In with the new
Amazon's 2022 iteration of the 7-inch Fire Tablet brings small yet meaningful upgrades to the table. The charging port is better, there's a better processor inside, and you get twice the RAM as the older generation. This little tablet costs $10 more, but you get your money's worth in every sense of the word.
For
- Faster processor and more RAM
- Much better performance
- Impressive battery life
- Up to 1TB expandable storage
- USB-C port
- Compact form factor
Against
- Costs $10 more
- Fewer colorways
- No Google Play Store
Out with the old
The 2019 Fire 7 Tablet comes in more colorways than its newer counterpart and costs a bit cheaper. However, the outdated micro-USB port and sluggish gear under the hood are inexcusable in this day and age.
For
- Cheaper than 2022 version
- Comes in four shades
- Up to 512GB expandable storage
- Small and lightweight
Against
- Crappy micro-USB charging
- So-so battery life
- Lacks Google Play Store
- Sluggish performance
You can grab Amazon's wonderfully affordable Fire Tablets in plenty of size options. Sitting at the bottom of the food chain, the 7-inch Fire Tablet comes with a rock-bottom price tag to match.
Amazon updated the Fire Tablet 7 (2019) in 2022 in a sensible, non-flashy way. Although this makeover wasn't drastic, there are plenty of little changes that you'll appreciate during your everyday usage.
These new improvements aren't free though. Amazon has bumped up the price of the Fire 7 Tablet by all of $10 to be exact (sales notwithstanding). If you're debating whether the menial increase is worth it, we're here to answer your qualms and queries. Let's look at the finer details and break things down.
Amazon Fire 7 Tablet (2022) vs. (2019): Small but meaningful differences
Our observations begin with the external aspects of the Amazon Fire 7 Tablet. The 2022 iteration is just a tad bit lighter than the Fire 2017, and the device is slightly narrower too. This makes the newer Amazon Fire Tablet feel even more compact and lightweight than it was already.
All the old buttons such as the power button and volume rocker are still there but Amazon has changed the placement of these elements. Happily, the 3.5mm audio jack hasn't been left behind either. Instead, the Fire 7 (20222) ditches the micro-USB port for the vastly superior USB Type-C port.
| Category | Fire 7 Tablet (2022) | Fire 7 Tablet (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Quad-Core 2.0GHz | Quad-Core 1.3GHz |
| RAM | 2GB | 1GB |
| Storage | 16GB or 32GB | 16GB or 32GB |
| microSD slot | Yes, up to 1TB | Yes, up to 512GB |
| Display | 7", 1024 x 600 resolution, 171 ppi, SD video playback, IPS LCD | 7", 1024 x 600 resolution, 171 ppi, SD video playback, IPS LCD |
| Camera | 2MP front, 2MP rear, 720p HD video recording | 2MP front, 2MP rear, 720p HD video recording |
| Battery | Up to 10hrs | Up to 7hrs |
| Charging | USB-C port, 5W, 4hrs | micro-USB port, 5W, 4hrs |
| Audio | Mono speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack | Mono speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth LE | Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth LE |
| Colors | Black, Denim, Rose | Black, Twilight Blue, Plum, Sage |
| Weight | 282 grams | 286 grams |
| Dimensions | 180.68 mm x 117.59 mm x 9.67 mm | 192 mm x 115 mm x 9.6 mm |
Sadly, the newer Fire 7 Tablet is only available in three colors instead of four. Although Amazon renamed the 2019 colorways, the hues themselves are very close. You can grab the Amazon Fire 7 (2022) in black, pink, and blue colors. The Fire 7 (2019)'s minty green Sage option has been laid to rest.
Putting looks aside, the guts have been tweaked and tuned as well. Amazon swapped out the Fire 7 (2019)'s older, slower Quad-Core 1.3GHz processor for a smoother Quad-Core 2.0GHz CPU. On top of that, the brand also doubled up the RAM. As a result, the newer Fire 7 from 2022 feels significantly faster and delivers better performance.
The newer Fire 7 from 2022 feels significantly faster and delivers better performance.
There aren't any changes when it comes to the storage options of the Amazon Fire 7 Tablet. You're still stuck with either 16GB or 32GB which isn't enough at all. On the plus side, Amazon decided to retain the microSD port and improved its compatibility.
This means that you can expand the storage up to 1TB with the right memory card for your Fire Tablet. This is a fantastic upgrade over the 2019 Fire 7's 512GB expandable storage cap.
We mentioned the swanky new USB-C port, but did we mention the improved battery specifications? Your 12th Gen Fire 7 from 2022 will last up to ten hours on a single charge, giving you three more hours over the older model. Thanks to the updated charging port, the charge time is still the same. With that, the refreshed Amazon Fire Tablet destroys the 9th Gen Fire 7 from 2019 in one fell swoop.
Amazon Fire 7 Tablet (2022) vs. (2019): Which one should you buy?
The Amazon Fire 7 Tablet (2022) is lighter, faster, and better in every category that matters. One could argue that it costs $10 more which is a pain. However, it's very hard to complain about that incremental price increase when taking the updates into consideration.
For ten bucks more, you get twice as much RAM, a better processor, and legroom to expand the internal storage by a lot more than previously possible. It really doesn't matter that the green colorway no longer exists. You'll slap a case on your Fire 7 anyways.
Whether you're thinking about upgrading or weighing your options for a fresh purchase, the Amazon Fire 7 Tablet (2019) always loses. It makes no sense to purchase the older 7-inch Fire Tablet when the upgraded new model with improved specs is already out and still miraculously cheap, despite the ten-dollar price hike.
In with the new
Amazon's refreshed 7-inch Fire Tabler performs faster and it can accommodate a larger microSD card. You'll be incredibly pleased with the battery life too.
Out with the old
The older Fire 7 (2019) Tablet is cheaper and comes in one more colorway. You won't be able to put up with the dated micro-USB port, performance lags, and sub-par battery life.
