After an announcement in mid-May, the latest Amazon Fire 7 is finally available to buy: it's the follow-up to the Fire 7 (2019) and the next-gen version of the cheapest slate on the market.
This new cheap tablet has more RAM, a longer battery life and finally a USB-C port for faster charging compared to its predecessor, although the main feature of the range, the 7-inch 1024 x 600 screen, is not experienced changes.
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You can spend more to increase the storage from 32GB to 64GB and also to remove in-app software ads, but we don't find them intrusive enough to be a problem. That said, you don't need to make up your mind right away, as you can pay at any time to have them removed.
The price increase could make it harder to sell the tablet due to limited changes from the 2019 model, but Amazon Prime Day on July 12 and 13 could bring discounts to offset that increase.
The tablet was launched alongside a kids' version that is more expensive but comes with a protective cover and built-in age-appropriate software.
Opinion: The first test results are in
I haven't tested the Amazon Fire 7 long enough to write a full review, but I've been using it for a day in its flashy pink version, oh sorry pink, and that's the 32GB model.
While TechRadar often rates the Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10 tablets better than the Fire 7 tablets due to their larger, higher-resolution screens, my testing time shows there's room for the budget option.
In fact, I quickly found myself using the Fire 7 instead of my Kindle when riding the subway. Its small screen matches my Kindle Oasis (2019) in terms of inches, but its longer, slimmer aspect ratio made it more affordable.
The low resolution of the tablet doesn't really matter when I'm just reading books. This device costs much less than the $249.99 / £229.99 / AU$399 Oasis, but you can also stream content to Prime Video or Amazon Music and play some games.
Sure, the Oasis and other Kindles have eReader-specific features that make them technically better for reading, but between their size, price, and features, I can really see why some people prefer the Fire 7 to a Kindle for reading.
I'll see if that opinion holds true after a few weeks of testing when I'm ready to write a full Amazon Fire 7 review, but as it stands, I find the slate much more useful than expected. Maybe it will make our list of the best tablets after all...