The thing to remember about Amazon’s new $50 Fire tablet is that it’s a $50 tablet.
It’s not as light or as thin as a tablet that costs five or six times more. The camera isn’t as good, and the screen isn’t as sharp. But it works well as a budget device for the basics — reading, Facebook, video and, of course, shopping on Amazon.
Over the years, Amazon.com Inc. has done a good job of making tablets affordable for the masses. The new Fire tablet is Amazon’s cheapest yet, joining a fall lineup that maxes out at $230 ($15 more if you want Amazon to remove ads on the lock screen). By contrast, Apple’s iPads start at $269, ad-free.
Of course, you get less for $50.
The Fire started shipping again Thursday after a limited run quickly sold out, despite these trade-offs: