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Original poster

Is the amazon kids fire tablet any good?

29 replies

Embelline · 26/06/2023 21:13

Looking to get a tablet or something for my three and a half year old for when we travel, so it won't get loads of heavy use generally.
Is it easy to use? Does it offer similar features to the iPad in terms of the variety you can download (games/tv shows etc)?

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 26/06/2023 21:17

No, they're slow and crap and hardly have any apps compared to apple/android.

I'd get a cheap or second hand one in whatever operating system you're used to for your own phones etc so that it can share chargers. Put a robust cover on it.

IME also 3.5 is a bit young to cope with a tablet kind of thing in the car - they get stuck on a page and can't get out of it without help, they drop it and can't reach it because they're strapped into a car seat, a lot of the apps complain when not connected to wifi etc.

AuntMarch · 26/06/2023 21:18

No. I very quickly replaced ours with an android!

Original poster
Embelline · 26/06/2023 21:18

Thank you that's really useful. It's more for plane or train travel or where one of us would be sitting next to him so hopefully that won't be too much of a problem.

OP posts:
NameChangeSorryNotSorry · 26/06/2023 21:19

our kids got one each off their grandparents and they’re not great…not user friendly at all! It drives me mad working out how to use it let alone the kids

Heatherbell1978 · 26/06/2023 21:20

My kids, 6 and 8, love them and get loads of use from them. They're a LOT cheaper than iPads and kids use them for Netflix, Disney etc with no issues. They use the games too and quite happy with them. I'm sure the IPad is better but it's a lot of money to spend on an occasional use tablet for a 3 year old.

Heatherbell1978 · 26/06/2023 21:22

You do have to spend time understanding how they work. My DH has never bothered so they're passed to me to manage!

hamsterballs · 26/06/2023 21:22

Absolute shite!

Original poster
Embelline · 26/06/2023 21:23

so what do people have instead? Actual iPads? I have no experience with android!

OP posts:
Wrapunzel · 26/06/2023 21:23

Just got a new version and so much better than the old one from four years ago

Oldermum84 · 26/06/2023 21:27

My nearly 3.5 year old has one and works it by himself. I just turn it on and pass it to him!

Original poster
Embelline · 26/06/2023 21:29

@wrapunzel can you download things on netflix and disney etc like you do on an iPad, for journeys where there isn't going to be wifi?

OP posts:
Enidisstuckupatree · 26/06/2023 21:37

They're great if you spend the £2.99 or whatever a month on the Amazon kids subscription, then you get access to a whole host of apps/games/ebooks 'free' to download within the subscription.
The profile is tailored to the kids age, so everything available to download is appropriate for the age bracket.
We love ours, they're relatively cheap have a hassle-free warranty and come with decent bump/drop proof cases.
They can be slow, but improve if you buy extra storage SD cards.

shadowchancesassy · 26/06/2023 21:39

They are rubbish and slow. Best of getting a secondhand iPad on marketplace

magnetmoon · 26/06/2023 22:03

No - we immediately sent ours back. I spent £100ish on a Samsung galaxy on Amazon (prime day is next week so you'll likely get a deal)

Wrapunzel · 27/06/2023 06:51

Embelline · 26/06/2023 21:29

@wrapunzel can you download things on netflix and disney etc like you do on an iPad, for journeys where there isn't going to be wifi?

We worked around that on the old one. My DH is quite techie and downloaded a load of films onto an SD card. I'm going to check about the Disney+ etc today though, that would be easier!

Original poster
Embelline · 27/06/2023 10:38

Hmm not sure what to do now. Buying an iPad for a three year old seems insane but we've never had android so not sure how easy I'd find it to use in order to be able to help him.

OP posts:
RudsyFarmer · 27/06/2023 10:40

We found it SO awful it just got sent back. It was honestly unusable by comparison to the iPad. My friend bought two, seemed to get along with them (I’ve no idea how) and then two years on the nose to the date she bought them they both stopped working. Same day. Make of that what you will.

NewAnon · 27/06/2023 10:40

DD (6) has an Amazon Fire.

It's fine for what she uses it for:

  • literacy games
  • numeracy games
  • colouring in/drawing games
  • logic games
  • watching downloaded films on flights

She doesn't use it very often - probably less than weekly, but it serves a purpose when we need her to be distracted because whatever else is going on is boring.

RudsyFarmer · 27/06/2023 10:40

magnetmoon · 26/06/2023 22:03

No - we immediately sent ours back. I spent £100ish on a Samsung galaxy on Amazon (prime day is next week so you'll likely get a deal)

Same.

Piscesmumma1978 · 27/06/2023 10:41

No. Rubbish. Memory fills up, games are rubbish and the battery isn't great.

I'd go iPad if you can X

Heckythump1 · 27/06/2023 10:42

Absolutely awful!
We now have a Lenovo M10 for 7 year old and an M7 for nearly 3 year old. They have Google Kids Space on, which is similar to fire kids, but free. Really easy to use and not slow and frustrating like our old fire tablet. Also they have Youtube Kids on which you can't get on fire kids.

Raaasaur · 27/06/2023 10:44

We have 3 of them. We only allow tablets for plane journeys, so ours haven’t been charged up since the last time.

I’ve spent roughly 5 fucking hours trying to download shit, navigate profiles, log in and out of various things. I’m about to explode. I’ve spent more time googling how to do things on the bastard things than I have actually being able to do anything.

They are sooooooo shit. But also cheap, and as I say, we rarely use it.

We have Amazon kids but like I say, I’m very strict on tech so it’s probably pointless as they don’t use it beyond downloading a film for the plane.

caffelattetogo · 27/06/2023 10:45

The newer ones are great.

confusedlots · 27/06/2023 10:46

I really can't understand all the negativity! My 5 and 6 year old love theirs, there are loads of games and videos etc, they're always discovering new stuff. Lots of educational things too. And I don't worry that they'll stumble across something inappropriate in the kids mode. If they want to watch something on iPlayer or YouTube etc then I have a PIN to be able to access all the rest

cocksstrideintheevening · 27/06/2023 10:48

They are shit.

Get an old ipad from CEXor somewhere.