Customer Reviews

Kindle Fire HDX 8.9", HDX Display, Wi-Fi, 16 GB - Includes Special Offers

Decided to upgrade to the larger screen and faster processing from my 7"KFHD and so far am delighted with my purchase.

So, some points;

- the high output charger is included in the box - well done Amazon
- the screen is fantastic, both in terms of the larger size and picture quality.
- streaming video quality is superb.
- sound quality from the two speakers is excellent.
- the tablet itself is very slim and light to hold - any extra weight comes with a protective cover, which I would suggest is a must for a high value piece of kit.
- I have no issues at all with the power and volume buttons being on the back; in fact I think they are more intuitive to use there.
- I bought the biggest on-board storage as there is no on-board expansion capability.
- an extra tenner to remove the adverts on start-up is worth paying - the default images are very good.
- immediate access to all the music, books and apps I have ever bought from Amazon.
- Very fast download of stuff over my home Wi-Fi network.
- the Silk browser has been improved, and internet pages load very quickly.
- simplicity itself to set up my e-mail accounts, and I was up and running in a couple of minutes.
- both front and rear-facing cameras are very good, and there is a pre-loaded app to control them (unlike on the earlier KFHD).
- downloading the excellent OfficeSuite Pro7 app allows me to view and easily edit documents and presentations that I give for work.
- I opted for the 3/4G connectivity as I travel a lot with work and can't always get easy access to Wi-Fi network - you can set up a PAYG contract with Vodaphone (have to say I am not very impressed with the Vodaphone connectivity when out and about)
- downloading the free Citrix Receiver app allows me easy access to my work desktop.
- there are plenty of apps from the Amazon store for my needs

I have an Otterbox case for it as I find the added protection a plus, it allows secure standing at three working angles, and as a bonus find it easier to hold free hand than the origami case (though that does look pretty).

I'm very pleased with this - I keep seeing comparisons with the i-pads, which are irrelevant to me - I like this for what it is, not for how much better or worse it is than something else.

First some context. I use computers all the time when I was working and now that I have retired and spend much of my time researching, writing and publishing books. I use a PC much of the time but when travelling find that a tablet is clearly easier to transport and provides the accessibility I need for emails, the Internet, access to film and books/magazines. I initially purchased an Asus Transformer for this purpose, then the more transportable Kindle HD 7" and now the HDX. What I want from a tablet is reliability, good battery life and ease of use to let me do the things I want to do.

The new HDX certainly fulfils those needs. Though I had a slight problem with setup that I could not sort out myself and needed telephone support from Amazon (excellent, quick solution), it proved remarkably simple and all the documents and apps that I had on the HD were there ready to use. Ditto the books that I had already purchased. One recurrent theme in American reviews and, it seems to be unjustifiably low scores as a result, is the question of office apps on the system. It was simply a case of adding a free word processing, presentation, spreadsheet app and the problem is solved.

The HDX is an excellent piece of kit. I went for the 64GB storage as there are no card slots (something for another incarnation I hope) and this is ample for my needs. The screen is excellent, apps load quickly (both to get on the system and then once loaded), Silk has been improved and is much quicker. The tablet is light and sleek and is easy to hold in one hand, though I find it better to rest it on something for ease of use. The cameras are good and video streams like a dream. I'm not entirely convinced by moving the buttons to the rear of the Kindle--necessary to keep the Kindle thin--but they are certainly bigger and therefore easier to use than on the HD. Overall, the HDX allows me to do what I want and I would certainly recommend it as a significantly cheaper alternative to Apple Air.

I thought I'd update my review (12 December) after over a month's regular use. Getting one of the origami covers--also an excellent if expensive item--was a good decision. Not only does it put the Kindle into shut-down mode when closed but it also protects and helps to clean the screen. I use my Kindle for a variety of things but especially reading and the ability to place my growing number of books easily into different collections has made finding the books when I need them considerably easier. I already had an app capable of doing this but the Kindle solution is eminently more elegant. In fact, the more I use the Kindle, the more elegant and responsive I find it, something aided by modifying the settings t suit my needs. I've used the machine for word-processing using both the built in keyboard (fine for short emails or blogs) and a Bluetooth keyboard for longer documents. Silk has proved a responsive and quick way of accessing the Internet and the emailing app has proved invaluable and also highly responsive. Battery life is good--I've averaged 9.5 hours before needing to re-charge--but have found that turning off Wi-Fi does extend this time. Overall, my initial feelings about the Kindle have been reinforced by using it. It really is an excellent tablet.

