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Kindle Fire HD Tablet

7" HD Display, Dolby Audio, Dual-Band Dual-Antenna Wi-Fi, 16GB or 32GB
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3,695 customer reviews)

£159.00 Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

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Stunning 7" HD display for apps, games and films in rich colour. Thin, light and portable with over 11 hours of battery life for all your browsing, watching, reading and playing.
  • 7" HD display with anti-glare technology for rich colour and deep contrast from any viewing angle; customised Dolby audio with dual-driver stereo speakers for immersive, virtual surround sound
  • Ultra-fast web browsing and video streaming thanks to dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi
  • Easy-to-use e-mail app that syncs your Gmail, Hotmail, and other accounts; full integration with Facebook for updating friends and staying in touch
  • Front-facing HD camera for Skype video chats and taking HD pictures
  • Over 22 million films, TV shows, songs, magazines, books, audiobooks, apps and games, including top favourite apps such as Skyscanner, Jamie's 20-minute meals and Auto Trader
  • LOVEFiLM Instant video streaming for unlimited access to thousands of films and TV series. New to LOVEFILM? You’ll get a one-month free trial
  • Great deals on apps, including a paid app for free every day, plus thousands of other free apps and games
  • Amazon's vast selection of e-books offers bestsellers, exclusive content, thousands of free classics and great savings with Kindle Daily Deal, plus Prime members read for free with Kindle Owners’ Lending Library

Breakthrough Hardware Technology

High Definition Touchscreen Display

Rich, HD video. Beautiful, vivid photos. Crisp, detailed text. Kindle Fire HD features a new 1280x800 high definition LCD display that brings your content to life.

Reduced Screen Glare

Most tablet displays are made up of two pieces of glass - an LCD on the bottom and a touch sensor on the top, separated by an air gap. This air gap allows light to come through the touch sensor and reflect off the LCD, causing added glare for the user. Kindle Fire HD solves this air gap problem by laminating the touch sensor and the LCD together into a single layer of glass, creating a display that's easy to view, even in overhead light.

Richer Colours at Wider Angles

Like many tablets, Kindle Fire HD uses In-Plane Switching (IPS) to improve colour reproduction. But displays that only use IPS still appear washed out at various angles, such as laid sideways in bed, flat on a table, or propped up in a case. Kindle Fire HD addresses this issue by applying an advanced polarising filter directly to the LCD panel. This results in a display that shows the same deep contrast and rich, detailed colour when viewed at any angle.

Exclusive Dolby Audio

Kindle Fire HD uses the power of Dolby Digital Plus to create a world class audio experience, with or without headphones. Dolby Digital Plus includes technology used to adjust volume, create virtual surround sound, and deliver easier to understand dialogue in movies and TV shows. Kindle Fire HD is designed to automatically optimise the audio profile based on what you are doing, such as watching a movie, listening to music, or talking on Skype. It even optimises the audio differently when you have headphones plugged in, so you can just sit back and enjoy, worry-free.

Dual-Driver Stereo Speakers

Big sound. Compact design. Kindle Fire HD features dual-driver stereo speakers on both sides of the display for a wide field of sound similar to that of a home stereo. And with this much power, we can push our speakers hard. The result: deeper bass in your music, loud, rumbling movie soundtracks and room-filling stereo sound without distortion, even at higher volumes.

Two Antennas, Better Bandwidth

Kindle Fire HD is the first tablet to feature dual Wi-Fi antenna and Multiple In/Multiple Out (MIMO) technology for powerful, HD-ready Wi-Fi. This allows reception or transmission over both antenna simultaneously to increase capacity and reliability. So you'll enjoy fewer dropped connections and more than 35% faster media streaming.

Dual Band Support

Many Wi-Fi devices, from other tablets to baby monitors, only operate in the 2.4 GHz band. The more of these devices that you and your neighbours have operating in the band, the slower your connection is. Kindle Fire HD is capable of automatically switching between the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi frequencies, which will allow you to use this less congested 5 GHz band for better range and less interference.

