Amazon Fire Max 11 Review: Turn Up The Heat

Value When Reviewed

From $229.99

Greatest Costs Immediately: Amazon Fireplace Max 11

$229.99

Amazon has been making Fireplace tablets for years – over a decade, actually. However till now, it has firmly set its sights on interesting to those that needed to spend as little as doable on a tool for leisure.

The Fireplace Max 11, then, is sort of a departure from that technique. The identify is new, and so is the pill itself. It’s the primary pill Amazon has made with an 11in display, and the primary to have an aluminium physique as a substitute of plastic.

It seems and seems like a high quality little bit of package and, though it’s the most costly pill Amazon has ever made, it’s nonetheless loads cheaper than an iPad.

Who’s it for, although, and who can purchase it? Nicely, the quick reply is that it’s a first rate pill for watching video, searching the net and – sure – all issues Amazon.

The issue, as ever, is the software program since you’re caught in Amazon’s world. A world with no Google and – it seems – one the place a variety of the apps you would possibly like to make use of merely don’t exist.

Options & design

• Aluminium building
• Fingerprint reader
• Elective keyboard and stylus

One factor’s clear if you first get the Fireplace Max 11 out of its field: that is no toy. The ‘smart’ graphite-colour end, square-sided design and strong really feel within the hand provide you with a reassuring sense that you simply would possibly simply have spent your cash properly.

Amazon says it’s 3 times extra sturdy than the ten^th-gen 10.9in iPad, a pill which has clearly impressed the Fireplace Max 11’s design, as a result of the Fireplace Max 11 seems precisely the identical, even right down to the oh-so-similar bezel thickness across the display and measurement and placement of the rear digicam, and the way a lot it protrudes.

The entrance digicam, too, is in the identical place because the iPad’s in the course of the lengthy facet and the similarities don’t cease there. Amazon has constructed a fingerprint scanner into the facility button, and there’s an optionally available keyboard and stylus, simply as there may be for the iPad.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Dig additional into the specs and the 2 tablets mirror one another with Wi-Fi 6, USB-C charging and a base storage of 64GB.

After all, the Fireplace Max 11 isn’t actually an iPad rival and, contemplating the worth, you’d definitely forgive the truth that it doesn’t have a TrueTone display, the power to report 4K video and different options.

Evaluating specs is a folly, although, as a result of as everybody is aware of, it’s software program that may make or break a tool. I’ll get to that later.

The opposite issues it is advisable to know in regards to the Fireplace Max 11 are that it has a microSD slot for cheaply including extra storage, hands-free Alexa and cameras which are miles higher than earlier Fireplace tablets. Each are 8Mp and whereas it’s uncertain that many patrons will use the rear digicam a lot, however the entrance digicam is nice for Zoom calls, as you possibly can see:

Jim Martin / Foundry

Display screen & audio system

• 11in 2K display
• Stereo audio system

One of many Fireplace Max 11’s finest bits is its display. The 2000 x 1200-pixel decision is loads to make the whole lot sharp and hues, distinction and viewing angles are excellent.

Jim Martin / Foundry

It’s absolutely laminated, too, which implies there isn’t a air hole between the entrance glass and the LCD show behind it as there may be on the ten^th-gen iPad. This implies there isn’t a hole sound if you faucet the display and it’s another excuse why the Fireplace Max 11 has that well-built feeling.

Brightness isn’t the display’s sturdy go well with. Amazon claims 410 nits – decrease than the iPad’s 500 nits – and neither pill is admittedly brilliant sufficient for snug out of doors use. Nonetheless, discover a place with some shade and also you would possibly simply be capable of use the Fireplace Max 11 outdoor for net searching and studying Kindle books, however you received’t love watching video outdoor, or attempting to create or edit paperwork.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Stereo audio system are mounted within the high edge (when holding the pill with the digicam on the high) and assist Dolby Atmos. Nonetheless, as you’d count on, sound high quality is sort of ‘skinny’. It’s effective for dialogue, podcasts and Alexa, however not ideally suited for music due to the shortage of bass.

The Fireplace Max 11 doesn’t have a headphone jack – what does today? – however there’s Bluetooth 5.3 in your wi-fi headphones.