I've been using the Kindle Fire for some time now and have been largely happy, however, within a few moments of using the new Kindle Fire HDX, the improvements are palpable and pleasing.

The first thing to comment on, is the weight, despite the larger screen, it is now comfortable to wield one handed and significantly lighter than the older Fire and Fire HD. The shell is slimmer and has a nice soft grip finish on the rear and beveled edges which make it more comfortable to hold, and your fingers will glide effortlessly across the screen which is notably more responsive. The bookshelf interface has been significantly improved (although I'd like more flexibility on how to sort my files and apps - eg, I'd like my current book to remain at the front of the queue even if I decide to download a slew of new titles for later). If you are a keen reader, but find your wallet is a little on the lean side, you'll can also find a substantive catalogue of free or heavily discounted titles to browse through which should have something to suit all tastes.

If you've never used the Lovefilm service, there is a 30 day free trial for you to sample. Streaming is superb and I've not has a single issue with buffering films of TV programmes I've opted to watch. [My main gripe with Lovefilm is that the content is mostly quite old, but I still found stuff I wanted to see (eg Vikings) and the range of HD content has improved.] The display is just as superb and the clarity and depth of colour and detail are superb. Sound is impressive too for such a small device, and the two speakers offer stereo sound, although it is inevitably a little thin compared to the cinema experience - you can opt to use earphones (not supplied), so select a good pair and you'll be much more impressed with the experience. Personally, I still prefer watching my media on larger screens with full surround sound, so it's fortunate I can also have the same streaming experience on my smart TV or via my playstation or xbox for no extra cost.

If you've purchased music CDs from Amazon in the past, you may be pleasantly suprised to find electronic versions are available to you to stream from the cloud or download directly to your kindle. Whilst this is great, I've noticed that the tracks are not always correctly identified and this may lead to some confusion when creating a playlist. That strange issue aside, I found music streamed smoothly and I had no buffering issues either.

The silk browser is another step forward. The interface is snappier and feels much more responsive than in the previous models, and connectivity has so far proven to be more reliable too. Sadly, the browser doesn't support flash, so you'll have difficulty with sites that rely on flash media player, but generally pages load quickly and you can switch rapidly between multiple tabs - I've not been able to count the upper limit, but you will be advised when you reach it. The lack of flash support is an annoyance because it is still prevalent across the web.

There is both a front and rear (with led flash) facing camera. The rear camera is OK, it can record 1080p video clips, but at only 8mp, there are definitely better ways to take photos for better results, even if the screen does make a great viewfinder. The front camera can manage 720p video, so it does a decent job with skype messaging. Overall the camera features are good, but they could do with some improvements in future models.

There are a number of Apps available from the Amazon App store (rather than Googleplay) - I'm not really a big app or social media user, so this isn't a major feature for me and whilst there are some that I use which are absent, but I still have my smartphone for those. However, browsing through the selection you'll find many of the standards like Angry Birds, Tetris Bejeweled, Facebook, Twitter, iPlayer and YouTube. There is also a "free app of the day" which might offer up a bargain once in a while as it cycles through the range games and productivity apps that are on offer. If there are any glaring omissions from the library, I honestly couldn't tell you what they are.

Battery life is working out to be around 8-9 hours depending on use. The fact that the unit is sealed and batteries can't be easily replaced is also a little disappointing. It's not entirely surprising in our current era of corporately enforced technological obsolescence, but it would have been nice if we could at least have the option of being able to carry around a spare to extend usage.

I've gone for the 32GB model, which is more than sufficient for my needs, and for dragging and dropping files I can use the USB connections to link it to my PC , but the inclusion of a memory expansion slot could have increased the flexibility of the model. I have tge 4G version, but I'm not especially keen on being locked into Vodafone as the de facto service provider. I was able to pair up a bluetooth keyboard and microphone really easily and found them to function perfectly.

Overall, there are a few things that I think could be improved:

Battery life could be better and it would be useful to have the option to change batteries if needed.
More flexibility to allow the customer to choose who provides their 4G service.
Browser should support Flash whilst it it still so prevalent on the web.
A memory expansion slot would be advantageous.
Improved camera resolution and greater parity between the functionality and features of the front and rear cameras.

However, I absolutely love my Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 and it does everything I need it to do well (reading, email, web browsing and media streaming) and I'm glad I've made the switch.

I bought the HDX 8.9 64GB being under the impression it would be a step up from the previous generation Kindle Fire HD, and in some respects it is, in other ways however it fails to impress.

Firstly the pros:
-The screen is superb. Probably the best available at the moment on a device this size.
-The speakers are also top of their class. The sound they produce is beyond anything you would expect.
-I really like the new design, and it is so light to hold. It looks like a quality product.
-It comes with a charger! The last generation didn't.

