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Android Central

Technology

Jerry Hildenbrand

Should you buy an Amazon Fire tablet when the amazing Black Friday sales start?

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So many tech products! It can help if you take a breath, a step back, and think about what you really need. We're here to help you do just that!

There are plenty of tech products out there. Some are great buys offering excellent value, but others aren't. Most fall somewhere in the middle.

Unless you have the means to buy one of everything, you have to decide if something is the right fit for you. That can be hard; the companies making them will tell you that you need one to make your life complete, people who got a lemon or just didn't like it will say the product is garbage, and reviewers simply can't cover everything.

Often, it's good to take a step back and see what's inside that pretty package. Was it worth what you paid for it? Will you get enough use from it to justify the purchase? Or maybe you should hold off and see what's coming next.

We can't make those decisions for you, but we can tell you what we think and maybe where you should start your decision-making process.

Early Black Friday sales are already here, and we'll see even more in the next few weeks. Some of the best deals out there will be from Amazon's first-party devices. Are these something you should buy?

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The deals will be wild

Amazon is the online king of Black Friday. You will find great deals at places like Walmart or Best Buy, too, but Amazon has a gazillion tech products, and it seems like they all get a Black Friday deal worth looking at.

Some of the best deals will be for Amazon's own products, like an Echo or the Fire line of tablets. It seems that Amazon is willing to lose money selling these because the company knows they will encourage you to use Amazon services more. That's not a bad strategy if your company can afford it, and Amazon certainly can.

But let's be honest: these products aren't for everyone. They are only worth buying if they are something you'll use. Google's Nest line of smart home products is, in my opinion, miles ahead of Amazon's Echo and Alexa. But if you use Alexa, the Echo is a much better buy. And plenty of people do.

Before you buy anything, you should ignore the deal and the low price and ask yourself if you'll use it.

What makes the Fire Tablet a good fit?

There is no right way or wrong way to use a tablet, but there are different ways to use one.

If you want a bigger screen with longer battery life to consume, Amazon's Fire tablets might be for you. Especially if you're already (or thinking of becoming) an Amazon Prime subscriber.

You can watch movies, TV shows, and videos on any modern tablet, even Amazon's Prime Video offerings. But if this is your primary use case, like it is for a lot of folks, then a new Fire HD makes it easy, and you'll have a lot of money left to buy more and more of that content. You aren't missing anything; you don't need a stupid-crazy powerful Apple processor or a world-class Samsung display to watch a movie on the couch. You need quick and easy access to the content, and Amazon offers it.

What about the kids? I think Amazon's Fire Kids tablets are one of the best things a parent can buy for their child. I will say that there is nothing you can do with one that can't be done on something like a Galaxy Tab or a OnePlus tablet, but the parental controls over what the kiddos have access to are dead simple on the Fire Kids versions. Simple means you'll do it, keeping the things you don't want your kids to see away. Until they get smart enough to work around it all anyway.

There are a few gray areas, too. Gaming is a big one. If you want the best gaming experience or love to play intense and demanding games, the Fire isn't the best way to do it. If you want to play more mobile-style games or the kids want to play Minecraft, well, the Fire tablet is a winner because it's more than adequate and usually about one-third of the price.

Don't buy a Fire Tab and expect everything

(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)

Of course, there are things the Fire Tab isn't good at doing. When it comes to productivity, things like working with spreadsheets or doing homework, nothing beats a good Android tablet. And yes, I say that as an iPad user. Don't be shocked, I use what fits me best.

A good Galaxy Tab or even a Chromebook with a great touchscreen is the way to get work done because the software is there. Yes, my iPad can be more responsive, and I can buy a special Pencil. But Google Docs is integrated into Android and Chrome devices in ways that make it a better experience.

If you are thinking of going all in and using a tablet for your entire mobile computing needs, well, the Fire Tab isn't going to cut it. Buy yourself a new Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra or an iPad Pro and call it done.

I've got one and love it

I'm not a big tablet user. I lean towards a Chromebook if I need more screen space than my phone offers, but I have a Fire HD 10. I bought it because it was on sale for crazy cheap, too, when the newer model came out.

It makes a perfect device for packing into a bag or the back of the passenger seat on a trip where sitting and staring out the window for hundreds of miles is mind-numbingly boring. Take the time to download a few hours of video, and you have instant entertainment. You can even do things like check your email in a pinch if you left your phone behind.

I wouldn't bring an expensive tablet on every road trip because I don't want to risk losing or damaging it. A Tab S is fine for a hotel room where things are clean and safe, but camping out of the back of a truck screams Fire HD to me. It won't mind a little bit of dirt, and if something crazy does happen, I'm not out $800.

Sometimes, it's the right device, and if any of this rings true with you, yeah. Treat yourself and buy an Amazon tablet this Black Friday.