Amazon Hearth 7 (2022) evaluation: Adequate for the fundamentals

The final time Amazon up to date the Hearth 7 pill was in 2019, which is a lifetime in relation to know-how. Then in Might, Amazon introduced an up to date Hearth 7, including a USB-C port, shifting the front-facing digital camera, and boosting battery life and efficiency. These modifications got here with a worth improve, with the bottom mannequin Hearth 7 going from $49.99 to $59.99. 

Amazon began transport the Hearth 7 on the finish of June, which is across the time Amazon despatched me a evaluation pattern to check. I have been utilizing it for some informal studying, enjoying a online game or two and watching movies. And, in that regard, it is finished a very good job. 

A contemporary, however fundamental pill

The Hearth 7’s design is not going to garner a lot consideration once you’re utilizing it in public. It is a fundamental plastic housing with a slab of glass on high that is designed to only get the job finished. It is available in three completely different colours — black, denim and rose. The front-facing digital camera has been moved to the center of the show when the Hearth 7 is in panorama orientation, one thing that makes video calls from the small pill simpler. The entrance and rear cameras are every 2-megapixel sensors. Photos and movies look okay, however not nice. 

Almost the entire ports and buttons are on the suitable fringe of the housing when the pill’s laying on its aspect. There is a energy button, quantity up/down buttons, a 3.5mm headphone jack and — my favourite half — a USB-C port for charging the pill. The transfer away from micro USB throughout Amazon units has been one thing the corporate is engaged on, and the addition of USB-C on the $60 pill is value declaring. 

Additionally: Utilizing the unsuitable USB-C cable can injury your tech. Easy methods to keep away from that 

On the underside fringe of the Hearth 7 is a microSD card slot that lets you improve the storage from 16GB or 32GB to a 1TB. 

The show measures 7-inches, simply as its identify implies, and has a decision of 1024 x 600. It isn’t the sharpest show, however that is to be anticipated at this worth level. 

Essentially the most notable factor in regards to the Hearth 7’s design is simply how small it’s. It is one thing you would simply carry round in a handbag or backpack with out noticing it is actually there. For the detail-oriented, the Hearth 7 measures 7.11 x 4.63 x 0.38-inches and weighs 9.9 ounces. 

Improved efficiency that is simply adequate

Amazon’s Hearth 7 pill has at all times had efficiency that is simply adequate to get by. With the 2022 model, that method stays intact. Amazon is utilizing a quad-core processor with 2GB of reminiscence within the Hearth 7, which the corporate says provides a 30% increase in efficiency in comparison with the 2019 mannequin. 

The 2GB of reminiscence alone is double what was within the earlier mannequin, and it is a noticeable addition, particularly when gaming. Nonetheless, total efficiency with the Hearth 7 is one thing that can educate you to have persistence. 

When shifting between numerous sections and facets of the interface, corresponding to opening the Kindle Retailer, Amazon Appstore after which viewing the Library tab, there are occasions when the pill is fast and responsive. However then you definitely faucet on a search field, and there is a longer-than-expected delay for the Hearth 7’s keyboard to indicate up. 

There is a devoted gaming mode constructed into the Hearth 7’s working system that routinely activates when it detects you’ve got opened a sport (any sport you’ve got put in from the Appstore will set off it). Recreation Mode optimizes the machine’s reminiscence, hides notifications and disables the Alexa characteristic. Even with Recreation Mode, it might take a minute or two earlier than a sport turns into playable. 

From what I can inform, so long as an app stays in reminiscence, the efficiency increase is noticeable. However when you, for example, exit the Silk Browser after searching the online for a couple of minutes, after which return to it an hour or two later after utilizing the Hearth 7 for a special activity, that subsequent launch of Silk takes a couple of additional seconds to load. 

In different phrases, the Hearth 7’s efficiency is nice sufficient so long as you keep inside a single app and do not anticipate it to be a multitasking workhorse. 

Amazon touts 10-hour battery life for the Hearth 7, one other improved stat over the 2019 mannequin. And, whereas I can not affirm 10 hours of use is feasible, I can say that battery life is one space of the Hearth 7 the place I haven’t got any complaints. I had loads of battery life left after streaming free dwell TV for a few hours within the Freevee app, searching the online and making an attempt to play Roblox. 

A phrase in regards to the software program… and Alexa!

One of many loudest complaints about any Amazon machine is the shortage of Google apps and providers. The Hearth 7 runs Amazon’s Hearth OS, which is predicated on Android, however Amazon has deeply modified and customised the way it capabilities. Due to that, it hasn’t gone via Google’s certification course of and subsequently you will not discover apps like Google Maps, Gmail or YouTube preinstalled or out there within the Amazon Appstore.

Regardless of the shortage of help for Google’s apps, yow will discover a lot of the massive identify apps within the Amazon Appstore — like Spotify, Disney+, Fb and Zoom. It isn’t splendid for somebody who has closely invested in apps from Google’s Play Retailer, or for somebody like myself that depends on a password supervisor that is not out there within the Appstore. 

One of many advantages of customizing the working system on the Hearth 7 is that Amazon is ready to construct Alexa instantly into the machine. Which means you should use the pill as a makeshift Echo Present machine. There is a toggle to show Alexa on or off within the fast settings panel. When it is turned on, you’ll be able to say “Alexa” adopted by a command or query the identical means you’ll when you had a devoted Echo sensible show or Echo speaker. 

Together with the power to ask Alexa questions, you’ll be able to view and handle your Alexa-connected sensible residence units like cameras, lights and retailers utilizing your voice or by tapping on the devoted Units button within the backside navigation bar. 

Backside line

Amazon’s Hearth 7 pillis as soon as once more a well-rounded expertise so long as you are taking the associated fee under consideration when setting expectations. It isn’t the quickest machine you will use, and at occasions its velocity could be irritating. However, with persistence, it is a stable pill, colourful Kindle, devoted Alexa sensible show and sensible residence controller mixed.