The tablet has a new processor and more RAM, which makes it up to 30% faster than its predecessor. It is still not what I could call fast but the interface is responsive enough and videos load promptly. Occasionally apps can be a bit sluggish, but games ran fine.
Battery life is very good, lasting at least 10 hours of video watching, which is certainly enough for a compact tablet and three hours more than its predecessor. It charges very slowly, though, taking four hours to fully charge using the included 5W power adapter and only about 30 minutes faster using more powerful chargers.
You need an Amazon account to use the tablet, plus a Prime subscription giving access to Prime Video to really make the most of it. Note device encryption is not enabled out of the box, so I recommend turning it on when setting it up to protect your data in case of theft.
Amazon does not provide an expected lifespan for the battery but it should last in excess of 500 full charge cycles with at least 80% of its original capacity. The Fire 7 is generally repairable and contains 35% post-consumer recycled plastic. The company offers trade-in and recycling schemes and publishes information on its various sustainability efforts.
The Amazon Fire 7 costs £59.99 ($59.99) with ads on the lockscreen and 16GB of storage or £69.99 ($79.99) with 32GB. Removing ads from the lock screen costs an additional £10 ($15).
The Amazon Fire 7 is still a basic tablet for simple browsing, reading and media consumption duties.
But that is not the point. It gets the job done for as little money as possible, with much longer software support than budget competitors at this price. Despite a £10 price rise, the Fire 7 is still incredible value at only £60. It will appeal to anyone who wants to spend as little as possible to get online and watch video.
