Desirable for killing time in the car on the road to vacation; attractive to follow her series all summer long from her vacation spot; appetizing to devour ebooks or listening to music by the pool… Amazon’s new Fire 7 is, on paper, an object of temptation. Especially since you can afford it from 79 euros*. What is this new digital tablet with a 7-inch screen really worth, sold seven times less than the first model of the iPad Mini? The editorial staff of “20 Minutes” was able to test it.
An HD screen that lacks brightness
The recipe is well known. Amazon regularly renews its range of digital tablets. No keynote, as with some, to announce new releases with fanfare, but simple press releases to relay these releases. And at the start of summer, it is the Fire 7, the best-selling slate from the web giant, which is changing. A little moult, in fact.
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Slightly less bulky than the previous Fire 7 (80.68 x 117.59 x 9.67 mm, against 192 x 115 x 9.6 mm), the newcomer has no real distinctive sign. Cute by its small size, it is pleasant to have in hand and weighs only 282 grams.
It is obviously towards its screen that the eyes turn in priority. With its all-purpose size, it displays an unchanged definition of 1024 x 600 pixels. It’s not much, but ultimately enough to have fun with episodes of TV series, movies or video games. Large black borders 12 mm wide surround it. And too bad that only one speaker integrates the slate. Consolation, the Fire 7 retains a headphone jack, with good quality audio output. You don’t necessarily need to be equipped with Bluetooth to enjoy good sound.
Beware outdoors: in addition to the fact that the screen is not of exceptional brightness (even with its level pushed to the maximum), many reflections are visible on its surface. Despite the presence of an IPS panel (with good viewing angles), multi-viewing may be restrictive. We will obviously think about downloading our favorite series on Netflix before going on vacation: the Fire 7 is Wifi 4 and cannot accommodate a SIM card. Attention to the breakdown of episodes, therefore, in the car!
More powerful, more autonomous
The real changes are in it. If the Fire 7 is still offered with a memory of 16 or 32 GB, a microSD card slot (up to 1 TB) is arriving (against 512 GB for the Fire 7 2019). Amazon has also boosted its processor, now loaded with 2 GB of RAM with its 2.0 GHz. This gives him 30% more speed. Still not enough to run powerful games, but more than enough to satisfy most uses.
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The autonomy of the Fire 7 is also reinforced and goes from 7h to 10h. It’s the equivalent of a Paris-Nice by car. No need to stop in Montélimar to recharge your tablet, as with the Fire 7 (2019)! A recharge that can now be done in USB-C. In terms of improvements, its manufacturer finally indicates that its latest “has been tested twice as durable as the iPad Mini (2021) during tests” (sic!). A free tackle, Amazon not advancing any verifiable element to support this assertion… Without this being specified by the brand, we imagine that its tablet is not waterproof…
The photo section remains anecdotal, with front and rear 2 megapixel cameras (and the possibility of filming in 720p). To be used for visios with the family during the summer, but certainly not to bring back great photos or videos from your vacation.
With or without ads?
Still, on arrival, the Fire 7 (2022) is barely worth 80 euros. It is 10 euros more than its elder at its launch. As usual, Amazon offers this tablet with a reduced price if you agree to receive advertisements each time the device is launched*. Nothing bad, in fact: it is a simple advertising insert that appears a few seconds before you can unlock the device. The slate is probably not that magical technically, but it has the merit of making this type of device accessible to as many people as possible. For safety, a protective shell (29 euros) is recommended, especially on vacation.
*94 euros (without advertising, in 16 GB); 79 euros (with advertisements, in 16 GB); 104 euros (without advertising, in 32 GB); 89 euros (with advertisements, in 32 GB).
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