Powerful HD Processor

A rich HD display requires a powerful processor and optimised software to drive it. Kindle Fire HD uses a fast dual-core processor with an Imagination PowerVR graphics core that can process 6.2 billion floating-point operations per second, so even graphically intensive games run smoothly and render stunning imagery. We also tuned the graphics pipeline and touch handling software to eliminate delays between when you touch the screen and when the application responds.

Over 11 hours of Battery Life

Kindle Fire HD is optimised to deliver high performance with low battery consumption, delivering over 11 hours of watching videos, browsing the web, playing music, or reading.

Plenty of Storage for HD Content

For an HD device, 8GB of storage is not enough. High definition content is substantially larger - for example, on average, an SD movie is 500MB, and an HD movie is 2GB. Because of this, Kindle Fire HD offers plenty of on-device storage, as well as free, unlimited cloud storage for your Amazon content.

All the features you expect and more

No Set-up Required

Kindle Fire arrives pre-registered to your Amazon.co.uk account so you can get started right away, including having immediate access to any previously purchased content you may have.

Ultra-Fast Web

Kindle Fire HD offers a new version of Amazon Silk, our cloud-accelerated browser, for ultra-fast page load times. Learn More about Amazon Silk

All Your Personal Email

The new email app on Kindle Fire HD makes sending mails, viewing attachments, and syncing contacts simple. With full support for the world's most popular email providers - including AOL, Microsoft Exchange, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo!, and more - it's our easiest-to-use email ever.

Intuitive Interface

Spin through recent content straight from your home screen. Pin favourites and access at a touch. Whether you're in the mood to watch, read, listen, or play, Kindle Fire HD gets you started quickly and easily.

1-Click Shopping and One-Day Delivery

No switching between apps, no juggling passwords and profiles - Kindle Fire HD is seamlessly integrated with Amazon's content stores so you can shop new books, movies, games, and apps with a single tap. Shopping for more? If you haven't yet subscribed, enjoy unlimited One-Day Delivery on millions of eligible items with a free month of Amazon Prime.

Discover More of What You Love

Kindle Fire HD makes it easy to find content you'll love by using Amazon's powerful recommendation engine to compare your purchases and favourites with other customers' purchase history and suggest content to you, right from your homescreen.

Integrated Bluetooth Connectivity

Kindle Fire HD features built-in Bluetooth support, so you can connect to a variety of different wireless accessories such as stereo headphones, speakers, keyboards, and more.

Share Your Screen with HDMI Out

Share your favourite videos and photos on your TV or other display in rich high definition via the built-in HDMI out port.

Choose Your Language

You can set your language to French, English, German, Spanish, Italian - including home and menu displays and dictionary support.

Kindle Owners' Lending Library

Kindle Owners' Lending Library

Kindle Owners' Lending Library - with an Amazon Prime membership, Kindle device owners can choose from more than 300,000 books to borrow - as frequently as one book per month, with no due dates - including current and former top sellers in the Amazon.co.uk Kindle Store and all 7 Harry Potter books.

One-Day Delivery

Get fast shipping on millions of items. Take the stress out of shopping with One-Day Delivery from Amazon Prime. Choose from videos, electronics, games and much more.

Free Month of Prime

If you haven't tried Amazon Prime in the past we'll give you a free month's trial. Experience what millions of Prime members enjoy: reading a Kindle book a month for free, and enjoying unlimited One-Day Delivery on millions of eligible items. We think it's one of the best bargains in the history of shopping, and we hope you do too.

Must Have Apps

Get the most out of your Kindle Fire HD with must-have apps such as Spotify, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. See some available Apps.

Newspapers and Magazines

Thousands of apps at your fingertips to help you stay informed about the world around you. Whether it's leisure reading on the couch or catching your daily news on the go, the Kindle Fire HD has the information that's right for you. See some available Apps.

The Most Popular Games

Kindle Fire HD is perfect for gamers. Enjoy best-selling titles such as Angry Birds Star Wars, Temple Run 2 and Cut The Rope. Take your fun to the next level with GameCircle by earning achievements, comparing scores with friends, and topping Leaderboards. See some available Games.

