Amazon Kindle Fire HD

  • 8.9"
  • 32 GB
  • WiFi 3G
  • Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Released November, 2012
Its larger, higher-resolution screen better facilitates Amazon's still-new Kindle Fire interface, and its faster processor makes for a much smoother and zippier experience than what its 7-inch counterpart delivered.
Rated 83% by by c|net (Nov, 2012)

Conclusion Check out the Amazon Kindle Fire HD

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First reviewed November, 2012

Features Key features of the Amazon Kindle Fire HD

Angle view of Amazon Kindle Fire HD

8.9

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

Its size is large enough to discard mobile sites in favour of the full-fat versions, and the capacitive screen is extremely responsive and allows multi-touch gestures.
Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)

screen size

8.9"
7"
7"
Images and text are sharper thanks to the higher resolution and higher contrast of the screen.
Kindle Fire HD by c|net (Sep, 2012)
Everything just looks a bit sharper and cleaner here compared with the Nexus 7's still-great screen, and when viewed from extremely wide angles, the Fire HD's screen better retains its brightness, color integrity, and contrast ratio.
Kindle Fire HD by c|net (Nov, 2012)

screen resolution

Amazon Kindle Fire HD
Google Nexus 10
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2
The 7-inch version of the Kindle Fire HD features an in-plane switching (IPS) screen, running at a 1,280x800-pixel resolution.
Kindle Fire HD by c|net (Nov, 2012)
While the iPad Mini carries with it the trump card advantage of Apple's ecosystem and industry-leading App Store, the Fire HD 8.9’s lower pricing, superior streaming capability, and higher-resolution screen make it a better deal if you’re looking for a media consumption device.
Kindle Fire HD by c|net (Nov, 2012)

processor

Amazon Kindle Fire HD
Google Nexus 7
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1
Its processor is a dual-core 1.2GHz OMAP 4460 chip, and there's 1GB of RAM on-board.
Kindle Fire HD by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)
As a larger tablet, the Fire HD 8.9 better facilitates the Kindle Fire’s new operating system and its faster processor produces much smoother navigation.
Kindle Fire HD by c|net (Nov, 2012)
 

Performance Real world tests of Amazon Kindle Fire HD

cpu speed

It's a solid upgrade to the original Kindle Fire, with a superior screen and faster processor.
Kindle Fire HD by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)
Riptide does have optimizations specific to the Nexus 7's Tegra 3 processor, but my understanding is that those are for graphical effects, and do not directly address frame rate.
Kindle Fire HD by c|net (Nov, 2012)
 

Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors

pros

  • Capacitive
  • 254 ppi
  • 1920 x 1200
  • Nov, 2012
  • be online anywhere that has cell coverage
  • 1.5 GHz
  • Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
  • Detects movement for interactive apps
  • bypass PIN entry, easier to unlock with one hand
  • use multiple fingers at once for more complex interactions
  • Can be operated hands free

cons

  • Many games and videos on the Internet require Adobe Flash
  • Poorer input sound quality

Reviews Word on the street

Rated 80%
Read the review (Oct, 2012)
That ereader has a front-lit screen while this tablet has a backlit screen, which is much less relaxing on the eyes.
Rated 75%
Read the review (Sep, 2012)
Rated 83%
Read the review (Nov, 2012)
Rated 80%
Read the review (Sep, 2012)
While watching movies, playing games, or listening to music, I found the Fire HD's speakers deliver clear, loud (if you need it to be) sound that's noticeably better than what I've heard from other tablets.
Rated 67% by 611 users at amazon.com
I get my Netflix, all the apps I love, any TV show or motion picture ever made, all the music in the world, email, Office Suite, Skype, and.
Rated 100% by by L.-Patterson--graphic-designer (Dec, 2012)
Lucky me because this Kindle is just beautiful in design, operation and picture and sound quality...I like it much more than the kid's IPads - the picture quality is sharper, color more vibrant and sound is tons better.
Rated 100% by by L.-Patterson--graphic-designer (Dec, 2012)
Now I will have to move all my picture storage, music, movies and everything else to Apple.
Rated 20% by by Brian-K.-Williamson

Screen

This is a mid-grade screen, with whites looking a little off - a little yellowish - but performance for the price is excellent.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)
On the 8.9, images and text are even sharper, thanks its 1,920x1,200-pixel resolution and high contrast.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 83% by by c|net (Nov, 2012)
Text looks pretty sharp on the Kindle Fire HD's screen, although the stark black-on-white of the ereader app's page shows off that whites are just slightly off-white on the IPS screen.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)

Apps

The Kindle Fire HD interface is based around a carousel of content, with a heavy focus on the various Amazon-owned portals - the Kindle book store, LoveFilm movie streaming and the Amazon MP3 store and cloud music service.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)
It's affordable, it's portable and it gives you easy access to the expansive worlds of music, video and literary content that Amazon owns.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)
The music player is split into two sections, "Device" and "Cloud.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)

Music

Songs are streamed at 256kbps, which may well be higher-quality than some of your own files.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)
As with movie-watching, Amazon really wants you to embrace its own music services when you use the Kindle Fire HD.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)
You can match-up 250 of your own songs for free, or pay £21.99 a year to import up to 250,000.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)

Battery

Look for more definitive battery life results once CNET Labs has a chance to put the tablet through its paces.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 83% by by c|net (Nov, 2012)
It's non-removable and charges using a microUSB cable.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)
Amazon says that it'll last for up to 11 hours off a charge, and our testing was generally consistent will this level of performance.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)

Type

It's also not as smooth or lag-free as Android Jelly Bean or iOS.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)
It lacks those systems' speed and immediacy, possibly in part because it's based on Android Ice Cream Sandwich, which isn't as snappy as the later Jelly Bean edition.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)
This combo doesn't quite provide as much power as the Tegra 3 processor of the Google Nexus 7, but is a decent spec for an Android-based system.
Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)

Competition What else you should consider

Editions Editions of the Amazon Kindle Fire HD

Price Edition Resolution Internal storage PPI Thickness Compare
1280 x 800 16 GB 215 ppi 10 mm
 
Compare
$229
1280 x 800 32 GB 215 ppi 10 mm
 
Compare
$269
1920 x 1200 16 GB 254 ppi 9 mm
 
Compare
1920 x 1200 32 GB 254 ppi 9 mm
 
Compare

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Popular Questions

November 25, 2012
Which device is easier to use? Will the kobo download all ebooks

I have an iPad but want something smaller( not an iPad mini) to read on and play but smaller in size than iPad. I can't decide between an arc or finale fire HD. I'm looking at 16gb model

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Unanswered Questions

March 30, 2013
Infinity has a speed of 1.33Ghz?

Transformer Infinity TF700 has a 1.6Ghz @ 4 cores 1.7Ghz @ 1core? 

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February 7, 2013
How do you send a message on fire hd?

Tell us more! Can you give any other details that would help someone answer your question?  i have a kindle 3g keyboard.  i would like to get the fire hd to see movies and to send emails notes...

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