You can load your own HD movies, via microUSB from your computer, but we’d like the option to quickly download a flick before a flight, for instance. The only piece of the puzzle that’s missing is movie downloads – it’s frustrating with a Wi-Fi only tablets that all those Lovefilm movies can only be streamed. With the extra pixels, Amazon’s now able to display most of the menu options on one screen, which is great if you want to bypass the Amazon stores to head to the Silk browser, gorgeous scrolling photo gallery and Docs.īut you won’t want to as Amazon does a superb job of presenting what’s on the device, what you already own in the cloud and what’s available to buy from the stores. Instead, your options are Shop, Games, Apps, Books, Music, Videos, Newsstand, Audiobooks, etc. There’s no access to the regular Google Play stores. It’s not as good as the iPad Mini in poorly lit living rooms but it does the job. Skype’s present and correct on the Kindle store and there’s a decent HD front-facer with a camera app for selfies. There’s still no rear camera on the 7in Kindle Fire tab (unlike the 8.9incher, which has an 8MP cam), but we wouldn’t consider that a deal-breaker for most tableteers. If gaming on your slate is a high priority you’re probably still better off with a Nexus 7, and its unfettered access to the Play Store. Amazon controls what goes on its App Store with a fervour that makes even Apple look pretty chilled out. So it’s a bit of a beast, but it’s worth mentioning that you might not be able to download the exact Android games (or versions) that you’re after. Some of the stores, such as Games, can stutter when scrolling through choices, but apps download quickly thanks to dual-band Wi-Fi, while streaming is spot-on. It’s amazing that a tablet as reliably fast and capable as this new Kindle Fire is going for just £200 – Amazon’s really stepped up the performance, and it makes the difference in the little bits of navigation around the OS. What does that mean? They’ve chucked everything at the HDX, and Fire 3.0 runs beautifully as a result. ![]() Even the virtual 5.1 surround sound does a decent job – we actually paused a Netflix stream to check if some background jazz was coming from the tab or another room. If films are your bag, clap your hands over your ears and pretend you never heard us say anything about the HDX’s slightly blue LED tendency.ĭual stereo speakers with Dolby Digital Plus audio sound nice and punchy, too, and the placement at the top of the HDX’s back mean you’re unlikely to accidentally cover one up. It’s minimal, barely noticeable when watching movies, but once you spot it you won’t be able to stop your eyes travelling back to it. The better-than-full HD screen on the HDX is gorgeous, then, with one small niggle: white webpages can nudge towards the creamier end of the spectrum and when using apps or browsing pages with a white background, you occasionally encounter a blue tint, especially in the corners. Skintones look natural and vivid colours dazzle in the best possible way. From HD Lovefilm streams of Looper to hi-res images loaded onto the HDX, everything looks clear and clean from every angle. It’s no surprise that Amazon prioritises picture quality, because that’s what Kindle tablets are all about: watching stuff.
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