I'll preface this by saying that I own an iPad, and was not expecting a $99 tablet to perform at anywhere near that level. I have followed the early reviews closely, and after seeing enough satisfied customers, I figured I'd give the Kindle Fire HD 6 a try. I chose the base 8 GB with special offers and my plan was to use it as a secondary e-reader and a secondary or even tertiary vehicle for internet access. What I've found is a powerful little tablet, so far completely free of the bugs and laggy speeds mentioned in the early reviews. In fact, performance has so exceeded expectations that I consider this perhaps the year's best purchase.
First off the look is nice. It's sleek, (I ordered the black model) and though actually quite a bit heavier than I'd imagined, it's not heavy enough to be considered a negative. The display is fantastic, and its quality was the first big surprise. The touch screen performs incredibly well, and to this point, I have experienced immediate response. To the point where I have to say touch response so far is indistinguishable from my iPad. Based on early reviews, this was not the case, so I have been quite pleasantly surprised. The Fire is very user friendly and easy to intuit. For those who do not feel confident with navigation of a new device, there is an immediate onscreen tutorial (with an option to skip) to guide you.
I first checked out the e-reader function. My books loaded immediately and easily from the cloud and I really like the functionality of the reader. I am a big fan of the Kindle app for the iPad, and am far more accustomed to its functionality, but the Fire performed very well and my only complaint is that when searching the definition of a word, Wikipedia is used (versus google on the Kindle for iPad/Phone apps) which is a step down in quality imo, but certainly a small complaint overall, and in the quick 2 or 3 words I searched the answer was attainable from that page and did not require going over to the Wikipedia page as some have reported.
Next, I checked out Silk, the web browser. This aspect of the Fire probably received the most complaints as the early reviews came in. It was reported to lag and to crash frequently, even on amazon's own site. I expected this to be the case as I tested it, but I found that these problems must already have been addressed (your tablet loads the newest version of the software upon your registration) in subsequent updates as my experience was the ability to browse quickly and flawlessly across a number of varying websites. This was the second surprise for me, as I expected a far lower quality and especially a slower speed. I couldn't be happier with what I've experienced so far.
I browsed the app store and found it very functional and easy to maneuver, I set up my gmail within a matter of seconds, and I looked through a variety of sales and offers. At no time have I found slow speeds, poor touch responses, or any lagging.
The Kindle Fire HD6 has exceeded my expectations in every way, and I still can't believe I got it for $99 + tax. This thing is an incredible bargain, and so far its quality of performance holds its own against my iPad, something I absolutely did not expect at this price. I'm sure as I become more familiar with the Fire, the reasons for the price difference between it and the iPad will become more apparent, but when you consider the main reasons for which I purchased the Fire, it holds up marvelously well. Again, this may be the year's best purchase from a value standpoint. So far,I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Enjoy!
UPDATE 1/22/15- Since writing this review back in October, I've purchased 3 more for my kids. In perhaps the greatest test of speed and function, namely being easy, fast and fun enough to be preferred by children, these tablets have continued to impress and have proved that they are indeed a game changer in the world of budget tablets. With 3 months of rather heavy use under my belt, I have experienced absolutely no technical difficulties, and I remain a very satisfied customer. I therefore continue to highly recommend this excellent tablet.
If you read my Fire TV review you know that I am tough on Amazon when it comes to their own items. It needs to deliver quality for the price point to earn stars from me. Please take the time to read my entire review and feel free to ask questions. I will do my best to respond to them as I can and update the review to reflect those answers and other things I discover along the way.
First my background. I own many Amazon Kindles (b&w, Fire gen2, Fire gen3) as well as Apple Ipad (gen 4), Samsung Note 3 and have an LG G2 smartphone (had a Samsung S4 before that), notebooks, chromebooks, etc. I have also used many other products including the Fire HDX line. I have a solid computer background as well but honestly I am more of a casual user when it comes to tablets like this one.
Amazon has changed many things over the life of the Fire product line. Adding and removing features (like cameras--the first generation had one but the second generation removed them but not they are back).
They are all useful devices but each one has its own niche so to speak so make sure whatever you get has the features that are important to you.
Now to this model. This is like a big smartphone--which is a big difference from past kindles. It is more compact, lighter and yet still very usable. In fact for me, the shrinking of size increases the usefulness. I find that I use my smartphone way more than my tablets--even the smaller Fire HD and Samsung Note tablets so I am expecting this to replace more of that "on the couch" usage which is great since it so much less expensive than most smartphones. That means you can feel less bad about scratches that might occur or the accidental drops. (I am guilty of both.)
