so you're likely to find alternative apps to satisfy your needs in this tablet

The display is a 7" 1200x800 resolution display with a 216 ppi pixel density which is not great, but not horrible either. It is the lowest pixel density of all the Fire Tablets with the Fire HD 6 coming in at 252 ppi, the Fire HDX coming in at 323 ppi, and the Fire HDX 8.9 coming in at 339 ppi. The human eye really can't distinguish individual pixels beyond a density of about 300 ppi so you're not going to be getting a noticeably pixelated display by any means. All in all, this is a nice display.

*** PROCESSOR, GPU, AND ON-BOARD STORAGE ***

The Fire HD 7 comes with a respectable 1.5 GHz quad-core processor with enough power to run almost all of your content with ease, including smooth video playback. It comes with a mediocre 1 GB of RAM which really is not sufficient in my opinion but it is what it is. THis is not an iPad or Galaxy Tab killer by any means, but it gives you just enough power to use the essential Amazon services you need.

The HD 7 is substantially less powerful than the Snapdragon 2.2 GHz and 2.5 GHz quad-core processors that come with 2 GB or RAM and come with the higher end Fire Tablets, but at the same time, those tablets cost quite a bit more ($179 for the HDX and $379 for the HDX 8.9) so you're getting what you pay for.

Onboard storage is available in either 8GB (4.5GB actually available to use) or 16GB (11.6GB actually available to use.) There shouldn't even be an 8GB version in my opinion as 4.5GB of usable storage is pretty pathetic, even with cloud storage availability. I'd recommend the 16GB over the 8GB version in a heartbeat.

*** BATTERY LIFE ***

I say this in all my reviews, I swear, there should be a penalty for under-delivering on battery life claims. While Amazon claims the Fire HD 7's battery lasts about 8 hours with mixed usage, I experienced about 6 hours which included video streaming, web browsing, and downloading via WiFi.

*** WI-FI AND 3G SERVICE***

The Fire HD 7 comes with a single band, single antenna WiFi as opposed to the dual band, dual antenna MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) WiFi that you get with the HDX and HDX 8.9. MIMO technology lets you download and upload simultaneously while still allowing you to be productive on the tablet by multitasking, watching movies, etc. It is certainly a better WiFi and takes advantage of the 802.11a/c WiFi which is blazingly fast, but for the average consumer needs, the single band, single antenna WiFi is still sufficient for downloading content, browsing the internet, and streaming video content.

Neither the Fire HD 7 or Fire HD 6 come in a 3G version so you are limited to using WiFi. Honestly, I don't really see the point in needing 3G anyway as you can download content, browse the web, check email, etc. from any place with a WiFi hotspot which is basically every Starbucks, McDonalds, and countless other establishments, not to mention your home WiFi network.

*** CAMERA AND AUDIO ***

The HD 7 comes with a mediocre 2 megapixel rear-facing camera which is kind of pathetic in my opinion. Although you can record in 1080p, with only 2 megapixels, don't expect much in terms of picture quality. I got better pictures with a 4 year old smartphone than what the HD 7 produces. Even the HDX 8.9 has an average 8 megapixel rear-facing camera so you're not missing out on much there.

Audio is standard Dolby audio so nothing special but it's still decent in terms of sound quality. The Fire HDX 8.9 comes standard with Dolby Atmos sound technology which is simply amazing! You really have to hear it to appreciate it. If you simply need a standard audio experience, the Dolby Audio on the HD 7 is more than adequate and is by no means "crappy audio." A good pair of headphones makes all the difference in this department.

*** WEIGHT AND BUILD QUALITY ***

Weighing in at nearly 11.9 ounces, the HD 7 does have a nice heft to it that gives it a nice, durable feel. To give you a comparison of weight, the iPad mini which is basically the same size of the HD 7, weighs in at 11.7 ounces, virtually identical in weight to the HD 7

Build quality feels solid, as is the experience you'll get with the entire Fire Tablet lineup. None of them feel "cheap" by any means.

*** APP AVAILABILITY ***

Fire OS is a forked Android operating system, meaning it's a heavily modified Android OS so some standard Android apps will work on the Fire HD 7 but keep in mind, since Amazon is in such a fierce competition with Google and Apple in terms of their app stores and music sales, Fire OS will not allow you to install or run any of the core Google apps such as Google Drive, Calendar, Docs, Slides, and so forth... even YouTube, which is owned by Google is banned, as is the Starbucks and Foursquare apps. There are nearly 250,000 apps available on the Amazon App Store which is pretty impressive given how young the Fire OS is, so you're likely to find alternative apps to satisfy your needs in this tablet.

*** CONCLUSION ***

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As is the case with any of Amazon's devices including the Fire Tablets, Fire Phone, Fire TV, and even the various Kindle models, the more of them you buy into, the more immersed into the Amazon ecosystem you become which can be good and bad. I can say, having Fire TV along with a Fire Tablet and a Fire Phone, combined with an Amazon Prime membership is going to give you a great experience as all of the devices work together to bring all of Amazon's services right to your fingertips (and television!) With a simple flick of your finger on the HD 7 or Fire Phone, you can send the video you're watching straight to your Fire TV to continue watching it.

You can also stream all of your free video and music content across the various devices, and with the free cloud storage for all your Amazon content, everything from your music, photos, videos, and documents are safely stored and available 24/7 in the Amazon Cloud.

All in all, this is a nice tablet but unless you're on a tight budget and need to stick to this price range, I'd really recommend jumping right up to the HDX 8.9 as it offers so much more and can legitimately replace an iPad or Galaxy Tab with ease, and for around the same price point. If your budget limits you to this device, you won't be disappointed with it, but it isn't going to compete with the iPad or the Galaxy Tab.

*** If you found this review at all helpful, please take a moment to let me know. You can also leave a comment or ask questions in the comments section below. I try my hardest to provide you with the most information I can to help you make an informed decision on whether or not to purchase a product. Thanks for taking the time to read my review!