Efficiency

• Mediatek 8-core processor
• 4GB RAM

Nearly all of the Fireplace tablets I’ve reviewed up to now have felt underpowered. And that’s to be anticipated given their low costs.

Lots of people wrote off the Fireplace Max 11 earlier than laying their fingers on it, saying 4GB of RAM wouldn’t be sufficient. However that’s not the case. Subjectively, it feels zippy and responsive more often than not. There’s no lag when swiping between house screens, and there’s sufficient energy right here to play video games like Roblox and Asphalt 8 with out decreasing the standard to a blurry mush.

In measurable numbers, the PCMark Work 3.0 check confirmed that the Fireplace Max 11 is 25% quicker than the Fireplace HD 10, reviewed.

One other space the place Fireplace tablets haven’t traditionally carried out properly is images. However the Fireplace Max 11 has upgraded entrance and rear cameras: each are 8Mp. (Up from 2Mp and 5Mp, respectively, on the Fireplace HD 10.

Battery life is first rate. The 7,500mAh battery is claimed to last as long as 14 hours, which is 2 greater than the Fireplace HD 10. I discovered that it lasted simply over 10 hours enjoying video.

Amazon features a 9W charger within the field, and a full recharge takes simply over 4 hours. In case you have one – or purchase one – you should utilize a 15W charger as a substitute to chop that point right down to about 3.5 hours.

Software program

• Fireplace OS 8 (based mostly on Android 11)
• No Google Play
• 3-month trial of Microsoft 365

Software program is the Fireplace Max 11’s sticking level. Not as a result of it’s dangerous, however as a result of it’s a walled backyard which doesn’t embody any Google providers.

So though the pill is technically operating Android 11, you possibly can’t set up the YouTube app, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Maps or any app from the Google Play retailer, as a result of none of those can be found on the Fireplace Max 11.

Apps should be put in from the Appstore, which is ok if these you need are in there. Numerous well-liked ones are, together with Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, Instagram, Fb, TikTok and Twitter.

But it surely received’t be lengthy till you seek for an app which isn’t there, akin to Snapchat, any Google apps, just about any good house app and even sure streaming providers akin to Discovery+.

That’s a shock when the app is out there on Amazon’s Fireplace TV gadgets, however the identical is true of YouTube.

In the event you actually need to, you possibly can set up any Android app on a Fireplace pill. It’s a course of known as side-loading and includes downloading actual Android apps (or in any other case getting maintain of them), tweaking just a few settings and putting in them on the Fireplace Max 11.

Not all apps will work correctly, although, particularly any which depend on Google’s software program being put in alongside.

Let’s additionally do not forget that Amazon is pitching the Fireplace Max 11 as a productiveness machine. You should buy the official keyboard case and a stylus, each of that are effective equipment. The issue, once more, is apps.

You do get a three-month free trial of Microsoft 365, however if you happen to don’t need to use – or pay for – Workplace, you’re reliant on net apps.

Jim Martin / Foundry

And, to be honest, it’s doable to make use of Google Docs, Drive and Pictures in Amazon’s Silk net browser, similar to you’d on a Microsoft Floor or iPad. And you will get your Gmail in Amazon’s personal Electronic mail app: you simply register to your Google account.

The keyboard may be very helpful for emails and typing paperwork, and it has a row of helpful shortcut keys to regulate brightness, quantity and media playback in addition to having devoted House, Search and Information buttons.

Jim Martin / Foundry

It isn’t backlit, however a variety of keyboard shortcuts work as you’d count on them to, together with Alt-Tab. The trackpad isn’t as intuitive as a result of it requires a two-finger faucet to pick out textual content, fairly than inserting the cursor and clicking and dragging. In any other case, it’s excellent, with gestures for scrolling, pinch-to-zoom and a three-finger gesture to modify apps.

Fireplace OS 8 additionally helps split-screen, which helps you to put some apps facet by facet, and you may slide the divider so one app takes up a 3rd of the display as a substitute of half.

Once more, although, if you happen to can’t use an internet app, it’s possible you’ll discover that what you need isn’t out there within the Appstore. Dropbox and Adobe Reader are two noticeable examples, however there are others.