Now for the cons:
-Whilst the hardware has significantly improved, Amazon's software has not. Now dubbed Fire OS, it seems to be far more bug prone and unreliable than before. 50 per cent of the time the various Amazon stores refuse to load, often requiring a shutdown. Considering the power of the tablet there is also a significant amount of lag and stuttering even when just scrolling through the ever present carousel.
-I knew how Amazon handled films on the device, via their LoveFilm service, but having now experienced BlinkBox and GooglePlay's offering, and seen how they allow you to download films or TV episodes individually. LoveFilm seems antiquated in insisting on a subscription service. Why can't I purchase or rent films and pay as I go?
-Each section of content has it own store, books, music etc. On the HDX these stores don't seem to be formatted correctly, the book and magazine store look frankly awful, with content arranged bizarrely and mis-aligned, this is just sloppy coding on Amazon's part. Not a big issue but still not what you would expect.
-Amazon's magazine and newspaper offering is lazy. Each publication is offered as it's own app. There is no conformity across each app. They are designed to offer one free issue and then you need to take a subscription to continue with the next issue. Why can't I buy issues as and when I feel like it? Again GooglePlay offers this service. Looking at the store not one of the publications I have looked at has been given more than a 3 star review, mainly due to people being charged and then not getting what they have paid for!

Having owned the device since its UK release date I find it hard to recommend. The 8.9 HDX is no longer selling at a budget price, yet for a far cheaper outlay I could get more functionality from a stock Android tablet. Why sell the device with such large storage capacity when there is no facility to download films or even access some of the larger (and better) Android games, which Amazon seem to have no plan to port across anytime soon (PVZ2?).

In short good hardware but why bother if nothing you offer makes use of the extra power? �420 to read books and access the internet? All these issues could be sorted via software updates, something tells me they won't be though.

I was a little bit worried that the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" would disappoint and be neither an effective tablet nor a great e-reader. I needn't have worried - this machine performs brilliantly both as a tablet and an e-reader. It is quick in action, light in weight and has the most superb screen display I have ever seen. Well done Amazon - you certainly got this one spot on in every way!

I use a Kindle Touch, but I got this as a Christmas present for my partner. We both love it. There is little I can add to the praises other reviewers have heaped on the Fire HDX, but I will add that, as someone who reads a lot on Kindle, one of the smaller versions (like the Touch) is easier to hold and manage. If you like games, colour magazines and movies, this is fantastic.

Great cheap tablet, picture quality is amazing, technical support is amazing, very easy to use and good range of apps. Well chuffed basically

Having agonised for several weeks I finally purchased the 8.9. However the decision whether to buy or not would have been a lot easier to make had the hdx been priced at �299. Psychologically I could have fooled myself into thinking this was still a budget tablet. Anyway took advantage of the reduction to �304. My new tablet is an upgrade from my 7 inch HD. I must say the screen size is great. I love the size of the iPad mini, but dare I say, an 8.9 display trumps it. Due to the 16:9 ratio aspect of the kindle the screen size when watching wide screen video occupies the same area as the ten inch ipad air does. And since I plan to watch video through this device this can be seen as one of the 8.9's strengths. The camera and video quality seem quite good to me, however the only tablet I can compare this to is an ipad 4 which had poor video and camera quality. It goes without saying that the picture/display quality on this device is great and is comparable to all the latest tablets. I found the placement of the power and volume buttons to be a major improvement. However the sound quality on the 8.9 HDX seems a bit ropey to me and no where near as good as the 7 inch HD. I 'll need to do a proper comparison later. It would be a major disappointment if my initial impression is correct. Just as important to me is the battery life. I'm hoping this new device will get somewhere near the times quoted by Amazon. if not I'll probably end up with an ipad air which is a comparable device with a great battery life and a great selection of apps. It would pain me to part with that much money though.

Update 3/2/14
Battery life seems good. Speakers still bad. Have read a few reviews that praise the speakers. Maybe the issue is with my particular device.

I have the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 which is awesome and now I own the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 and I have to say both devices are just fantastic.
I am very pleased with both devices but looks and feel of the HDX 8.9 is beautiful.
I am very lucky to own these two devices.
Bed time reading, surfing, movies or TV catch up brings a smile to my face as I watch from my bedside or from my dining table!!!!
I enjoy my Kindle fires and their easy use.
No instructions in the box, GOOD as these tablets are so easy and user friendly.

Well done Amazon.

brilliant screen, easy to work an all the information you need, at your finger tips,via may day GREAT for older people