It feels high-quality, though it's not as rugged as the case that comes with the Kids version of the tablet. The front of the case has a diagonal fold that lets you prop the tablet up. The mono speaker sounds rather weak and was wholly incapable of producing adequate bass in our test track, The Knife's 'Silent Shout.' The tablet's matte finish attracts fingerprintsĪmazon offers a first-party case ($28.99) for the tablet that’s made from an unknown rough, durable material. A microSD memory card slot that supports cards up to 1TB is tucked into the right edge, while the left houses a single speaker. The top edge of the tablet holds a power button, a volume rocker, a USB-C port (a welcome change from the 2019 model’s micro USB port), and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Fire 7's screen isn't particularly bright, either I found it nearly impossible to see outside under direct sunlight. If you plan to watch movies or consume other visual content frequently, the Fire HD 8 is a slightly better choice thanks to its 8-inch, 1,280-by-800-pixel screen (189ppi). As a consequence, it's easy to pick out individual pixels when using the tablet. It has a resolution of only 1,024 by 600 pixels, which is less than HD and equates to a density of just 171 pixels per inch (ppi)-the same resolution and pixel density as the 2019 model. The chunky design could look better, but it’s not the worst we’ve seen. The plastic material on the back attracts fingerprints, so if you're the type who likes a spotless device, be prepared to wipe it down often. The tablet looks almost identical to its aged predecessor, which means it ignores the current market trend of adopting an edge-to-edge display. The first thing you notice about the Fire 7 Tablet are the thick bezels surrounding the screen. If all you want is a cheap entry point to Amazon’s content and services, the Fire 7 Tablet, along with the pricier and bigger-screened Fire HD 8 ($89.99), are perfectly adequate starting points. Of course, the 2022 edition of the Fire 7 Tablet is more affordable than most cheap tablets on the market, so that performance difference isn't a surprise. These improvements are worth the minimal price increase, but don’t expect a tablet experience on par with an iPad or a more powerful Android slate. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security SoftwareĪmazon has updated its entry-level Fire 7 tablet for the first time since 2019 with new hardware and software features, bumping the starting price to $59.99 in the process ($10 more than the previous model).