I've just bought a Kindle Fire, but have no idea what to use it for

[SpanishFly]

So my mum gave me some money for christmas and I got an argos voucher, so I clubbed them together and bought a Kindle Fire 8 HD. It's so pretty and shiny and new and exciting. But I now can't work out what to use it for, as my phone does everything that it does, and I've never had a tablet 🤔
I'm hoping I'll start making time to read. Although I have two books that I've had for a year, but never got round to reading, so I'm unsure as to how this would make me more inclined to read.

Any tips/suggestions as to what you all use yours for?

I use mine for reading, especially handy in the evening or in bed as I don't need the light on. I have Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ downloaded to it so I can watch shows and films. Lately I've been using it for recipes as its smaller than a cookbook so easier to prop up on one corner of the kitchen counter while I'm following along. I also have Alexa connected so I can bounce my book or recipe from my kindle to my echo and she reads me it.

Reading books, the newspaper, emails, banking, Prime video, internet browsing; MNing, some games.

If you want it for reading and are happy with your phone for apps etc, I'd suggest returning the kindle fire and buying a basic kindle if you can stretch to it as the reading experience is so much better - the screen is designed to look like standard paper but can be front lit to read in the dark.

Plus it can only be used for reading, so no distraction of the internet/apps available on the same device.

I use mine for reading, watching films and television, and listening to podcasts.

I prefer mine to my phone. Find sites easier to circumnavigate especially for internet shopping, banking.
I have Instagram, pinterest, Prime, Netflix, Disney+ - I use it say more than my phone.

I use mine on holiday largely. A few things to read, a couple of games, and access to the internet which is very useful for finding out details of things I want to visit. For example if I see an art exhibition advertised and want to find out more.

I use mine for internet browsing, shopping, facebook, email, watching tv when I'm on holiday. The larger screen is much more comfortable to use than my phone. I never read on it, I much prefer my kindle paperwhite for reading - the back lit screen is much more relaxing to read on.

Mine basically stays in the kitchen, I use it to watch netfli, prime etc when I'm cooking.

We bought one last year and do not use it as the battery life is shocking.

I'd just return it to be honest OP, it's clearly not for you or you'd not feel this way. As you say, I can't see what it does you can't do on existing devices and unless you're a big digital reader that's unlikely to change, even then I would rather just read a paper copy.

I don't use mine at all. I have the very very basic kindle that I use for reading on holiday as it's so much nicer to read on than the fire.. I use my phone mostly, iPad for FaceTime and laptop for anything more detailed when the phone screen is too small.

I use mine for netflix in bed

We have a small collection of tablets which are practically redundant apart from holidays for dc to watch things on. In the house tv and phone serve every purpose a tablet might

Why did you buy something you don't need in the first place

Clearly the answer is to return it

I don't use mine as it's rubbish - sorry! Awful battery life and it's incredibly, incredibly slow.

Sorry the fire is rubbish, get a regular kindle that feels like you’re reading from paper and the battery lasts weeks.

I got mine at Christmas too. I use it for much the same as my phone,but I find the larger screen better.

Echoing others to just return it. It's not great as far as tablets go (and you clearly don't want a tablet anyway) and not great as an ereader as the screen is backlit. A proper ereader has a front lit screen, which helps replicate the real pages of a book and reduces eye strain. But if you're not a reader then it's useless anyway!

I've had mine for 4 years and find it very useful, but I also have a Kindle...and I don't have a smartphone.

I use my Fire daily, have photos on it as well, do much of my MNing on it, as now. Wouldn't be without it.

@PleasantVille

Why did you buy something you don't need in the first place

Clearly the answer is to return it

Eh?? I was given Christmas money, and literally never ever buy myself anything, so thought I'd treat myself - have you never bought yourself anything that isn't a life-or-death necessity?! Jesus wept.

Thanks for the other suggestions.
I really do want one, I just needed some ideas for it, as I've never had one before, so just wondered what other people did with theirs. It's charging now, so I'll have a proper look at it once I've got 5 minutes to sit down.

Eh?? I was given Christmas money, and literally never ever buy myself anything, so thought I'd treat myself - have you never bought yourself anything that isn't a life-or-death necessity?! Jesus wept

Maybe need wasn't the best choice of words, have no use for would have been better but I can absolutely say that I have never bought anything that I didnt know what to do with and asked the internet for suggestions

I can't see the thought process behind buying something that you don't know what to do with, I can't be alone in that.

I use my kindle fire instead of a laptop (ie browsing and emails), play a few games on it and download the odd book. I love tablets though and can't be arsed with laptops.

I use my Fire for internet browsing, watching Netflix or something else when husband is watching the football, Facebook, Mumsnet etc and I can't be bothered to get the laptop out.

I've got a Kindle Paperwhite for reading as there is glare off the screen on the Fire if reading outside in the sunshine.

The primary reason why I wanted to get mine was that I like reading in bed or lying on the sofa and my phone screen is a bit small for reading longer texts and if I use my laptop, it gives me elbow pain, so the Kindle seemed like a good option where I could still read as I wanted but without pain. I looked at getting an ipad, but the Kindle is a lot cheaper and really I just wanted it for reading stuff online or that I had downloaded from Amazon.

@PleasantVille

Eh?? I was given Christmas money, and literally never ever buy myself anything, so thought I'd treat myself - have you never bought yourself anything that isn't a life-or-death necessity?! Jesus wept

Maybe need wasn't the best choice of words, have no use for would have been better but I can absolutely say that I have never bought anything that I didnt know what to do with and asked the internet for suggestions

I can't see the thought process behind buying something that you don't know what to do with, I can't be alone in that.

Good for you. You really don't need to nitpick over my post/comments and invent some ridiculous scenario where you've decided I bought something hugely expensive and mindblowingly extravagant with literally no idea what it was or what to do with it. And even if that was the case, why be arsey about it? Can't someone decide they'd like to buy themselves something that they've never had before, and ask others with experience of them for some info? Isn't that what this entire forum is about? Thanks, though.