The Version All Amazon Users Were Waiting For: Kindle Fire HDX 8.9″

“Whoa, baby. This thing is light!”

That was my first reaction when picking up the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9″ tablet. I couldn’t believe that a tablet with a large screen could be so thin and weigh so little.

The Kindle Fire HDX came pre-set with my Amazon account information. Obviously, that sped up the setup process considerably. The outside looks nice with a combination of matte and glossy plastic surfaces. I should point out that fingerprints do show up pretty easily though.

Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9″ Review

I have to say that the HDX really impressed me. It came pre-set with my Amazon account information, which sped up the setup process considerably. The screen resolution is amazing with vivid colors and gorgeous graphic resolution. The sound quality is loud and clear. You’ll get even more out of it if you’re a Prime Member with Prime Instant Video. 

As an all-around media device, it handles everything from Amazon fantastically including video, books, and music. However, despite the quad-core processor, browsing the web and using some apps did seem to lag a bit. At least this didn’t affect the games which actually played quite smoothly. The front and back cameras are nice to have but don’t offer the quality that other devices do. I also which it was easier to distinguish which side was the top and which was the bottom when looking at the front of the tablet. But, using a cover fixes this issue.

Mayday! Mayday!

One feature that is unique to the HDX is the Mayday button. While I didn’t get connected to ‘Amy’, as shown in the commercial, the other two reps I spoke with were equally as helpful and friendly.  When you tap the Mayday button, you’re instantly connected to what’s called an Amazon Tech Advisor 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

You get a live video chat but, fortunately, it’s one-way and they cannot see you. Whew! How do I know it was really a live video feed? Well, when I told one rep that I was going to take a screenshot, she even fixed her hair a bit before smiling at the camera. Fun, right? I also loved the fact that they could see what was on your screen and even draw on it to make any instructions more clear.

From my two calls, I learned that:

• There is no way to see if what apps are sucking processing power but pressing the power button for at least 30 seconds will cause a hard shut down, clearing the device of any cache from recently used apps.
• You cannot get edit the top menu bar but you can hide it by using an upwards gesture.

X-Ray Powered by IMDb

Having the X-Ray option on videos and books is so helpful. X-Ray lists what actors are in the film or extra info in whatever you’re reading. I wasn’t able to get screenshot while video was playing (the screen just showed up blank) but took this instead.

I wasn’t able to test the Second Screen feature (to transfer the screen to your HDTV) since I don’t have a PlayStation 3 or Samsung TV. For readers out there, you’ll enjoy the Goodreads integration. As with all Kindle devices, full Android access is blocked and you cannot watch videos unless they were purchased via the Amazon store.

The Kindle Fire HDX is a huge improvement over the previous HD. It still has all the bells and whistles but is just so much better in numerous ways when it comes to screen resolution, weight, and functionality. I’d definitely recommended this device for those that buy most of their digital media through Amazon and want a sleek, light-weight mobile tablet to enjoy it all.

TIP: Press the Power button and the Volume Down button at the same time to take a screenshot.