While the Fire 7 Tablet (2022) is different from other Android tablets, it’s still eligible for updates. Here’s how long Amazon will support it.
The Fire 7 Tablet (2022) launched in May 2022 as Amazon’s newest budget tablet, and potential buyers might want to check how many updates it will get. The new Fire 7 tablet features a few upgrades over its 2019 predecessor, including an improved chipset, USB-C charging, and longer battery life.
The Fire 7 Tablet (2022) runs Fire OS 8, the latest version of Amazon’s Android fork for its Fire tablets. Despite launching nearly a year after the release of Android 12, Fire OS 8 isn’t based on the latest version of Android. Instead, Fire OS 8 is based on Android 10 and Android 11, and with Android 13 on the horizon, it wouldn’t be out of place to say the Fire 7 (Tablet) runs an outdated version of Android.
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Amazon’s operating system isn’t the only thing that’s different. Its software update policy also differs from that of other manufacturers. Unlike other brands that announce how many OS upgrades and years of security updates their devices will receive, sometimes even using this to market the product, Amazon charts a different course. According to an official help page, Amazon says its Fire Tablets will receive software security updates for a minimum of four years after the device stops selling on its platform.
Amazon’s Update Cycle Is Different
What this means is that if a Fire Tablet, such as the Fire 7 Tablet (2022), is last sold on Amazon’s website in May 2024, it will receive security updates for at least four years after that which translates to updates until at least 2028. However, at the moment, the help page says the Fire 7 Tablet will receive updates at least through 2026 since 2022 (its year of release) is still its last selling date on Amazon.
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Amazon doesn’t make any mention of OS upgrades for the tablet, and that should not come as much of a surprise based on the release cycle for Fire OS. Prior to the announcement of Fire OS 8 in May 2022, the last release was Fire OS 7 (based on Android 8 and Android 9) in 2018. While that’s a four-year gap between OS upgrades, Fire OS 7 was released a year after Fire OS 6. There doesn’t seem to be a clear pattern to Amazon’s Fire OS release cycle, which makes it difficult to say when Fire OS 9 will be launched.
In addition, when it does release a new version, Amazon isn’t usually forthcoming about whether previous devices will be updated to the latest software. For example, Amazon is yet to disclose if the 2020 Fire Tablets will be upgraded to Fire OS 8 which brings a handful of new features including Dark Mode. Hence, it is best for Fire 7 Tablet (2022) buyers not to expect an OS upgrade.
