It"s been almost exactly two years since Amazon last refreshed its entry-level tablet, the Fire 7, and today, it"s time for a new upgrade. The new Fire 7 costs the same $49.99 as its predecessor, and the most notable improvement to speak of is the internal storage. Instead of offering 8GB and 16GB models, the base model of the Fire 7 comes with 16GB, and a 32GB version is available for $69.99. Both models can be expanded with microSD cards up to 512GB, too.
Aside from that, most of the specs remain the same, including the 1024x600 7-inch display and 1GB of RAM. Amazon does say the new model features a faster processor, but it seems to be clocked at the same speed as the previous model, so the improvements could be elsewhere. The new Fire 7 also supports voice activation for Alexa, which might be enabled by the newer processor.
Alongside the regular Fire 7, the Kids Edition is also getting a bit of a refresh, with the same mysterious processor bump. It also comes with 16GB of internal storage by default, but that"s not new for the Kids Edition of the tablet, and the core difference here is that it can be expanded with up to 512GB of microSD storage as well.
Perhaps the biggest change to the Kids Edition is in the protective case, which now has a kickstand to help the tablet stay upright without users having to hold it. Given the size of the tablet, this is likely a welcome addition for children. The tablet comes in Blue, Pink, and Purple color options.
Both tablets will launch on June 6, and you can pre-order the all-new Fire 7 tablet here, or go for the Kids Edition, which includes a one-year subscription to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited to help keep children entertained with books, apps, shows, and movies.