The screen is very good--certainly not the top of the line but nice even if you factor paying twice the retail for it. It is bright, sharp with the same resolution as past
Comparing past Kindle Fires:
1st Generation 7 inch--1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi
2nd Generation 7 inch--1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi
3rd Generation 7 inch--1280 x 800 resolution at 216 ppi (the first step up in resolution)
4th Generation 7 inch--1280 x 800 (216 ppi) (This is the twin to this model and was just released)
Whereas this 6 inch model has 1280 x 800 (252 ppi). That makes this display higher or the same resolution than any of the past Kindle Fires with the exception of the more expensive HDX. It makes it sharper with more detail per inch than any of the past Kindle Fires of this smaller size (again except for the HDX). Yet this is the cheapest Fire yet which is quite impressive.
Now while Amazon may love my giving this 6 inch fire a 5 star rating, they wouldn't like this next sentence. There is absolutely no reason to even consider the newly released 7 inch fire. $40 more gets you a less "sharp/detailed" screen, more weight, more bulk (look at the extra space on the sides next to the screen of the new 6 inch and the new 7 inch) and the only improvements is a second speaker and a larger screen.
In my opinion you should consider this 6 inch Fire or consider spending twice as much to step up to the Fire HDX with many improvements (Mayday button, higher resolution, faster processor, dual-band, dual antenna (MIMO) Wi-Fi, and longer battery life). The HDX has some issues with a blue halo around the screen so read reviews of that before jumping.
So now that I have talked you out of the Fire 7 and covered some of the reasons for considering the Fire 7 HDX, lets talk more about the Fire 6.
Performance/Apps--It is quick (but I am never happy enough, lol), responsive and like Apple products--it just works. Now one plus and minus with all Kindles/Fires are that you can not use any app from Google's app store. That means you have to wait for apps to be brought into Amazon's app store which seems to be slow at getting new releases and new updates. This is really an issue for Amazon and one that still needs to be fixed. The plus to this is that Amazon keeps some of the junky apps out of the system and once they make it to Amazon's app store, they are proven safe and generally work better than the "fresh" apps because bugs have been worked out.
Amazon's own apps are very well integrated into this and past Fires. They keep improving them and adding features without adding cost. If you have Prime, you get streaming TV and Movies, free ebooks and now Prime Music. If you have Prime, the added free content you get on the Fire makes it a real standout against everything else.
I use my Fire 6 for reading emails, surfing the internet, watching videos (some of the time) and playing some games/apps like IMDB. I have found that it meets or exceeds what I have come to expect from these things in terms of performance and reliability. Are there bugs or glitches? Yes but less than my LG smartphone has and less than my Samsung Tab has.
Size--about the size of the new "large" phones is very nice--not too big but not too small. It is more portable feeling than the 7 inch tablets and it is easy to hold. It is fun to be part of the "cool club" without dropping 5-6 times as much or signing a 2 year contract.
Quality--Amazon has proven overtime that they can make quality products and this is no exception. At under a hundred dollars there is pretty much nothing else that is this feature packed with this finish quality. I have experienced no quality issues and do not expect anything given Amazon's solid history.
Battery Life--So far so good. I was able to stream video and surf the internet for well over 7 hours without any hiccups. From a device this compact with such a large screen that seems quite impressive.
Sound--Decent but Apple products are cleaner sounding to me. Volume is usable in most situations but not necessarily in noisy outside situations.
I am sure I have forgotten something so please feel free to ask questions. This is my own opinion and while I don't know everything, I do my best to deliver honest reviews since reviews help me so much when I shop.
If you are in the market for a little tablet and have prime, you have to decide between this Fire 6 or the 7 inch HDX for twice the cost. This 6 inch adds the rear camera and most of the performance while being smaller, lighter at half the price.
