The $229.99 Amazon Fireplace Max 11 is the corporate’s priciest and strongest pill but. It has a big 11-inch show, an environment friendly processor with higher efficiency than earlier Fires delivered, and a extra interesting design than the 2021 Fireplace HD 10 ($149.99). You’ll have a tough time discovering a greater worth for the value, although Amazon’s tablets are largely restricted to the Fireplace maker’s extremely curated Appstore. If you wish to simply load third-party apps, you could be higher served by the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus ($259) or, in case your finances permits, the Editors’ Selection-winning ninth Technology Apple iPad ($329).
The Fireplace Simply Bought Greater
The Fireplace Max 11 emanates magnificence with its modern, trendy design. The system’s slim profile and rounded corners make it snug to carry, whereas the premium construct high quality ensures a strong, sturdy really feel that exceeds expectations for a $229 slate. The pill’s all-gray shade scheme is easy and subdued.
The colourful 11-inch show is the pill’s principal promoting level. The LCD panel impresses with its sharp 2,000-by-1,200-pixel decision and 213ppi pixel density, making certain crisp particulars and shiny colours. The bezels are sufficiently small to maximise display actual property and supply an immersive viewing expertise. The panel is lots shiny sufficient to make use of exterior within the solar, with Amazon citing 410 nits of brightness.
The Fireplace Max 11 is a mean measurement for an 11-inch pill, measuring 10.2 by 6.4 by 0.3 inches (HWD) and weighing 17.3 ounces. The Lenovo Tab P11 Plus, compared, is 10.4 by 6.5 by 0.3 inches and 17.3 ounces, which isn’t a lot bigger.
Amazon makes use of plastic to border and construct the Fireplace Max 11, however the materials doesn’t appear susceptible to grabbing fingerprints. Fingerprint gunk is a matter I’ve seen with different units from the corporate. Amazon doesn’t provide an IP score, and it mentions that the pill isn’t waterproof, so don’t go dunking it within the pool.
Trying on the pill in panorama orientation, you’ll discover a set of pogo pins and holes that information the keyboard accent on the underside edge. The correct aspect holds the facility button (which doubles as a fingerprint scanner that works reliably), the quantity buttons, and a microSD reminiscence card slot. The highest homes the stereo audio system, which provide fairly good bass response and clear highs whereas listening to our take a look at observe, “Silent Shout” by The Knife. This pill has no headphone jack, but it surely helps Bluetooth 5.3 for wi-fi headphones.
A single digicam adorns the highest nook of the rear panel, and the Amazon Smile emblem is within the center.
Higher-Than-Anticipated Efficiency
Amazon tablets usually emphasize affordability, not high-tier efficiency. Whereas this one is quicker than the corporate’s different fashions, it nonetheless doesn’t rival extra expensive tablets.
It has a Mediatek MTK8188J octa-core processor with two Arm Cortex-A78 cores operating at as much as 2.2GHz and 6 Cortex-A55 cores tuned to 2GHz. Relying in your chosen configuration, 4GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage can be found. You may add as much as 1TB of reminiscence through a microSD card for those who want extra cupboard space.
I ran the pill by a collection of benchmarks to see the way it performs. Total, the scores had been good.
First, I ran the PCMark Work 3.0 benchmark to see how the system handles duties like video modifying, knowledge manipulation, and writing. It scored 7,195, which is middling. For comparability, the far dearer OnePlus Pad scored 8,255, whereas the 2021 Fireplace HD 10 solely reached 5,376 on the identical take a look at.
I additionally examined the uncooked processing energy of the system utilizing the GeekBench 5 benchmark. On this take a look at, the Fireplace Max scored 691 on the single-core take a look at and 1,914 on the multi-core take a look at. These are higher than the five hundred and 1,592 numbers provided by the comparable Lenovo Tab P11 Plus, however decrease than the midrange OnePlus Pad, which scored 810 and a pair of,123 on the identical take a look at
Most necessary, real-world efficiency is snappy. Not like the cheaper Amazon fashions, this one doesn’t really feel weighed down and gradual. As an alternative, it feels extra akin to searching and taking part in on an honest iPad. With out query, that is the smoothest expertise I’ve ever had with an Amazon pill.
A pill’s battery life is a vital side of its efficiency. In our drain take a look at, the Fireplace Max 11’s 7,500mAh battery endured properly. I streamed a YouTube video over Wi-Fi with the display brightness set to its most stage, and the system lasted 7 hours and 55 minutes. That’s very near the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus, which held on for 3 minutes longer in the identical take a look at, and equivalent to the battery outcomes of the OnePlus Pad.
Recharging is gradual going. The pill helps as much as 15 watts (15W) of wired energy, however the charger within the field is barely rated for 9W. I grabbed one in every of my very own 15W chargers and stuffed the pill in 3 hours and 48 minutes, which is ok; simply don’t anticipate a fast top-up.