Productivity, Business and Utilities

Kindle Fire is more than fun and games. Keep yourself organised with Evernote, get down to business withOffice Max Pro or just make your life a little easier with Jamie's 20 Minute Meals. See some available Apps.

Entertainment

Find the best apps to keep up with your interests, relax at the end of the day or enjoy your favourite films and music. See some available Apps.

Kids Apps and Education

Need something fun and educational for the kids? Check out the great selection of kids' apps. Kindle Fire HD has games for kids of all ages, and apps to help your child read, have fun with maths, or get creative. See some available Games and Apps.

Massive Book Selection

Shop the Kindle Store for over 1.5 million of the most popular books, or explore millions of free, public domain books such as Pride and Prejudice, A Tale of Two Cities and Oliver Twist.

Vibrant HD Magazines

Enjoy over 500 magazines in brilliant HD, with beautifully detailed illustrations and glossy full-colour layouts. Magazines include favourites such as Vogue, Woman & Home, Ideal Home, BBC History and Good Food. Find our selection of available magazines and newspapers in the new Amazon Appstore on your Kindle Fire.

Low Book Prices

We check hundreds of prices every day to make sure our prices are the lowest of any ebook store in the UK. Compare our book prices--you'll like what you find.

Exclusive Kindle Titles

Over 300,000 Kindle exclusive titles from best-selling authors including Michael Ridpath and Phil Rickman.

Whispersync for Books

Kindle Fire HD uses Amazon Whispersync technology to automatically sync your library, last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across all your devices. With Kindle reading apps available for phones, tablets, PCs, and Macs, you can keep the story going wherever you are.

X-Ray for Books

Tap on any page as you read to access X-Ray, an easy way to uncover more from the books you love. Instantly find chapters and locations that mention ideas, characters, and important places, as well as background info, biographies, and more from Shelfari and Wikipedia.

Audiobooks by Audible

Audible.co.uk, an Amazon company, offers more than 60,000 titles written by bestselling authors and performed by world-class professional narrators. From recent bestsellers to timeless classics, and everything in between.

Stream popular movies and TV series with LOVEFiLM Instant

Already a LOVEFiLM subscriber? Enjoy instant streaming of thousands of popular films and TV series, including Gnomeo & Juliet, Unknown, Desperate Housewives and 24. Not experienced LOVEFiLM yet? We'll give you a one-month free trial to experience the service for yourself.

Whispersync for Movies

Start streaming a movie on Kindle Fire HD, pause, then resume watching straight from the same scene using LOVEFiLM on your TV or PC. LOVEFiLM's Pause and Resume feature remembers your last scene watched across all your devices, so you can avoid the frustration of having to find your spot.

X-Ray for Movies

Explore favourite characters and actors at a touch. Kindle Fire HD uses the power of IMDb to bring Amazon's exclusive X-Ray service to selected LOVEFiLM movies. Simply tap on any scene to instantly see which actors are currently on screen, jump straight to other movies in which they star, and more.

Huge Music Selection

With over 20 million songs from thousands of artists, Amazon MP3 is home to one of the largest music libraries on earth. Music you buy on the Kindle is saved to Cloud Player for free, and you can download it anytime. Browse and search your library, create and manage playlists, stream your music from Cloud Player, or download to listen offline.

Your Music. Everywhere.

Amazon Cloud Player lets you import your music, then download or play those MP3s immediately on your Kindle Fire HD. Just tap Music on the Home screen to get started. Browse and search your library, create and manage playlists, play your music from Cloud Player, or download to play offline. All your Amazon purchases and the first 250 imported songs are stored free of charge.

Enjoy your content on many devices

At Amazon, we make it easy for you to access your content on other devices and platforms. Apps and games that you buy for your Kindle Fire HD can be used on other Android devices. Kindle books can also be enjoyed on Amazon apps for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. Movies from LOVEFiLM can also be watched on your internet enabled TV, PS3, Xbox 360, laptop and iPad.

Parental Controls

Protect your kids with easy-to-use Parental Controls. Simply add a password in the settings menu to restrict access to web browsing, content purchasing, or your Kindle Fire content libraries.

