Amazon’s Fire OS is likely the most divisive aspect of this tablet (and all other Fire tablets). The platform is based on Google’s Android, but Amazon’s user interface is significantly different from what most Android users are accustomed to. For starters, it ditches the bountiful Google Play Store for the much-less-popular Amazon Appstore (though you can always sideload apps). This puts it at a disadvantage compared with other Android tablets and iPads, which benefit from access to far more apps via their dedicated app stores. Case in point: The Fire 7 can’t download the basic YouTube app from the Amazon Appstore, let alone the benchmarking apps we use for testing.
Two screenshots of Fire OS 8
Beyond the app limitations, Fire OS 8 at least benefits from an update to Android 11 (Fire OS 7 ran on top of Android 9). New features include a dark mode, the ability to access device location in the background, and other smaller, less noticeable tweaks. For example, Amazon has added some one-time permissions and foreground services for accessing the camera and microphone.
In case it isn’t clear, the main goal of Fire OS is to promote Amazon’s services—Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Music, and the like. The low price of the hardware is a small price for Amazon to subsidize if it means more Prime subscribers in the long run. If you already subscribe to Amazon Prime, you won’t miss a beat with the tablet, which will automatically sync your favorite movies, TV shows, and playlists. If you’re not an Amazon Prime subscriber, a more traditional Android tablet is potentially a better option.
Some users might find Fire OS a little easier to use than stock Android, because it guides you through what it can and can’t do. That makes Amazon’s tablets attractive to those who aren’t tech-savvy or don’t want to spend a lot on an iPad.
Finally, it’s worth noting that the base version of the 16GB and 32GB models of the Fire 7 include ads on the lock screen. You can pay an extra $15 for either model for an ad-free experience. Our test device didn’t have any ads, so we can’t comment on the ad experience.
