Amazon (AMZN) - Get Report has introduced a new Fire tablet that it sells for only $49.99, undercutting just about every other tablet available for sale today. What can Amazon deliver at this low price? As it turns out, a very basic design but good for a number of potential users.

Not surprisingly, you won't be bowled over by the Fire tablet's specs. The 7-inch touch screen is similar to what you saw on Alphabet's (GOOGL) - Get Report (GOOG) - Get Report popular Nexus 7. However, the Fire's screen is really low-resolution -- 1024 by 600 pixels with a density of just 171 pixels per inch.

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Inside there's a 1.3 GHz, quad-core MediaTek system-on-a-chip mated to just 1 GB of RAM. Fire comes with 8 GB of RAM, of which 5 GB is available for your storage needs. There is a microSD expansion slot for as much as an additional 128 GB of storage. Fire also comes with unlimited, free cloud storage for all Amazon content and photos you take with Amazon devices.

The Fire tablet has two cameras, but they're not much to brag about. There's a 2 megapixel device on the back and a VGA shooter up front. Internet connections are handled by single-band, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and there's Bluetooth 4.0 for everything else wireless.

Fire runs Amazon's Fire OS 5, a forked version of Android 5.1. The new operating system has an updated user interface and Amazon has updated its app store, introducing "Amazon Underground," which has more than $10,000 of apps and games with free extras (such as more lives and unlocked levels).

All of the above specifications aren't very meaningful unless the device actually delivers. And it does. Fire may not be the largest, fastest tablet ever made, but it is definitely the best under-$50 tablet you can buy.

The tablet is not as slow as you might expect, considering its components. Amazon's combination of processor, memory and screen actually works pretty well to provide a very usable experience. Email and Web surfing are more than acceptable. Simple games load fairly quickly and run pretty smoothly. More elaborate gaming titles will take longer to load. While the screen is somewhat lacking in brightness, contrast and resolution, it's usable for most tasks. There are times, though, you can see separate pixels on the screen, instead of a solid image. 

Fire also feels heavy. It weighs a solid 11 ounces, about the same as Apple's iPad mini 2. The bezel, the black plastic portion surrounding the screen, is quite thick compared to most other designs. That means Fire is a quite a handful, especially in smaller hands. 

Despite delivering specifications similar to a two- to three-year-old design, Amazon's Fire delivers a remarkable tablet experience for the low, $50 asking price. It should be a very appealing device for users with very basic needs and even more limited budgets. That means Amazon's $50 tablet could wind up being one of this year's most popular holiday gifts.

Amazon is also selling the new Fire tablet in a six-pack., allowing users to buy five and get a sixth tablet free.

Overall Score: 7.5/10


To buy the new Fire tablet on Amazon, click here.


This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.