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| The Amazon Fire TV is now the budget Android tablet to beat |
FORGET the Tesco Hudl, the Amazon Fire is now the best budget tablet money can buy.
- Pros – Staggeringly Low £49 Asking Price, Great Display, Fast Processor and Solid Battery Life
- Cons – Annoying Lockscreen Adverts, No Google Play Store, Chunky Plastic Design
Tesco last month announced it had "no plans" to continue its hugely popular budget tablet – the Hudl.
The supermarket giant's £65 eight-inch Android tablet was once the budget device to beat.
But now there is a new kid on the block from eReader veteran, Amazon.
Hot off the success of the 4K compatible Fire TV, the Redmond firm is throwing its hat into the bargain tablet ring with a stellar new cut-price device.
Having had the £49 Amazon Fire in our hands for the last few weeks, NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com has been hugely impressed with this budget tablet.
Granted, the Amazon Fire's plastic case isn't going to win any design awards for style.
But there plenty of features to get excited about in his budget gadget – including its incredibly tasty screen.
The Amazon Fire has a sharp seven-inch IPS display.
It's colourful, bright – and no other budget tablet comes close to matching it.
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| Squeezed inside the Amazon Fire is a fast 1.3GHz quad-core processor |
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| The £49 Amazon gadget has a stellar display, but chunky bezels |
Whilst this screen isn’t in the same league as the premium market, it offers a crisp, clear and colourful picture quality that's very easy on the eye.
Squeezed inside the Amazon Fire is a fast 1.3GHz quad-core processor which brings a slick experience to users.
The tablet breezes through day-to-day tasks with web browsing and casual games running free of any stutters or delays.
Battery life is very reasonable and whilst it does not beat market leaders like the iPad Air 2 or Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, it should be enough to keep you entertained through the most tedious plane journeys.
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| Amazon has built a worthy successor to Tesco's dead Hudl tablet |
Unfortunately not everything about the new Amazon Fire is as top-class as its stellar display and battery life.
When you switch on the device you will have to put up with Amazon’s own Android-based operating system, FireOS.
It's clean and easy to use, but honestly, is not anywhere near as attractive as alternative mobile operating systems from Google and Apple.
And whilst the Amazon Fire has a jaw-droppingly low £49 price tag, tablet owners will have to put up with a slew of adverts from the online retailer filling up your lockscreen.
That means every time you hit the power button, your screensaver will be replaced by a bumper advert for the latest app, game or Amazon online service.
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| Granted, the sponsored screensavers are a small price to pay for such a well-built budget tablet |
Granted, these advertisements are a small price to pay for such a well-built budget tablet – or you can pay an extra £10 at checkout to get rid of the sponsored screensavers.
But if you aren't a fan of Amazon, its own FireOS system is likely to annoy you, too.
The home screen alone contains over 10 Amazon apps including Audiobooks, Shopping, Games and Offers.
Swiping left or right on these will whisk you to more of Amazon's online shopping opportunities in the blink of an eye.
Unfortunately the Amazon Fire is also a little on the heavy side and its thick black bezel can make the screen feel small and cramped.
Finally the front and rear cameras won’t be snapping award-winning shots, with the results often appearing dull and blurred.
If you are looking for a bargain tablet and are a fan of Amazon services, this nifty tablet is a no-brainer.
The seven-inch display is excellent, the tablet has a clean, easy-to-use OS (even if it is a little Amazon-heavy) and has solid battery life.
But before you get too excited – you need to be warned, the Amazon Fire is not flawless and if you’re not an Amazon addict you might want to look elsewhere.
The constant bombardment of adverts on the £49 model can quickly drive you potty and the Fire operating system isn’t in the same league as what Apple and Google currently offer.
But for £49 – you won't find better than the Amazon Fire.
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