8.0 Amazon Fire Max 11 You’re receiving value alerts for Amazon Fire Max 11 Like
Affordable pill with extra premium design
Relatively zippy operation with new, quicker processor
Optional removable keyboard makes it an affordable laptop computer
1080p front- and rear-facing cameras
New fingerprint sensor and enlargement slot for extra reminiscence
Don’t like
Amazon App Store is lacking some apps you may want
iPad solely prices $40 extra
I’ve been reviewing Amazon Fire tablets for a few years, and possibly the very best factor you might say about them was that they tended to be excellent values for Amazon Prime customers and oldsters who may pawn them off as “good enough” iPads to their younger youngsters for a fraction of the price of an precise Apple iPad.The new Fire Max 11, which begins at $230 with 64GB of storage and lock-screen adverts enabled, can also be a worth play for Amazon. But it is Amazon’s first pill to have a extra premium bent with an aluminum chassis (as a substitute of plastic) and a stronger productiveness angle that features higher front- and rear-facing cameras than earlier Fire pill fashions and a quicker MediaTek processor that serves up a zippier expertise. No, it would not fairly measure as much as the most inexpensive iPad, but it surely’s a worthy various, particularly if you happen to go for the Fire Max 11 “productivity bundle” with the bundled keyboard case and powered stylus for $330 — the identical MSRP of the entry-level (ninth-gen) iPad, sans equipment. Amazon’s Fire Max 11 pill has an 11-inch display screen, quicker processor, higher cameras and helps a stylus. David Carnoy/CNETThe show is of course the very first thing you see once you take a look at a pill, and the Fire Max 11’s is fairly good. The Max sports activities an 11-inch display screen with a 2,000×1,200-pixel decision with a pixel density of 213 pixels per inch, whereas the ninth-gen iPad has a 10.2-inch, 2,160×1,620-resolution show with a 264 ppi. Even with out figuring out that, although, you’ll be able to see the Max’s display screen will not be fairly as sharp because the iPad’s display screen — pixel density is the important thing function right here, because the iPad and Fire Max 11 have completely different side ratios.Still, I discovered it amply crisp and vibrant, and you may activate adaptive brightness to have the display screen mechanically optimize the brightness to your surroundings’s lighting circumstances to assist save battery life. Video from a spread streaming service regarded sharp — it is 1080p HD video — with respectable shade accuracy. The keyboard and stylus productiveness bundle prices an additional $100 however is arguably value it. David Carnoy/CNETGood efficiency for the priceIn all, I used to be typically impressed with the construct high quality and efficiency of the Fire Max 11. Think of it as Amazon’s Fire pill model of its premium Kindle e book readers that not often get discounted — the Kindle Oasis and the newer Kindle Scribe. Those fashions even have steel our bodies and the Fire Max 11’s aluminum again and slim bezels positively give it a higher-end look (you will not mistake it for a finances product). It weighs in at 17.3 ounces (490 grams), or solely barely greater than the $150 Fire HD 10 (16.4 ounces, 465 grams), which truly is not a lot smaller as a result of it has bigger bezels round its 10-inch display screen.As I mentioned, the efficiency would not match up with the ninth-gen iPad, which has increased Geekbench 6 scores, but it surely actually feels zippier than earlier Fire tablets. Powered by a MediaTek MT8188J 2.2GHz octa-core processor with 4GB of RAM, it helps quicker Wi-Fi 6 wi-fi connectivity and has a fingerprint sensor (a primary on an Amazon pill) together with a microSD enlargement slot so as to add as much as 1TB of further storage. Using Geekbench 6 for Android, the outcomes I obtained for the Max 11 had been 933 for single-core and a pair of,280 for multicore, which seems to be a giant bump in efficiency from the Fire HD 10. I benchmarked the Fire HD 10 at 322 for single-core and 951 for multi, which might imply that Amazon is underselling the supposed 50% enchancment of the Max 11. While the newest model of the Fire HD 10 mannequin was launched in 2021, it stays an excellent pill worth, significantly when it goes on sale for round $100. (Its display screen is technically a contact sharper than the Max 11’s with 224 ppi, however the two shows are very related.)Higher-end Android tablets like Google’s new Pixel Tablet and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 have double the RAM (8GB vs. 4GB) and extra highly effective processors together with even crisper shows. (More RAM prevents your pill from getting slowed down when utilizing a number of apps on the identical time and makes the pill carry out higher general.) But these tablets price greater than twice as a lot. The $500 Pixel Tablet has a 10.9-inch display screen with 2,560×1,600 decision and 276 ppi. It runs Google’s Pixel-flavored model of Android 13 whereas the Fire Max 11 runs Amazon Fire OS 8, which is principally an offshoot of Android 11. Side view of the Max 11 and its USB-C charging port. David Carnoy/CNETNo Google Play Store stays a difficulty — however it may be circumventedThat Fire OS is the large caveat everytime you’re shopping for an Amazon pill. Like different Fire tablets, you aren’t getting the Google Play Store (and are restricted to Amazon’s