eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
1Great Prices
2Ample Storage—Thanks to the Cloud
The one issue folks might find with the Kindle Fire is that its storage tops out at 64GB. However, the device supports up to 5GB of free cloud storage and customers can get even more storage in the cloud with Amazon’s cheap plans. In other words, the amount of storage available on the Kindle Fire is actually quite substantial when the cloud is factored in.
3Different Screen Sizes
Like Apple, Amazon has realized that the key to the average consumer’s heart is to deliver products with different screen sizes. That’s why the Kindle Fire comes with a 7-inch display and Amazon also sells an 8.9-inch model. It would be nice to have a 10-inch version, but the 8.9-inch model will do.
4A Nice Design
Amazon’s Kindle Fire might not be as pretty as the iPad, but it’s no slouch when it comes to design. The device has a nice black finish and the bezel is small enough to appeal to customers who want to look at a prominent display. The Kindle Fire also comes with a thin frame, which makes it easy to tote around.
5A Retina Display Competitor
The Kindle Fire HD with the 8.9-inch screen is visually impressive. The device, in fact, has 254 pixels per inch, putting it in direct competition with the iPad’s Retina display. That’s something that quite a few customers were pleased to see, considering how cheap the device is. They get a great display and a low price.
6An App Store Competitor
Many mobile customers have called Apple’s App Store the best in the business. But Amazon’s own Appstore can’t something to be ignored. The marketplace has all of the best apps found in Apple’s store and ensures that they’re properly secured through Amazon’s vetting process. Buying a Kindle Fire does not mean leaving the best apps behind.
7E-Reading Functionality
Amazon started its Kindle line on the backs of e-books and e-readers. All of those books, therefore, have made their way to the Kindle Fire in full color glory. Amazon’s Kindle e-books count well into the millions and deliver an ideal reading experience. In most cases its al those books that get table shoppers to take a close look at the Kindle Fire.
84G LTE Support
9Easy Mobility
Amazon’s Kindle Fire is the epitome of mobility. The device weighs about nine tenths of a pound and at 0.35 inches thick, it’s easy to toss into a bag and carry around town. Amazon made clear last year when it unveiled the second-generation Kindle Fire that mobility was a key consideration when it designed the device, and it delivered.
10Amazon’s Product Placement
Perhaps the main reason the Kindle Fire is so successful today is its placement on Amazon.com. The online marketplace is a destination for millions of customers, and every time they go to the homepage, they find the tablet sitting right there above the fold. It’s hard to say how many Kindle Fires Amazon has sold just because of this, but one could bet that it’s a lot.