Built Tough

Kindle Fire HD is designed to stand up to accidental bumps and scrapes. Our state-of-the art display is 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, so you can let your child play, without worry.

Beloved Kids' Movies and Shows

Amazon for Kids also includes a selection of thousands TV shows your children want to watch, with episodes from Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine and many more.

Ebooks for Fun and Education

Explore ebooks featuring beloved characters. Flip through picture books including Tiger Who Came to Tea and the Mr. Men and Little Miss series. Discover hundreds of ebooks including Maisy, Duck and Goose, Elmo, Big Nate, titles from Sandra Boynton (Moo, Baa, La La La!), and more.

The Best Games for Kids

Featuring a great selection of children's games like Drawing Pad, A Day at the Circus and The Cat In the Hat - Dr. Seuss, and popular early development games like Kids Learn to Read.

Easy to Read

There are multiple ways to enjoy your favourite web content. With a single touch, the user interface disappears to allow for full screen reading. Or you can turn on Reading View to enjoy a clean, easy-to-read version of the site that removes all unnecessary images and other website clutter.

Trends and Recommendations

Looking for the latest news or the next big site? Trending Now alerts you to pages that have recently seen an unusually high level of traffic, which is generally a good indicator that the page or topic may be particularly noteworthy right now.

Features

Free Skype-to-Skype HD Video Calls

Get face-to-face with friends, family and over 500 million Skype users around the world. Kindle Fire HD features a front-facing video camera for free high-definition video calls at home or abroad. Find the free Skype app in the Amazon Appstore.

Full Facebook Integration

In addition to the free Facebook application found in the Appstore, Kindle Fire HD is fully integrated with Facebook, making it easy to connect, share, and play with friends and family. Sync favourite photos at a touch or share quotes and passages straight from your book.

Enjoy and Share

Relive your most memorable moments in stunning HD. Our new, beautifully designed photo app makes it easy to swipe through albums, or step in to full-screen viewing. And sharing your photos couldn't be easier - enjoy slide shows on your TV via HDMI, or tap on individual images to email them to anyone you like.

Import and Edit

Kindle Fire HD makes it easy to keep favourite photos close at hand. Download any album from Facebook or upload saved photos from your PC or Mac. Editing is just as simple, with many popular and fun photo editing apps available in the App store, such as PicShop Lite and Picasso Draw! Paint! Doodle!.

Connect to Your Corporate Email

Read email and attachments, manage calendars, and sync contacts on the go. Kindle Fire HD features full support for Microsoft Exchange-based accounts making it easy to stay connected when you step away from the office.

Carry and Read Your Documents

Your weekend travel plans, the latest office report - keep your essential information close at hand and backed up on the cloud with Kindle Fire documents. Send spreadsheets, PDFs, Word docs and more direct to your device or upload them from your PC or Mac.

Featured Accessories

Perfect Design, Perfect Fit

Engineered to perfectly fit your device, the fusion of premium textured leather exterior with a subtle woven nylon interior provides our lightest and thinnest form of protection. The integrated magnetic clasp ensures your cover will remain securely closed while in a backpack, purse, or briefcase.

Auto Wake and Sleep

The case automatically wakes your Kindle Fire HD upon opening and puts your device to sleep when closed making it easy to dive right back into your content.