For the low price, this tablet really does more than expected! The camera isn't great; however, I always use my phone for a camera so that doesn't effect me. Here are some of the pros and cons:
Pros: Low cost yet high tech
Great screen quality (of course there is better out there, but it looks great as is)
Smooth and responsive
Easy access to amazon prime content
Easy to wirelessly share content to a TV
Battery life
Web browser works great
Cons: Doesn't have some apps android users are used to having
Camera quality isn't great and no flash
Less 'extra features' than some higher priced tablets have
I opted to go with the 16gb version with no ads. The ads aren't a big deal, but I figured I would pass on having them on my screen. No matter what version you pick, they all do the same things. The gigs may or may not matter to you. 8 and 16 gigs both aren't very large, but if you want to predownload some tv shows, movies, & music before a vacation, then you may want to look into getting the larger 16gig. If you will always have internet connection, then it isn't much a problem since you have unlimited cloud storage and can download to your device or stream at anytime you have internet.
Overall... If you want an Amazon tablet, and you want the best, go with the HDX series. However, if you want an amazing tablet but don't want to spend as much, then these new HD 6 & 7 series are great! For me and my uses, the HD 6 is the perfect fit.
I would suggest the 6 over the 7 for most buyers. The only 2 things the 7 has over the 6, are a larger screen, and dual speakers. Sure the dual speakers is kind of nice, but the screen is actually lower quality than the 6. At 216ppi, the 7 keeps the same resolution as it's last (3rd) generation. The 6, however, has 252ppi which make it's screen a bit more crisp.
Here are some of my thoughts:
Size: The size is good. I prefer that it is a smaller size for ease of carrying. As long as you see well up close, this 6 is a great size!
Battery Life: Very sufficient for my needs. The Kindle HDX's have a little longer battery life; however, this 8 hour spec'd battery life has been lasting a long time, and never getting too low for my uses.
Sound: Sound isn't bad. It is comparable to a laptop from a few years back. The 6 has only a mono speaker, but it is loud enough and crisp. I find it is plenty for watching a tv show or movie. For music I prefer a speaker or headphones(but that goes for pretty much any tablet).
Check out my youtube: Earthling1984 for some more information on this tablet.
I bought this for my 3 1/2 year old son. This was the perfect purchase! It is small enough for him to carry around, yet big enough for me to "borrow" at times. It even allows him to download a movie to watch in the car, where there is no access to WiFi. I LOVE the parental control and FreeTime features. I can require him to read books for a given period of time, i.e. 30 minutes, before he is able to watch movies or play games. I can also set it to shut down at a particular time on weekdays, and set a separate time for weekends. There are more than enough books, games, and apps for him to enjoy!
I cannot tell you how much I love the Kindle Fire HD 6"! The clarity of the screen is extremely impressive for as small as it is. That part surpassed all my expectations. It has convenient volume buttons on the side and from what I can tell, the speaker quality is pretty good for something so tiny. It fits perfectly in my purse so I can take it anywhere with me and it is on the light side, so it doesn't weigh my bag down.
My all time favorite feature on this is the Goodreads button! I have been saying for a few years now how much easier it would be if eReaders synced right up to Goodreads and it finally happened. Instead of logging onto Goodreads to update my progress or to add a new book to my currently reading shelf, all I have to do is tap the screen, hit the Goodreads button, and I can update everything from there. It even tells me about how long it takes the average reader to read the book I'm currently on. Maybe it's the book nerd in me, but I was so excited about that feature that I literally shouted out loud in excitement when I saw it.
Another feature that spoke to the bibliophile in me was the related books feature. As you are on the home screen, scrolling through books, it will show you a few other books you may be interested in purchasing based on the subject of that book. I received this in exchange for an honest review and my 100% honest opinion is that compared to the original Kindle Fire with the 7 inch screen that I already had, this is by far my favorite one. I highly recommend it. If you are mainly using it for reading, you will get over it's small size rather quickly when you see the amazing features and incredible screen quality.
Feature Product
- Beautiful 6" HD display with over a million pixels (252 ppi / 1280 x 800)
- Amazon Underground, a one-of-a-kind app store experience where over $20,000 in apps, games and even in-app items are actually free - including extra lives, unlocked levels, unlimited add-on packs and more
- Enjoy more than 38 million movies, TV shows, songs, books, Android apps and games
- Available in five brilliant color choices
- Fast quad-core processor up to 1.5 GHz for quick app launches and fluid graphics
- Rear-facing HD camera and front-facing VGA camera
- Create personal profiles, link two Amazon accounts to share books, apps and games, and set device usage limits for kids
- 8 GB or 16 GB storage, with free, unlimited cloud storage for all Amazon content and photos taken with your Fire devices
- Stay connected with fast web browsing, and email and calendar support including Gmail and Outlook
Description
The Fire HD 6 goes anywhere with its pocketable design–features a beautiful 6” HD display, 2x faster quad-core processor, and unsurpassed reliability in its class.
