It’s been three years since Amazon launched the 2019 Fire 7 tablet so it’s not too much of a surprise that it has launched an updated model for 2022.
Amazingly, this is the 12th generation of the tablet and it now has USB-C charging to match its larger Fire 8 and Fire 10 siblings.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the screen size, which remains at seven inches. The low resolution of 1024×600 hasn’t changed either.
But as we’ve seen before, there is a slightly faster processor (30% quicker than the previous model) and double the RAM (now 2GB), which will undoubtedly aid performance.
The biggest upgrade is battery life, which is said to be 40% longer, up from seven to 10 hours of general use. You get a 5W USB-C charger in the box, too.
As everything seems to be getting more expensive, it’s perhaps not the greatest surprise that the price has gone up. Amazon couldn’t stick with the £49.99 / $49.99 price forever.
It’s now £59.99 / $59.99, but has the same storage options as before. If you want more than the 16GB of the base model, it’s £69.99 / $79.99 for 32GB, but you can also add a microSD card for extra storage.
Right now, you can pre-order the tablet from Amazon: the new Fire 7 goes on sale on 29 June. There’s a choice of three colours: Black, Denim and Rose.
For those prices, you’ll see ads on the lockscreen, but it’s possible to select an ad-free model when buying. These cost £10 / $15 more than the equivalent capacity version with ads.
Cameras appear to be the same as before with 2Mp front and rear, and can record video at 720p.
The case has been slightly redesigned, though there’s still a chunky bezel around the screen. Weight has been slightly reduced from 295g to 282g (9.9oz).
Overall, it’s a bit smaller at 181x118x10mm. It’s good to see that it’s made from 35% post-consumer recycled plastics.
Of course, software is the same and gives you access to Amazon content from video to games to books, magazines and the ability to order physical products from Amazon.
Remember, though, this isn’t an Android tablet and doesn’t have the Google Play Store or any Google services. Instead, there are Amazon apps for things like the web browser, photos, maps and email.
Fire 7 Kids edition
There’s also a Fire 7 Kids version which comes with a bumper case, a year’s subscription to Kids+ and a two-year ‘worry free’ warranty.
For the first time, you can choose the storage capacity: 16GB or 32GB. Prices start from £109.99 / $109.99, and these do not have ads on the lockscreen. Again, there are three colours to choose between, but they relate to the case, not the tablet (which is black). Colours are red, blue and purple.
You can pre-order it from Amazon, and it too goes on sale 29 June.
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Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.