Strong Wi-Fi Efficiency
Wi-Fi efficiency retains tempo. Amazon in-built help for Wi-Fi 6 (however not Wi-Fi 6E), and I examined the Fireplace Max with a Wi-Fi 6-compatible router to see if speeds had been akin to different units. My house web wasn’t significantly cooperative, providing solely low speeds on take a look at day regardless of my most 1,200Mbps service. In the identical room because the router, the Fireplace provided 381Mbps down and 211Mbps up. For comparability, I used Lenovo’s Tab P11 Professional Gen 2, a barely higher-end mannequin. In the identical location, it scored speeds of 202Mbps on downloads and 171Mbps up. Neither result’s overly spectacular, however the Amazon Fireplace Max 11 did a good quantity higher with my lackluster connection.
Outcomes leveled off when on the fringe of the router’s vary, with neither system providing spectacular speeds. The Fireplace Max 11 reached obtain speeds of 1.3Mbps and add speeds of 0.7Mbps to the Lenovo’s 1.2Mbps down and 0.6Mbps up. In different phrases, they had been about even and, extra necessary, these outcomes mirror these of different units I’ve examined on the community’s edge.
Don’t Anticipate A lot From the Cameras
Tablets aren’t photography-first units. Even one of the best tablets usually have a single digicam that takes mediocre footage. The Fireplace Max 11 isn’t any exception. It consists of two 8-megapixel (8MP) cameras: one on the again that helps auto-focus, and one on the entrance that doesn’t. The entrance digicam is on the highest of the pill above the display for those who’re taking a look at it in panorama mode, which makes it higher suited to video chats.
Whereas 8MP isn’t going to impress, it’s nonetheless a giant bounce in comparison with different Amazon tablets. For instance, the Fireplace HD 10 has 2MP front-facing and 5MP rear-facing cameras. The Fireplace Max 11 may also seize 1080p video.
Even in case you have an affordable smartphone, it’ll virtually definitely have a greater digicam and higher digicam software program than the Fireplace Max 11, so that you’ll be higher off utilizing it in nearly all conditions.
Even so, you possibly can seize a satisfactory picture or video in good lighting with Amazon’s pill, however you possibly can overlook about respectable outcomes at nighttime. That’s not likely a knock towards the pill. Tablets aren’t photography-first units, and Amazon is merely together with cameras that work in a pinch.
FireOS and Its Limitations
FireOS 8 (which relies on Android 11) pushes Amazon’s content material entrance and middle. It options easy accessibility to Kindle books for studying, Amazon Music for listening to tunes, and Amazon Prime Video for streaming your favourite exhibits.
The For You web page has tons of Amazon-recommended content material, whereas the Library tab exhibits apps you’ve downloaded, books you personal, and so forth. The person interface usually will get flack for being too centered on Amazon’s stuff, but it surely’s an honest working system for those who’re invested in Amazon’s ecosystem.
You’ll get no less than 4 years of safety patches, which is strong for such an inexpensive system. The corporate doesn’t say whether or not it plans to roll out any system upgrades to the system.
The large hitch with FireOS is that content material is barely actually obtainable from the Amazon Appstore. You may’t set up apps from the Google Play Retailer simply—they must be sideloaded through the microSD card, which is a course of not everyone seems to be snug with. In the event you don’t just like the sound of this, a typical Android pill could also be a greater possibility.
Android tablets from the likes of Lenovo and Samsung are prone to ship with Android 13, will embrace the Google Play Retailer, and may obtain one or two system upgrades along with a number of years of safety patches.
Costs for Most Budgets
The bottom Fireplace Max 11, which incorporates lock-screen advertisements and has 64GB of built-in storage, sells for $229.99. Paying $15 extra ($244.99) will get rid of the advertisements. In order for you 128GB of storage, you could throw down $279.99, however that value additionally nixes the lock-screen advertisements.
A number of bundles obtainable embrace choose equipment. A bundle with the Amazon-made accent keyboard prices ??$319.98, for instance, whereas the total Productiveness Bundle, which incorporates the pill, a keyboard, and a stylus, runs $354.97. You may also snag a slim portfolio cowl or the stylus independently.
Amazon despatched the Productiveness Bundle for testing. Each the keyboard and the stylus are well-made equipment. The keyboard comes with a pleasant touchpad and tactile buttons. It’s positively value selecting up for those who plan to make use of the Fireplace Max 11 as a productiveness machine. Not a lot is particular in regards to the stylus, nonetheless.
Whereas having choices is sweet, having so many fashions to select from will be complicated. The principle issues to think about are whether or not you possibly can dwell with the lock-screen advertisements and the way a lot cupboard space you want. Extra storage is usually higher for those who plan to obtain giant apps, films, and music.
An Reasonably priced 11-Incher
In the long run, Amazon made a decent pill within the Fireplace Max 11. For $230, you get a giant, high-resolution show, respectable efficiency, and well-rounded options. You don’t get Google Play or entry to the normal Android expertise, which can be a serious turn-off to some. Fortunately, nice Android tablets just like the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus value across the similar value. You possibly can additionally splurge and get a ninth Technology iPad for about $100 extra. Nonetheless, for those who’ve already purchased into the Amazon ecosystem, which incorporates lots of free content material, the Max 11 brings some warmth.