Powerful quad-core processor
Fast quad-core processor up to 1.5 GHz—2x the speed and over 3x the graphics performance of previous generation Fire HD for quicker apps, smooth videos, and better overall experience.
Beautiful 6” HD display
Fire HD 6 features a 1280x800 high definition LCD display with over a million pixels (252 ppi) and a brighter display for more vibrant colors and whiter whites.
Designed for portability
Fire HD 6 is the ultimate pocket-sized tablet with a smaller profile, thinner bezel, and lighter weight design than the previous generation Fire HD.
Unsurpassed reliability
With a durable Gorilla Glass display and rigorous reliability testing, you won't find a more reliable tablet in its class.
Rear-facing camera
Fire HD features a 2MP rear-facing camera that allows for high-resolution photos and 1080p HD video.
Front-facing camera
Fire HD includes a front-facing camera that is perfect for Skype video calls and taking selfies to share via Facebook or e-mail.
Which color will you choose?
Fire HD is available in black, citron, cobalt, white, or magenta.
Stay connected
Amazon Silk is our cloud-optimized web browser, exclusively available on Fire Tablets and Phones. The latest version now includes print support and Private Browsing mode (coming soon). Private Browsing allows you to browse the web without Silk saving a record of what you visit. Other features include Reading View, which provides a clean, easy-to-read version of websites by removing unnecessary images and clutter.
The email app on Fire tablets makes sending mail, viewing attachments, grouping conversations by subject, and syncing contacts simple. The app provides full support for the world's most popular email providers.
Fire tablets are fully integrated with Facebook and Twitter, making it easy to connect and share with friends and family.
Be entertained
Rent or purchase the biggest new releases and most popular movies and TV shows. Stream instantly over Wi-Fi or download to enjoy later.
Fire tablets are built for the best in gaming, with tilt, turn, and multi-touch controls.
With X-Ray for music, see lyrics that display line-by-line while you listen to many of your favorite songs. You can also explore an immersive artist experience with photos, videos, and more.
Our interactive magazine experience allows you to start reading in just a few seconds with access to any back issue at any time on the cloud. Many Kindle Magazines come with a 30-day free trial.
Be productive
Create, edit, view, and print Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files on your Fire tablet with WPS Office. Check and reply to work email on-the-go with a robust Exchange email experience with ActiveSync. Fire tablets also support printing to your home or office's wireless printer.
Amazon FreeTime
Parents can create a profile for each of their children and choose what books, apps, games, and videos they want to give their kids access to. Amazon FreeTime is free on every Fire tablet. Parents can also set daily limits for tablet use, or restrict certain categories—like games and video—while leaving unlimited time for reading.
Compare Fire Tablets
| Fire HD 6 | Fire HD 7 | Kindle Fire HDX | Fire HDX 8.9 | |
| Starting Price | $99 | $139 | $199 | $379 |
| Screen Size | 6" | 7" | 7" | 8.9" |
| Resolution | 1280 x 800 (252 ppi) | 1280 x 800 (216 ppi) | 1920 x 1200 (323 ppi) | 2560 x 1600 (339 ppi) |
| Processor | Quad-core up to 1.5 GHz | Quad-core 2.2 GHz | Quad-core 2.5 GHz | |
| Battery Life | 8 hours mixed use | 8 hours mixed use | 11 hours mixed use | 12 hours mixed use |
| Audio | Dolby Audio, Mono speaker, Built-in micro-phone | Dolby Audio, Dual stereo speakers, Built-in micro-phone | Dolby Audio, Dual stereo speakers, Built-in micro-phone | Dolby Atmos, Dual stereo speakers, Built-in micro-phone |
| Wi-Fi | Single band Wi-Fi | Dual band, Dual antenna (MIMO) Wi-Fi | Dual band, Dual antenna (MIMO +HT80) Wi-Fi | |
| 4G | None | Wi-Fi + 4G LTE Unlocked GSM (incl. AT&T) Wi-Fi + 4G LTE (Verizon) | ||
| Camera | Front-facing VGA camera + 2 MP rear-facing | Front-facing HD camera | Front-facing HD camera + 8 MP rear-facing camera | |
| Storage | 8 or 16GB | 16, 32, or 64GB | ||
| Dimensions | 6.7" x 4.1" x 0.4" (169 X 103 X 10.7 mm) | 7.5" x 5.0" x 0.42" (191 X 128 X 10.6 mm) | 7.3" x 5.0" x 0.35" (186 X 128 X 9.0mm) | 9.1" x 6.2" x 0.31" (231 X 158 X 7.8mm) |
| Weight | 10.1 oz (290 grams) | 11.9 oz (337 grams) | Wi-Fi: 10.7 oz (303 grams) 4G: 11 oz (311 grams) | Wi-Fi: 13.2 oz (375 grams) 4G: 13.7 oz (390 grams) |
| Customer Support | Email, web, and phone | On-device "Mayday" button + email, web, and phone | ||
What an incredible sub $100 tablet! I saw that these were available as a preorder, had a bit over $100 in gift cards burning a hole in my account and my daughter had been hinting that she would like a new tablet. I seriously considered the 7" for a little more, but after thinking about her usage habits and the way she does what she does online, I went with the 6", and a day after it arrived discovered I had hit a homerun.