Technical Details

Display7" 10 point capacitive touch high definition colour display; 1280x800 resolution, video playback at 720p, with IPS (in-plane switching) technology, advanced polarising filter, Gorilla Glass, and anti-glare technology.
Size193 mm x 137 mm x 10.3 mm
Weight395 grams
System RequirementsNone. Kindle Fire HD is ready to use right out of the box - no setup, no software to install, no computer required to download content
Storage16GB internal memory (approximately 12.6GB available for user content) or 32GB internal memory (approximately 26.9GB available for user content)
Battery LifeOver 11 hours of reading, surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music. Battery life will vary based on device settings, usage, and other factors such as web browsing and downloading content. Actual results may vary
Charge TimeFully charges in under 4 hours via the Kindle PowerFast charging accessory (sold separately), or slightly longer with other micro-USB power adapters that you may already have. Charges in approximately 13.5 hours from your computer via the included USB charging cable
Wi-Fi ConnectivityDual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) for faster streaming and fewer dropped connections than standard Wi-Fi. Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n standard with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks
PortsUSB 2.0 (micro-B connector) port for connection to a PC or Macintosh computer or to connect to the Kindle PowerFast charging accessory. Micro-HDMI (micro-D connector) port for high definition video output to televisions or A/V receivers
Audio3.5 mm stereo jack and integrated stereo speakers with exclusive Dolby audio engine
Content Formats SupportedKindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, PCM/WAVE, OGG, WAV, MP4, AAC LC/LTP, HE-AACv1, HE-AACv2, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, HTML5, CSS3, MP4, 3GP, VP8(.webm), Audible Enhanced format (AAX) through the Audible app (available in the Amazon Appstore)
SensorsAmbient light sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope
Location ServicesLocation-based services via Wi-Fi
Additional FeaturesExternal volume controls, front-facing HD camera, built-in microphone, built-in Bluetooth with support for A2DP compatible stereo headphones and speakers
Warranty and ServiceKindle is sold with a worldwide limited warranty of one year provided by the manufacturer. If you are a consumer, the limited warranty is in addition to your consumer rights, and does not jeopardise these rights in any way. This means you may still have additional rights at law even after the limited warranty has expired (for further information on your consumer rights, click here). Optional 3-year Extended Warranty available for UK customers sold separately. Use of Kindle is subject to the terms found here.
Included in the BoxKindle Fire HD tablet, USB charging cable, and Quick Start Guide

Compare Kindles

Back to top
Kindle e-Reader family Kindle Fire Family
Kindle Paperwhite 3G Kindle Paperwhite Kindle Kindle Fire HD 8.9" Kindle Fire HD Kindle Fire
£169 £109 £69 from £229 from £159 from £129
Screen size 6" 6" 8.9" 7" 7"
Display Technology Paperwhite Built-in light E Ink Pearl HD LCD HD LCD LCD
Resolution/ Pixel density 212 PPI 167 PPI 1920x1200
up to 1080p HD
1280x800,
up to 720p HD
1024x600
Audio - - Dolby Audio,
dual stereo speakers
Dolby Audio
dual-driver stereo speakers
Stereo speakers
Connectivity Free 3G + Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Dual-band, dual-antenna
Wi-Fi
Dual-band, dual antenna Wi-Fi Wi-Fi
Storage 2 GB on device

Plus free Cloud storage for all Amazon content
2 GB on device

Plus free Cloud storage for all Amazon content
16GB or 32GB on device

Plus free Cloud storage for all Amazon content
16 GB or 32 GB on device

Plus free Cloud storage for all Amazon content
8 GB on device

Plus free Cloud storage for all Amazon content
Dimensions 16.9 cm x 11.7 cm
x 0.91 cm
16.5 cm x 11.4 cm
x 0.87 cm
23.9 cm x 16.3 cm
x 0.9 cm
19.3 cm x 13.7 cm
x 1.03 cm
18.9 cm x 12 cm
x 1.15 cm
Weight 222 g 213 g 170 g 567 g 395 g 400 g
Processor - - Dual-core,
1.5GHz OMAP4470
Dual-core,
1.2GHz OMAP 4460
Dual-core,
1.2GHz OMAP 4430
Battery life (wireless off) 8 weeks Up to 1 month Over 10 hours'
continuous use
Over 11 hours'
continuous use
Almost 9 hours'
continuous use
Web Experimental
browser
Experimental
browser
Cloud-accelerated
browsing using Amazon Silk
Cloud-accelerated browsing
using Amazon Silk
Cloud-accelerated browsing
using Amazon Silk
Interface