app retailer) out of the field, although many individuals sideload the Play Store on their Fire units. It’s not lifeless easy, but it surely’s not laborious both, and I used to be ready so as to add it in about 15 minutes by following step-by-step directions simply discovered on-line.Some individuals might really feel comfy residing in Amazon’s walled backyard. However, with a pill like this that is designed to be a extra sturdy productiveness instrument and never only a gateway to the corporate’s leisure content material and a dashboard for controlling your Alexa-enabled sensible dwelling units (you’ll be able to put it into Show Mode to show it into an Echo Show-like sensible show minus the built-in, a lot fuller sounding speaker), if you happen to do not sideload the Play Store, you will miss out on a broader array of apps that assist this pill attain its full potential.Amazon’s app retailer has lots of the apps you will need and wish, however removed from all of them. Zoom and Microsoft Teams video-conferencing apps can be found, as is Microsoft’s OneNote app (I used it for testing the stylus). Additionally, Amazon throws in a three-month free trial to Microsoft Office 365. However, if you happen to’re on the lookout for a Google Drive app in Amazon’s app retailer, what you get as a substitute is an app that is a bookmark to drive.google.com. There are additionally no Vudu or YouTube apps. And in case your headphones have a companion Android app (Sony, Beats, Bose, and many others.), it seemingly will not be accessible in Amazon’s app retailer.This appears a great place to say that the pill has no headphone jack — you’ll be able to join headphones wirelessly through Bluetooth (it is Bluetooth 5.3) or wired through the USB-C port. And I also needs to word that the pill’s inner audio system are fairly respectable. They do not produce a lot in the way in which of bass, however I watched Creed 3 and some different motion pictures they usually produced a fairly broad soundstage with ample quantity (the midrange is especially robust with dialog coming by way of loud and clear). The left and proper stereo audio system could be discovered on both facet of the highest pill when it is in panorama mode, the identical placement because the audio system on the Fire HD 10.Amazon despatched me a Luna sport controller and a restricted comp subscription to make use of with the pill so I may check out its Luna cloud gaming service. The sport choice is pretty restricted, however the video games I attempted, together with just a few from my Ubisoft account (you’ll be able to hyperlink your Ubisoft account to Luna), ran easily on my Wi-Fi 6 dwelling community with comparatively few glitches. I additionally ran Xbox Cloud gaming by way of Amazon’s Silk internet browser and video games ran easily, however I had bother with the sound at one level and the Luna sport controller would solely work after I plugged it into the USB-C port slightly than use it wirelessly. (Note: I spent a restricted period of time gaming on the Max 11 and nonetheless must spend a bit extra time earlier than delivering a closing verdict on the pill’s gaming capabilities.)Improved camerasAmazon reps informed me the corporate observed a shift in how individuals had been utilizing their Fire tablets in the course of the pandemic that has continued as individuals nonetheless earn a living from home at the least a part of the week. More individuals had been utilizing them as productiveness units slightly than simply as leisure units. That included utilizing them for Zoom and Microsoft Teams video convention calls, even when the cameras weren’t that nice from a decision standpoint. With that in thoughts, past the design improve and quicker processor, the largest adjustments to the Max 11 from earlier Fire tablets are its front- and rear-facing cameras. The step-down Fire HD 10 is provided with 2-megapixel front-facing and 5-megapixel rear-facing cameras with 720p HD video recording. By distinction, the Fire Max 11 has 8-megapixel front- and rear-facing cameras with 1080p HD video recording. When I used to be on Zoom calls, I used to be informed that I appeared to certainly be broadcasting in 1080p and display screen grabs confirmed that I regarded fairly sharp, significantly with higher lighting. The pill’s front- and rear-facing cameras function 1080p decision. David Carnoy/CNETA case for the keyboard and stylus bundleYou can get a keyboard case for the Fire HD 10, however the Fire Max 11’s design features a set of pogo pins to connect Amazon’s new Keyboard Case ($90) to the pill magnetically. The new Amazon Stylus Pen ($35) additionally adheres magnetically to the facet of the pill. As famous earlier, you should buy the Fire Max 11 in a bundle with the Keyboard Case and Stylus Pen for $330 or $25 lower than what the objects would price if bought individually. The Keyboard Case is probably not fairly nearly as good as a few of Logitech’s keyboard circumstances for the iPad, but it surely’s slim, comfy to make use of (the keys are fairly tactile) and in addition has an built-in touchpad for mouse assist. Since it is so slim, it is simple sufficient to bend a bit, so it is extra appropriate to make use of whereas sitting on a desk or laborious floor than in your lap. Meanwhile, the Stylus Pen is powered by a replaceable AAAA battery that Amazon says lasts as much as six months with average use. As for the pill’s battery life, it is