Amazon Hearth 7 (2022): Specs
Value: $60
Show: 7-inch 1024×600 LCD Contact
CPU: 2GHz quad-core
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 16GB, 32GB
Ports: 1 USB-C, 1 microSD slot, 1 Headphone port
Dimension: 7.11 x 4.63 x 0.38 inches
Weight: 9.9 ounces
Amazon has by no means been identified for the sleekest or most trendy devices round, however the retail large certain is aware of tips on how to make reasonably priced units for the plenty. Take the newest 2022 revision of the Hearth 7 pill: Amazon’s entry-level pill prices simply $60 for the bottom configuration, or lower than one-fifth the worth of the bottom 10.2”-inch Apple iPad.
As you would possibly count on, such dramatic value financial savings comes with large caveats. The Hearth 7 is critically sluggish all through and has a boring, fuzzy show, plus it’s locked to Amazon’s personal ecosystem—no official Google apps or Play Retailer in sight.
Nonetheless, if value is your major consideration and also you desire a moveable display for watching movies, browsing the net, and staying in contact with buddies, the worth is totally proper… as long as you’ve got some endurance whereas utilizing the factor.
Amazon Hearth 7 (2022) evaluation: Value and configurations
- It begins at $60 with 16GB storage and lock display adverts.
- You’ll be able to double the storage for an additional $20, and skip the adverts for $15 further.
The bottom mannequin Amazon Hearth 7 (2022) pill sells for $60 and comes with 16GB of inside storage, whereas a model with 32GB of storage sells for $80. Each are in any other case an identical when it comes to specs, packing the identical quad-core 2GHz processor, 2GB RAM, and 7-inch contact show, amongst different options.
At these base costs, the Hearth 7 comes with Amazon’s acquainted “particular affords” geared up—that’s, lock display adverts. You’ll be able to pay $15 extra per version—so, $75 or $95—to get a pill with out lock display adverts, or in any other case pay the identical quantity at any level sooner or later to take away them.
My evaluation unit didn’t show lock display adverts, however having considered them on different Amazon tablets up to now, I’ve typically discovered them to be unobtrusive. They don’t decelerate the expertise, and it’s considerably akin to selecting up {a magazine} and having to flip by means of adverts earlier than you get to the content material. On this case, although, it’s the entryway to your pill.
Amazon Hearth 7 (2022) evaluation: Design
- The Hearth 7 is slim and light-weight, and simple to tote round.
- It has plastic backing and a major bezel across the show.
As talked about, Amazon’s tablets don’t have the smooth, alluring design of Apple’s iPad and different equally premium moveable units—however the Hearth 7 is solidly refined for a $60 gadget. It’s slim and light-weight, weighing in at lower than 10 ounces with 7.11 x 4.63 x 0.38-inch footprint.
True, it’s skinny plastic on the again as an alternative of steel on some pricier rivals, however the Hearth 7 is properly contoured and doesn’t really feel particularly low cost or flimsy. In different phrases, it’s not lavish by any means, however the Hearth 7 appears to be like and feels extra polished than anticipated at this worth.
It’s somewhat curvier than the previous 2019 edition, however the silhouette isn’t dramatically modified. I reviewed the model with a Rose-colored backing, however there are additionally Denim and Black choices out there.
You do get a good quantity of bezel across the display, nevertheless, making the Hearth 7 really feel bigger than maybe it must be. However that’s much less a criticism than purely an statement: I discovered it straightforward to tote this lil’ factor round and even pop it in my again pocket when strolling round.
Amazon has switched to a USB-C port this time round, shifting up from microUSB on the final Hearth 7 mannequin to match the present normal for many tablets.
Amazon Hearth 7 (2022) evaluation: Show
- The Hearth 7 has a comparatively low-resolution show at 1024×600, or 171 ppi.
- It’s additionally not a really vibrant display.
Right here’s the primary of a pair notable ache factors for the Amazon Hearth 7, nevertheless, and it’s no actual shock: the 7-inch LCD contact panel is fuzzier than most as of late, plus it’s not very vibrant.
At a mere 1024×600 decision, the Hearth 7 packs in simply 171 pixels per inch (ppi), falling nicely under the bottom mannequin 10.2-inch Apple iPad (2160×1620, or 264 ppi) in addition to the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 (2000×1200, or 224 ppi). Amazon’s Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10 fashions additionally each pack sharper shows, as hinted by their names.
Look, a 600p panel isn’t the tip of the world on the 7” measurement, however it ends in fuzzy-looking textual content and pictures, which impacts the viewing expertise. It’s typically much less noticeable when watching video or enjoying 3D video games, so it’d hassle some customers greater than others, however there’s a powerful probability that your smartphone’s display is considerably crisper than this one.
At instances, the larger subject is that the LCD display is just boring. Just like the earlier mannequin, this Hearth 7’s colours can look washed out at instances, and there’s simply not plenty of vary to it. Our lab exams backed that up, with slightly below 67% of the sRGB shade gamut on show, and 47% of the DCI-P3 area. It places up a flatter picture than I’d hoped for.
In truth, I believed the show was dim at first, however my eyes deceived me—our brightness take a look at measured a shocking 421 nits on the middle, which is excess of I anticipated at a look. Viewing angles are a bit restricted, too, as any view apart from dead-on tends to lose readability.
Amazon Hearth 7 (2022) evaluation: Efficiency
- The Hearth 7 may be very gradual in loading apps and companies.
- It’s additionally not a really succesful gaming gadget.
Sadly, efficiency is the opposite huge subject. Sluggishness completely defines the Hearth 7 expertise, high to backside, typically including prolonged waits as you try to do absolutely anything.
