The Fire Max 11 is Amazon’s debut premium tablet, aiming to mirror the look and feel of an iPad at a much lower price. However, despite its improved appearance, the device falls short of expectations once turned on. With a starting price of £249.99, it significantly undercuts the cheapest iPad by over £100 and is only half the price of the 10.9in model. Unlike its plastic predecessors, the Max 11 boasts an aluminum body that is thin, well-made, and relatively lightweight. The 11in LCD screen offers better quality and sharpness compared to the Fire HD 10, with impressive viewing angles and clear stereo speakers. Although the screen is not overly bright and can be challenging to use outdoors. Notably, the Fire Max 11 features a fingerprint scanner integrated into the power button, a first for an Amazon tablet.
The wider and shorter screen of the Max 11 makes it ideal for watching films and TV shows, but not as well-suited for using apps and the browser compared to the squarer ratio of an iPad. This poses a problem for Amazon as it positions the Max 11 as a productivity machine, offering keyboard and stylus accessories to turn it into a laptop alternative. However, the accessories are decent but have some drawbacks, such as a sticky trackpad on the £90 ($90) keyboard and an unstable kickstand on the lap but fine on a desk. The £35 ($35) stylus, on the other hand, is responsive and magnetically attaches to the tablet’s side when not in use.
The software is where the Max 11 truly disappoints. It runs on Fire OS 8, based on Android 11, like other recent Fire tablets. Though it supports basic split-screen multitasking, it lacks free-floating windows, an app dock, taskbar, widgets, or gesture navigation, which are essential for productive use. Furthermore, the Max 11’s app store is a letdown as it doesn’t provide access to the Google Play Store or many productivity apps. While Microsoft’s Office suite is available, other popular productivity apps like Evernote are missing. Additionally, chat apps, banking apps, password managers, and other essential applications are scarce. The Max 11 relies on Amazon’s Silk browser, which lacks support from certain web apps and limits multitasking capabilities.
Regarding sustainability, the Max 11 is made with 55% recycled aluminum and 34% recycled plastic. Amazon guarantees software and security updates for at least four years after the device is no longer sold as new. However, customers cannot have the device repaired by Amazon once it is out of warranty, but the company offers a 15% discount on replacement units for returned devices, which are then repaired, refurbished, reused, or recycled.
The Fire Max 11 is available for £249.99 ($229.99) with 64GB of storage and lockscreen ads. For media consumption purposes, the Fire HD 10, priced at £149.99, offers better value. Overall, while the Fire Max 11 delivers a better design and user experience compared to previous Amazon tablets, it falls short in terms of software capabilities, access to essential apps, and overall value when compared to an iPad.