Within the Information app, now you can create a brand new doc, spreadsheet or presentation. That sounds promising, however once I tried to check this, I bought a warning that WPS Workplace for Amazon was constructed for an older model of Android and should not work correctly.

Positive sufficient, it didn’t, with the phrase processor failing to show correctly on the Fireplace Max 11’s display, reducing off the highest menu and making it unattainable to make use of.

I used to be impressed by how good the stylus integration was with Fireplace OS. You’ll be able to write wherever you’d usually kind, use it to scroll, navigate, choose textual content and sketch in apps akin to Piscart. It magnetically attaches to the facet of the Fireplace Max 11 for storage. The AAAA battery is alleged to final round six months.

Jim Martin / Foundry

There’s no pairing: it’s a USI stylus so you should utilize it with another machine that additionally helps USI styli akin to one other pill, laptop computer or Chromebook. It additionally means you don’t have to purchase this one to make use of with the Fireplace Max 11.

Handwriting recognition is, frankly, excellent. My daughter tried to idiot it with outrageous cursive script, nevertheless it was too intelligent and all the time knew which characters she was scrawling. The one difficulty I encountered was that palm rejection wants work: you possibly can’t merely lean your hand on the display to put in writing with out flattening the notification shade, or inflicting different issues to occur.

The opposite main software program function is Alexa. As with Amazon’s different Fireplace tablets, Alexa is hands-free on the Fireplace Max 11, so you possibly can say “Alexa, activate the bed room gentle” even when the pill’s display is off and it’s locked with a passcode.

It helps Present Mode, too, which implies it may well act like an Echo Present and show data seen from a distance akin to pictures, time, climate, sports activities scores, recipes and extra. You’ll desire a appropriate stand for this, nevertheless it’s value noting that the keyboard case is definitely two separate components: the keyboard and a rear kickstand. You’ll be able to detach the keyboard and depart the kickstand on for watching movies – or utilizing Present Mode.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Amazon says it can present 4 years of safety updates for the Fireplace Max 11 however, as ever, there aren’t any such guarantees about Android model upgrades.

Value & availability

The 64GB model of the Fireplace 11 Max prices $229.99 / £249.99 from Amazon. Go for 128GB and people costs rise to £279.99 / £289.99.

In the event you suppose you’d just like the keyboard and stylus, it’s value shopping for them as a bundle along with the pill as you’ll save a bit over shopping for them individually. Nonetheless, that’s solely the case within the US, the place the 64GB model with each equipment prices $344.99 as a substitute of $369.97. Within the UK – on the time of assessment – the bundle merely provides £89.99 for the keyboard and £34.99 for the stylus, the standard costs for every when purchased individually.

Even on the Fireplace Max 11, Amazon will present advertisements on the lockscreen until you choose the “With out Lockscreen Adverts” choice when shopping for, including $15 / £10 the worth.

Except for this cheeky follow, these costs are a lot lower than you’d pay for an iPad 10^th-gen with an Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard Folio. In reality, Apple’s keyboard alone prices greater than a Fireplace Max 11.

There are, in fact, options. Lenovo is an apparent one, with the Tab P11 having very comparable specs to the Fireplace Max 11 and costing below $280 / £280 from Amazon for the 128GB model (with 6GB of RAM, too). Extra importantly, it runs Android 12L, and affords entry to all of the apps lacking from the Fireplace Max 11.

See our roundup of the most effective tablets and the most effective Android tablets for different selections.

Verdict

When it comes to {hardware}, there’s quite a bit to love in regards to the Fireplace Max 11. And if you happen to’re after a pill with a keyboard or stylus however are on a price range, it needs to be a tempting choice.

The caveat is that it is advisable to make it possible for any apps you completely should have can be found on the Fireplace Max 11.

For individuals who are snug side-loading apps, the Fireplace Max 11 would possibly make much more sense however, as talked about, this isn’t a magic bullet that permits you to run all Google apps.

Anybody after a easy life could also be higher off with an Android pill just like the Lenovo Tab P11, however on the flip facet, the Fireplace Max 11 is nice for anybody who predominantly makes use of Amazon providers akin to Prime Video, Kindle, Audible, Alexa, Amazon Music and others, but additionally cares about having a good-quality pill with a big display.