rated to stand up to 14 hours of studying, shopping the net, watching movies and listening to music on a single cost. It prices through its USB-C port however doesn’t have a wi-fi charging choice just like the HD 8 Plus or HD 10 Plus. It’s value noting that the Max 11 solely comes with a 9-watt USB-C charger, which does the job however does it fairly slowly (if use it, you will most likely need to cost in a single day). I ended up utilizing a 65-watt charger that I exploit to cost my laptop computer and that helped cut back charging occasions a bit. However, it nonetheless took near 4 hours for a full cost.With earlier Fire tablets, Amazon touted how they supplied hands-free Alexa, so you’ll be able to management them together with your voice like an Echo speaker, which you can too do with the Fire Max 11 (whereas it has solely two microphones vs. the array of microphones discovered on Echo audio system it nonetheless managed to choose up my voice nicely). But with the arrival of the stylus, Amazon is now highlighting how handwriting recognition works with sure apps and how one can write a URL within the internet browser handle bar and have it convert into textual content. You most likely would not trouble with that if you happen to had the Keyboard Case, however some individuals actually like to make use of their styluses.As I mentioned within the intro, if you happen to’re considering of utilizing the Max 11 as an affordable laptop computer alternative, the keyboard case and stylus bundle is the way in which to go. Ultimately, the worth proposition right here is that for across the value of the entry-level iPad, you are getting not solely a reliable and durable pill (the Fire Max 11 is “three times as durable” because the iPad 10.9-inch, Amazon says), however you additionally get a keyboard case and stylus. Apple’s Magic Keyboard Folio prices $249 and an Apple Pen (2nd era) lists for $129.Amazon Fire Max 11 closing thoughtsIn our overview of Lenovo’s Duo 3 Chromebook ($379), which has an 11-inch display screen with 128GB of storage and features a removable keyboard, former CNET editor Dan Ackerman describes the Duo 3 as “one of the best computers you can buy for under $400,” however is a “better secondary or travel laptop than a primary device.” The identical could be mentioned for the Max 11, with its keyboard case connected.The benefit of Chromebook is that whereas it runs Google’s Chrome OS, you can too obtain and run Android apps on it utilizing the Google Play Store. But as long as you sideload the Google Play Store onto the Max 11, you may get a fairly related expertise for about $50 much less together with quick access to loads of Amazon’s “free” content material for Prime members.As standalone pill, you’ll most likely evaluate this to one thing like Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A8, which is presently on sale for $230 with 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM with what seems to be a really related display screen to the Max 11’s. I have never reviewed that mannequin, however I feel the benefit you get with the Fire Max 11 is a quicker processor and general zippier efficiency.Like the Kindle Oasis and Scribe, I would not count on the Max 11 to be recurrently supplied at a steep low cost, even throughout Black Friday or Prime Day gross sales. However, you would possibly discover some small gross sales on it, or maybe Amazon will supply a greater deal on the productiveness bundle, which looks like it has some room for discounting.Like different Fire tablets, the Max 11 is an effective worth at its checklist value — and an excellent finances pill that appears and feels dearer than it prices. My solely reservation in recommending it’s the lack of the Google Play Store to entry these apps which might be lacking from Amazon’s App Store. But that shortcoming could be overcome if you happen to comply with the steps to put in it your self. Fire Max 11 key specs, in keeping with Amazon 11-inch touchscreen made out of strengthened alumino-silicate glass 2,000×1,200 decision with 2.4 million pixels. Fire Max 11 has 410 nits (typical) brightness with 213 ppi pixel density, 70% (typical) NTSC shade gamut, 1,000:1 (min) and 1,400:1 (typical) distinction ratio64GB or 128GB of inner storage with assist for microSD playing cards as much as 1 TB for extra storageMediatek MT8188J octa-core processorArm G57 MC2 built-in graphics4GB of reminiscence17.3 ounces (490 grams)Up to 14 hours of battery life; absolutely charged in beneath 3.5 hours with a 15-watt adapter8-megapixel front- and rear-facing cameras with autofocus and 1080p video recordingDual audio system with Dolby Atmos, USB-C audio and exterior quantity controlsDual-band 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) wi-fiBluetooth 5.3 BLE with assist for A2DP stereo headphones, audio system, microphone and LE accessoriesAccelerometer, ambient gentle sensor, corridor impact and fingerprint sensorOptional equipment: Keyboard Case ($90), Made for Amazon Stylus Pen ($35) and Slim Cover ($50)Third-party Bluetooth and wired keyboards could be related. Third-party USI 2.0 styluses are suitable, although can have some restricted performance in comparison with Fire Max 11’s MFA stylus penHands-free Alexa (you’ll be able to allow always-on Alexa voice assistant)Show Mode (full-screen Alexa expertise)Starts at $230 with 64GB of storage. Productivity bundle with Keyboard Case and Stylus Pen begins at $330