She loves the tablet, she loves the size, and she loves the color (Citron). She had a tablet before, a fairly awful piece of equipment that cost as much as this less than a year ago and was so bad that she never bothered using it much, she has had the FireHD 6 with her since it arrived.
The specs are good, but don't really tell the whole story, if that was the case then the noname Chinese Tablet I bought her last year would have been great, it wasn't. This tablet has good specs, and more importantly works well, everything she does it just breezes through, no lag, no hanging up or other undesirable behavior. The battery life is great (much much better than the Chinese tablet with a battery rated at a similar capacity).
In the end I was hesitant to go with this tablet, the specs were good but not impressive, lots of Chinese tablets have similar specs at a similar price. The Size had me really concerned, I just assumed that the smaller size was more of a cost cutting method to get the price under $100, I was dead wrong, this tablet is handy and works well, that means that it gets used a lot, which in the end is the true measurement of value, and this one stands tall.
I just bought it and i love what i got for that price (100 US Dollar). Great design (i chose green color), great size and for what i like to do, is just perfect. Read news, articles, books, watch videos, manage documents (Evernote), sometimes i like to play some games. Camera is not the best, but still its useful. Of course Facebook and chat works perfectly.
I advice people who wants to buy it, to also buy the cover and screen protection.
First of all, let me talk about the price. Amazon is trying to compete with companies like Apple and Samsung for a spot in the tablet world, and Amazon found their competitor's weak point-the price! The last time I checked, you cannot buy an iPad for under $100, nor can you purchase a Samsung Note for that price either. Although the HD 6 does not have the full range of capabilities that the other tablets have, it is still an amazing piece for the price. One thing that I did not like was the fact that I cannot change the wallpaper. Having used Apple devices all of my life, that has been common for me, and even though it is kind of a small thing, it still might matter to some people.
THE GOOD-
-amazing price
-size is perfect for "on the go" people
-Amazon customer service is very helpful if you need help operating the tablet
-makes a great gift for anyone
THE BAD-
-Although the Amazon music store is good, the app store is limited
-The headphone jack must be flawed because it sounds staticy when I plug it in
WARNINGS-
-Do not be fooled by "special offers." When you buy the tablet for the base price of $99, it automatically comes with this feature called special offers. This gives Amazon the right to put ads on your lockscreen. Although the ads do not interfere with the rest of the tablet's features, the lockscreen ads can be cumbersome occasionally. YOU CAN OPT OUT of the special offers for $15 more.
-Also, go with the 16 G model, because the 8 G model only comes with 4.5 Gigs of storage available to the user.
The sheer value of this device cannot be understated. I got the 120$ 16GB model, and it doesn't feel like a single penny wasted.
The 6 inch screen is a bit small, but wider than most phones of the same height and better suited for browsing, reading and viewing media. The clarity and colors in the screen are simply amazing for the price, any other device at 120$ would be lucky to look half as good.
The device feels a bit thicker than it maybe should be, but as a result feels solid in your hand, almost like a real paperback book. I feel like if I dropped it, it wouldn't break immediately.
Sometimes the software hiccups a bit, but I haven't noticed any significant slowdown. It runs most games just fine.
The battery does what it promises, and lives about 8 hours of use.
Again, for 120$, or just 99$ for the 8GB model, this can't be beat.
was everything and more then what I expected
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