2-point
multi-touch


5-way controller


10-point
multi-touch


10-point
multi-touch


2-point
multi-touch

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4,898 of 4,974 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Kindle Fire HD - what is it for? 8 Nov 2012
Configuration:With Special Offers| Digital Storage Capacity:16|Amazon Verified Purchase
I hesitate to dip my toe in the turbulent waters of Kindle Fire HD customer reviews, but having owned the 32GB version for two weeks now my thoughts might be useful to some. I already own a Kindle 3G and a WiFi/3G Ipad, against which the Fire HD seems to be regularly compared against. The Kindle is primarily used to take books on holiday, and the Ipad is used at home (via WiFi) and on holiday (3G/WiFi in the UK, WiFi abroad) for e-mails and internet access. I bought the Fire HD primarily (I thought)as a colour Kindle 'plus' - the 'plus' being a second access point to e-mails and internet if my partner was using the Ipad. Out of the box, it is a lovely looking piece of kit. It is heavier than a Kindle, but not distressingly so. You can hold it in one hand to read comfortably. WiFi access was automatically set-up - all I had to do was enter a pass-key (on the side of my Sky router). I have Sky e-mail, and I had to enter manually a couple of pieces of info in setting this up, but I got these from the account info on the Ipad. The Wi-Fi signal is picked up strongly throughout the house by the Fire HD, better than the Ipad in some rooms.

As an e-reader, it is very pleasing. The screen display is excellent - clear, detailed and the touchscreen works really well. Indeed, I am finding myself using it at home to read books which I have never done with my 'old' Kindle 3G. I also downloaded photos from my partner's Facebook to try this facility out - very easy to do and the photos look fantastic. What has really surprised me, however, is that I am now tending to use the Fire HD for my primary internet and e-mail access. Both functions are easy to use and very intuitive, and it is just easier to carry the Fire HD around than the Ipad. I have always worried about taking the Ipad abroad because of its size, even though the ability to use WiFi abroad has been invaluable. It looks like the Ipad can stay at home now, as I have an e-reader and internet access in one machine.

I have also used the useful comments from other reviewers and downloaded a number of third-party Android app sites and used these, as well as the Amazon App site, to load a few useful applications without any problems whatsoever, including Dolphin browser, YouTube etc etc. (And I write as someone who can just about turn on a computer).

In summation - and very much my opinion - I am delighted with my Fire HD. It is a much more portable size than an Ipad, offers the functionality I need and looks and sounds lovely. It has completely exceeded my expectations and is very much (for me) an Ipad 'minus' rather than a Kindle 'plus'.

