Old tech: The tech inside these tablets is old. Our guide walks you through each step you need to get it up and running. Don't worry-you don't need to be a command line guru to install the Google Play Store. In the end, you get a $60 tablet that's capable of 95 percent of what a $330 iPad can do. Installing the Google Play Store gives you access to the full range of Android apps. To help you get around this limitation, we put together a guide to installing the Google Play Store on your Fire device. You can download third-party apps like Netflix on Amazon’s Appstore, but the selection is far more limited than what's available on Apple's iPad or the Google Play Store on standard Android tablets. They do have Alexa, so that could be a plus, but again, that’s tied deeply into Amazon’s content library. If you aren’t an Amazon Prime subscriber and don't plan to get your video, audio, or books from Amazon, the Fire tablet line is far less compelling. Non-Amazon content is lacking: The greatest strength of these tablets is also their greatest weakness. Be sure to see our guide to managing Amazon Kids+ content. It costs $5 per month after the first year (for Prime subscribers, $8 if you don't have Prime). It also comes with one year of Amazon Kids+, offering access to kid-friendly movies, books, games, and apps. The Kids Edition versions are exactly the same as the regular Fire tablets, except they come with a rugged case and a two-year worry-free guarantee, which means Amazon will replace the tablet for free if your kids break it. The Fire 7 Kids ($110) is an even cheaper option for young children, though mine have always found the 7-inch screen size more challenging to use. We think the 2022 Fire HD 8 Kids ($150) is the best device for younger kids, while the 2021 Fire HD 10 Kids Pro ($200), which is really big in little-kid hands, is better for older children. The latter, aimed at older kids, has a streamlined case with a little less padding. There's the regular Kids Edition and a “Pro” model. Recognizing that “kids” covers a wide range of hand sizes and other factors, Amazon has two different Kids Edition Fire tablets.

Amazon fire 8