Apps and video games are sometimes extremely gradual to load, and typically don’t get there. I’ve had a number of cases of apps—like Netflix, Asphalt 9: Legends, and even Amazon Music—attempt to attempt to load one thing and seemingly simply get caught, typically crashing within the course of.
More often than not, the apps finally labored as meant, however with longer-than-usual waits. Offended Birds 2, for instance, performs comparatively easily as soon as the extent hundreds. However getting there takes an extended whereas. Additionally, the pill typically will get slowed down when coming back from sleep, particularly if it has to attempt to reload a resource-intensive app or recreation.
Amazon bumped this mannequin’s quad-core processor from 1.3GHz the final time round to 2GHz, and even doubled the RAM from 1GB to 2GB, however the finish outcome isn’t anyplace close to adequate to deal with even primary on a regular basis calls for. That’s the trade-off for a $60 pill, and also you’ll want endurance to cope with the frequent delays.
Expectedly, it’s spotty on gaming. Easier video games do OK right here, like Offended Birds or Subway Surfers, except for the gradual loading instances. For a visually-intensive racing recreation, Asphalt 9 ran sturdier than anticipated, however nonetheless encountered main efficiency hits throughout crashes and different huge occasions. Roblox video games, alternatively, have been extensively hit-or-miss when it comes to efficiency.
Observe that along with the 16GB and 32GB inside storage choices, there’s additionally a microSD slot that accommodates playing cards as much as 1TB in measurement. That’s a fantastic profit, particularly since microSD playing cards are fairly reasonably priced. For instance, you possibly can sometimes seize a 128GB microSD card for lower than the $20 distinction between the 16GB and 32GB fashions.
Amazon Hearth 7 (2022) evaluation: Audio
- Audio playback isn’t nice—use headphones should you can.
There’s only a tiny speaker grate right here—six holes on the highest when held in panorama mode—and expectedly, the output isn’t nice. It will get fairly loud, however music and different audio will get very muffled on the greater ranges.
It’s high quality for video games, internet shopping, and informal video watching, however I extremely advocate plugging in headphones for consuming media and music.
Amazon Hearth 7 (2022) evaluation: Battery life
- Battery life is fairly stable, however it recharges slowly.
Amazon claims that the Hearth 7 can ship as much as 10 hours of battery life, and that’s true underneath the suitable circumstances. In truth, we beat that point with our battery rundown take a look at, by which the pill frequently surfs the net at a dim 150 nits. We registered practically 10:55 on that take a look at, though the pill routinely kicked in a low energy mode close to the tip of the run.
At full brightness, you’ll nonetheless get very stable uptime for a small pill. I had the Hearth 7 run by means of hours of Netflix and YouTube movies at max brightness, and it stayed alive for greater than seven hours. That’s a good goal for blended utilization too, when it comes to media, internet shopping, and different apps, though 3D video games can drain it even sooner.
Sadly, it’s a gradual charger—the Hearth 7 solely picked up 8% of cost in quarter-hour and 15% in half-hour, so it’ll take a couple of hours to high up as soon as it’s drained.
Amazon Hearth 7 (2022) evaluation: Cameras
- They’re poor cameras, by means of and thru.
You get a pair of 2-megapixel cameras on the Hearth 7, one on either side, and neither pumps out notably detailed or balanced photographs. Even in sturdy outside lighting, photographs from the primary (rear) digital camera have been constantly muddy, whereas selfie photographs have been both washed out or had an odd orangish glow to them.
And indoors, with much less strong lighting on faucet, the Hearth 7 sometimes delivered noisy, blurry outcomes. Nothing the Hearth 7 gave me was Instagram-worthy, however once more, none of that is shocking on the $60 worth. It can provide you tolerable video for Skype and different video chat apps with first rate lighting, however don’t depend on snagging any nonetheless photographs value saving.
Amazon Hearth 7 (2022) evaluation: Software program
- Many main apps and video games can be found, however not practically as many as on iOS or Android.
The Hearth 7 is constructed on Android—however it’s Amazon’s taste of Android, which remains to be fairly clunky in any case these years. Past this specific pill’s efficiency points, the interface isn’t very clean or interesting, and it typically took a pair further steps to search out the app, device, or content material that I used to be attempting to find.
And since it’s Amazon’s personal fork of Android, you don’t get official Google apps right here, which is a particular drag. Amazon’s Silk browser is satisfactory, however doesn’t present the velocity or refinement of Chrome, plus there’s no official Gmail, YouTube, or Google Maps apps. It’s so unusual to see Google knockoffs in an app market in 2022.
Likewise, with no entry to Google’s Play Retailer, you’re not going to get the identical stage of entry to premier apps and video games as on most Android units. However plenty of the heavy hitters are right here, like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ for video, Spotify for music, Fb apps and TikTok, and large video games like Minecraft, Roblox, and Sweet Crush Saga.
Amazon’s Echo voice assistant is baked in, too, and you may select whether or not or to not have it pay attention out to your instructions even when the display is off. Weirdly, nevertheless, I routinely encountered error messages when utilizing Alexa, even when related to Wi-Fi.
Amazon Hearth 7 (2022) evaluation: Verdict
Regardless of some sizable complaints, it’s nonetheless wonderful that you would be able to get a useful pill for $60. The Hearth 7 gained’t be for everybody, and if you have already got a high-end smartphone, then a barely bigger pill that’s gradual and clunky most likely gained’t enchantment.
However should you’re on the lookout for a super-affordable pill for watching streaming video on journeys or in your commute, or one other option to faucet into social media and informal internet shopping, then the Hearth 7 can meet these budget-conscious wants. Steer clear should you put efficiency over worth, although.