Hope this review is helpful to someone.
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4,176 of 4,250 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT!!!! SUPERB!!!! 17 Nov 2012
By Dant
Configuration:With Special Offers| Digital Storage Capacity:32|Amazon Verified Purchase
I toyed with the idea of buying a new Kindle Fire HD for over a month and, of course, read all the reviews here and on other websites. Many of these reviews put me off and I nearly ordered a Google Nexus 7. I am so happy now that I didn't. Somehow at one point I got a feeling that many of these negative reviews had been written by Apple groupies or by people who got so used to their iPads that all they want is just another iPad. And I decided to order a Kindle Fire HD. It arrived promptly, three days ago, already registered. I really can't understand why some people write that it shows American time or prices in dollars. During a setup process (which was fast, easy and very intuitive) I was asked about my timezone and, of course, the device was registered in the UK. The device itself is very nicely built and it is a pleasure to hold it, actually it has a much more pleasant feel than an iPad. An Amazon Kindle Fire HD cover, which came with it, fits nicely, it's comfortable to hold and has a pleasant feel. The screen is just FANTASTIC! Speakers are better than on any other tablet or even on a big desktop computer (I have an iMac). I never liked an iPad because of its size. It is just not convenient to carry it with you all the time, and to read it on public transport is about the same as to read a big art book. A 7 inch tablet is just perfect, you can carry it in your pocket. It was really easy to connect to WiFi and to sign on to my email accounts. I have two email accounts and both work really well on Kindle Fire HD. One of them is a Yahoo account, so first I used it through the Silk browser until I discovered a Yahoo Mail application at Amazon app store. But either with the browser or with this app it was fast and smooth for sending and receiving emails. And AOL account was very easy to synchronize, it took less than a minute to get all my emails and contacts. WiFi connection is better than on any of our home computers.
After reading many reviews and online chats I was prepared to install Dolphin, Adobe Flash player, VLC player, etc. But there was no need. There was no need for Dolphin. So far the preinstalled Silk browser has been working fine, I don't have any complaints.
I installed ES File Explorer (Essential!), Battery HD (Essential!), BBC Media Player, BBC iPlayer, BBC News app, UK News Online app, USA News app (both are for reading UK and US newspapers), A8 Player and some other applications from Amazon store. I have been watching films on YouTube for three days now and not a single time I was told that I needed a Flash Player. iPad doesn't have it as well. Watching programmes on BBC iPlayer is just great! Before downloading applications I went to device settings and allowed applications from sources other than Amazon, but so far I didn't download a single application from another source. For me Amazon app store has more than enough and will probably have even more in future. Some puzzling moments though. One can download Lufthansa or American Airlines applications, but not British Airways! But I hope that Amazon will sort this out.
I downloaded about 5 Gb of music and 22 films in MP4 from my laptop and I must say that picture quality on Kindle Fire HD is much better than on the laptop. It was very easy, just connected it to the laptop with the USB cable (provided) and copied to respective music and movies files on Kindle. Music sounds fantastic, not just rock but classical opera as well. Now I can listen to music and watch my favourite films while travelling. And when I play these films I am given three options of which player to use (including A8, which I downloaded). Films in MP4 play fine on all of them. So far I didn't try to watch any films on LoveFilm and probably won't as I don't want to have a subscription. I don't play computer games, so can't be a judge here.
Also I can't comment on advertising as I paid 10 pounds extra when I ordered my Kindle for the pleasure of not having these adverts and now I am happy that I did that. It's not such a big price for one's privacy.
And, of course, I downloaded a lot of books from Amazon. Reading on Kindle Fire HD is as pleasant as on all previous Kindles. My wife has a Kindle Keyboard 3G, which is absolutely fantastic, both of us are in love with it. I can only complain that the price of downloads now is almost the same as the price of getting a real book (which also became more expensive on Amazon). Initially they were much cheaper.

So, I really can't understand what is this moaning all about. I am SO VERY HAPPY with my new Kindle Fire HD! It does much much more than I expected. I thought it would be an e-reader with internet and email capability, but it turned out to be a TABLET (and a very good one at that) with e-reader capability! Congratulations Amazon!!!! And THANK YOU! You invested time, money and, I believe, love into it and I hope that your customers will love it as much as I do.
On the negative side, it is sad that Amazon has adopted Apple's marketing strategy of charging exorbitant prices for accessories. Charger should be in the box with a Kindle as it was before. And, of course, it shouldn't cost 17.99. But any generic USB charger will do the job. Amazon needs to think about it. Many of its customers don't like how they have been treated by Apple, but now they get the same treatment from Amazon.

Summing up, if somebody is in two minds on whether to buy a Kindle Fire HD, my advice will be - don't hesitate, buy it! And don't read too many reviews. :-)
I hope you enjoy your Kindle as much as I do!
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3,070 of 3,172 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars For Me - Better than my iPad! 25 Oct 2012
By Crafty Marie TOP 100 REVIEWER
Configuration:With Special Offers| Digital Storage Capacity:16|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've had an iPad 2 tablet for a while and, though I love it, it isn't the ideal tablet for me and this is mainly due to the fact that it is so large, bulky and heavy.

A 10 inch tablet is wonderful for watching movies and iPlayer stuff but I can't fit it in my bag and it is cumbersome and heavy to hold in bed at night when I like to read books with the Kindle app dimmed down.

So, as soon as I saw that Amazon were bringing out a 7 inch screen device, I jumped at the chance to get one. I had minor quibbles when I saw the iPad Mini was coming out but when I saw the price which is almost what I paid for my 10 inch iPad 2 - seriously Apple? You're having a laugh! It's way too pricy for what it is combined with the fact that the specs are not nearly as good as the Kindle Fire HD.

PROS OF KINDLE FIRE HD:

1) It is small, portable and light enough to take out with me no matter where I go. Fits into my bag very nicely while still being a useful size for Internet, email, games, books and more.

