![Kindle Fire: The Good, The Bad and The Indifferent [META REVIEW]](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/archives/020ZpIuNbHrcFTRyVQ32Z3B/hero-image.fill.size_1248x702.v1647020411.jpg)
Amazon's Kindle Fire may have started shipping early, but the reviews are already rolling in. So far, everyone seems in agreement that $199 for a tablet is a remarkable feat. However, some are a little more enthusiastic about the device and its features than others.
Read on to see who gave the device a thumbs up or down, then decide for yourself which way your own thumb will be pointing.
Editor-in-chief Joshua Topolsky believes the Kindle Fire is not necessarily an iPad killer, but a more feasible option for anyone on a budget. For its affordability and overall usability, The Verge gives Fire a thumbs up.
Pros
Great Amazon content ecosystem
Seamless integration on Whispersync
User friendly and consistent
Affordable
Cons
Software can be buggy
Amazon Appstore has limited selection
Uninspired hardware
Bottom Line
“There's no question that the Fire is a really terrific tablet for its price. The amount of content you have access to — and the ease of getting to that content — is notable to say the least.”
Although he finds the price remarkable, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens doesn't think Fire stands a chance when compared to other tablets, giving it a thumbs down.
Pros
Simple, minimalistic exterior design
Stock keyboard more comfortable to use than Android's
Cons
Performance is a occasionally sluggish
Interface often clunky
Not enough storage
Restricted functionality
Bottom Line
“If you were hoping to convert all your paper magazine subscriptions into the digital ones, other, bigger tablets do it better -- usually at two or three times the cost.”
There are just a few quirks that editor-in-chief Lance Ulanoff found in the Kindle Fire, but for $199 he gives it a thumbs up.
Cons
Wi-Fi often slow to return after sleep
Minicrashes do not shut down the device, but drop you out of what you were doing
Interface does not always feel like it was designed for a 7-inch tablet
Odd placement of power button
Pros
Tied to previous Kindle accounts
Pages look great, and accessing features such as highlighting and definitions is easy
Frictionless environment for app purchase and content consumption
Excellent and easy to use
Bottom Line
"It is the closest tablet I’ve seen yet to an Apple iPad: a consistent, well-thought out marriage of hardware and services that offer an almost frictionless environment for app purchase and content consumption."
Tech columnist David Pogue notes the potential of Kindle's tablet in the future, but for now he gives Fire a thumbs down.
Pros
Videos play well
Attractive, colorful home screen
Cons
Not nearly as versatile as a real tablet
Animations are sluggish and jerky
Text shrunken down too small to read, and zooming is limited
Glare on the superglossy screen is a problem, too
Bottom Line
"The Fire deserves to be a disruptive, gigantic force — it’s a cross between a Kindle and an iPad, a more compact Internet and video viewer at a great price. But at the moment, it needs a lot more polish; if you’re used to an iPad or 'real' Android tablet, its software gremlins will drive you nuts."
It's clear that Fox News SciTech is a fan of the Kindle Fire's design, but there are a few things in the review that make us not sure whether the blog's thumbs are up or down
Pros
Kindle's design is even starker than the iPad's
Smaller size makes the Fire more portable
Cons
8 gigabytes of storage is too small
Amazon online storage only works when you have Wi-Fi
Can't buy copy-protected books from anyone but Amazon
Bottom Line
When compared against other tablets, “it becomes apparent just how spare Amazon had to keep the device to limbo under that $200 price level."
Reporter Sam Biddle warned Apple: “Be afraid,” and gives a thumbs up for Kindle Fire.
Pros
Silk is as real a browser as mobile Safari
Device is puzzlingly simple
Membership yields you unlimited streaming flicks and TV episodes
Cons
No dedicated home button
Lagging on page turns
Bottom Line
"Simply, the Fire is a wonderful IRL compliment to Amazon's digital abundance. It's a terrific, compact little friend, and—is this even saying anything?—the best Android tablet to date."
There's no doubt senior editor Jon Phillips is not a fan of Kindle Fire -- giving it two thumbs down.
Pros
Elegantly repackages and streamlines the Amazon purchasing experience
The overall home screen conceit is a design win
Great platform for casual video playback
Cons
Screen is too small for many key tablet activities, including reading magazine content
Small amount of storage
Long-form content is not enjoyable to read on LCD
Crap browser performance
Bottom Line
“The Fire isn’t a dud, but its real-world performance and utility match neither the benchmarks of public expectation, nor the standards set by the world’s best tablets.”
Wilson Rothman, editor of MSNBC's Technolog, also thinks "Apple should be scared,” and gives Kindle Fire a thumbs up.
Pros
Reading is easier than on an iPad
Appstore is a huge asset
Nice and quick Silk browser -- gets faster as it recognizes your browsing patterns
Cons
Prime video only works when you're connected to the Internet
Sometimes you have to click a few times to even see the home button
Battery life isn't as long
Bottom Line
“For Apple, this still spells trouble. The Kindle Fire can handle about 80 percent of what I want to do on an iPad, for 40 percent of the price.”
Lead mobile analyst Sascha Segan finds the device overall satisfactory, giving a thumbs up.
Pros
Incredible value for the price
Sharp, bright, hi-res screen
Extremely easy to use
Free cloud storage for Amazon content
Cons
Sometimes sluggish
Screen can be very reflective
Limited on-device storage
Bottom Line
"While the user interface occasionally gets sluggish, we're willing to have a bit of patience to get a first-rate tablet for half of what most competitors charge, thus the Kindle Fire is our first Editors' Choice for small tablets."
Consumer Reports also found the price to be incredible, and the device overall gets a thumbs up.
Pros
Quick and smooth touch response
Display looked very good, with a crisp picture
Easy to stream Prime videos, and they quickly loaded and ran smoothly
Cons
Sometimes the screen was overly responsive
Display is only fair in sunlight because of glare, a little more so than other tablets tested
Bottom Line