors obviously includes Barnes & Noble and its forthcoming big Nook HD, but it now also includes the iPad, any number of Samsung devices, and not to mention countless other tablets, bargain basement priced or no, that are available worldwide. By putting LTE in here, Amazon is suggesting you use this tablet like you would any other tablet out there, and that’s not quite true. Read more...