2) Quick and easy access to all your Amazon content: all my music, Kindle books, games and apps, movies from LoveFilm and Amazon shopping all in one handy place. OK you can do this with most other tablets but not so seamlessly integrated.

MP3s you buy from Amazon are automatically stored in the cloud for you for free - and you can even upload some of your own MP3 music to the cloud for free. If you want to simply add MP3s onto the device itself, you can do that by connecting your Kindle Fire to your PC with the lead it came with and then adding them manually into the correct folder - someone else said this is called the music folder. I haven't yet tried it because I haven't needed to.

3) Beautiful backlit screen with adjustable brightness, what can I say. Really looks crisper than my iPad 2 device.

Tested this in bed last night. So much lighter and easier to hold than the 10 inch iPad for reading and because it is backlit (unlike my old Kindle Keyboard) I can carry on reading it when the lights are out. You might want to try the free GSam Screen Dimmer if you need to dim the screen even more - it worked great for me.

4) Awesome sound either out loud from the speakers or with using headphones in the headphone jack. Seriously, if you are really into music, this is the tablet to get because you won't get a better sound experience even with a pricier tablet.

I tested this side by side with the same games and music on hubby's Google Nexus tablet last night and the Kindle Fire was the clear winner with regards to a richer, sound experience.

5) Easy and intuitive to use. At least it is for me anyway. The carousel displays all your most recent items. If you want to add items from the carousel into a Favourites section, press and hold down on a carousel item and choose Add to Favourites. You can see all your favourite apps etc by clicking on the Star symbol which is bottom right - love that feature.

If you don't want the last web page you looked at shown on the carousel then go to Settings | Applications | Silk - and uncheck Display most recent page in Carousel

I love the fact that Amazon recommends items that other people have bought under the items in your Carousel display. You might not like this, if so go to Settings | Applications | Amazon Home Recommendations and select hide so they do not display.

6) Appears to be very tough and well-built though I've popped it into a case as I do with most gadgets.

The wide bezel around the edge makes it easy to hold and grip the device without accidentally touching the screen and pressing something you don't want to.

CONS OF KINDLE FIRE HD:

1) Less choice of apps. You get spoiled with the Apple app store because they have so many apps. However, I did find that I got bored looking for apps on my iPad after the novelty wore off and I just used the same core set all the time. Sometimes having too much choice is simply overwhelming.

Apparently it is possible to get the Google Play apps, perhaps do an internet search on that - I'm too busy working my way through the Amazon apps right now. Might try it at some point.

2) Physical volume buttons and the Off switch are a little hard to find especially in the dark. Amazon could definitely improve on that.

It is very easy to change the volume on-screen with the top menu that slides down even when you are on the Internet or reading.

3) I want to be able to buy and own (not rent) digital movies from Amazon like the Americans do - I believe that there are more complex laws in Europe but hope that eventually this will be possible. I certainly think Amazon are trying their hardest to deliver what they can to the UK market.

I found it very hard to connect my existing Lovefilm account with the device - Amazon should make that much easier if they can. But I did get it working.

Essentially you click on the Videos section, then you click on the middle bar icon at the bottom which gives you some settings. I had to log in to LoveFilm with my existing account details, once there I clicked above a film on a link that mentioned something about connecting accounts and then logged in with my Amazon acc details to link it all up. Now my Lovefilm items come up in the Videos tab. Sorry if it is vague but that's what I remember from the process. There is help in the on device help guide too!

NOTE ON iPLAYER - yes it does work. You need to download 2 apps - BBC iPlayer and BBC Media Player. Then you just use the iPlayer app as normal and it works like a charm.

Apparently you can add your own movies but only MP4 ones that have NO protection - ie ones you got from itunes won't work because they are protected. I think you can add them by transferring with the cable - they do not show up in the Videos tab (that's Lovefilm stuff) they show up apparently in APPS / Personal Videos. I haven't tried it but read about it and hope that helps people :)

Really delighted overall with my KFHD - I can see that the iPad might be made redundant because the 7inch screen of the Kindle Fire is so much more practical for me which means it's going to get a lot more use.

Thanks Amazon!
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