We know this is going to shock the daylights out of many people, but the stark fact is that as things stand today, the Reliance 3G Tab takes out Amazon’s much-hyped “iPad-killer” as far as Indian users are concerned.
There are many who have already hailed Amazon’s Kindle Fire as a potential iPad killer. While we have no doubts that Amazon’s Android slab is indeed going to add a new (and welcome) dimension to the tablet market in the world and make tablets in general more mainstream, we must confess that when it comes to India, it might not be the greatest option available. Simply because a more viable option exists – the Reliance 3G Tab.
It might not have the Amazon branding or the hype, but as things stand today (and we need to stress the phrase, because things CAN change extremely fast), the Reliance 3G Tab offers Indian users more bang for their bucks as compared to Amazon’s new Android tablet.
Think we are talking out of our hats? Well do consider the following:
3G connectivity – Wi-Fi ain’t everywhere yet!
For us, the absence of 3G connectivity in the Kindle Fire was a deal breaker. One of the biggest advantages of an Android device – be it a phone or a tablet – is the feeling that one can always go online in an instant on it. With the Kindle Fire, you will have to scout around for WiFi hotspots, which are not exactly very common in India. Quite simply, the Kindle Fire can only be used in some places, which seriously limits how much you can use it (hey, you cannot access Amazon’s cloud services offline, can you?). The Reliance 3G tablet on the other hand, comes with always-on 3G, and can be used on Wi-Fi too. A no-brainer, this.
Specifications – chips apart, what have we here?
Getting into tech spec territory, the Kindle Fire packs in an immensely powerful processor and a better display, but has no cameras, no GPS, no Bluetooth (by most accounts), no microphone, and no expandable memory. While we do agree that cameras are not a killer feature in tabs for taking pictures, their presence does make video calling a lot better than on a phone’s small screen. And yes, on paper the Kindle Fire has more onboard memory (8GB) than the Reliance Tab, backed up by unlimited storage on the Amazon cloud.
However, the stark fact is that the cloud can be accessed only when one is online. The Reliance Tab comes with a 4GB memory card, but can accommodate a 32 GB one. One can also get stacks of cloud storage for free using the right apps. The presence of GPS is a huge plus for us as it lets the tab double up as a PND. And ah, not too many people seem to have noticed that the Kindle Fire does not even have volume control buttons! Another winner for Reliance here.
Android market – not all appy fizz
For all the cheering from Android fan boys, the stark fact is that the Kindle Fire restricts you to Amazon’s app store for Android. No, you cannot access the Android Market from the Kindle Fire, although you can install apps by downloading their .apk files, which frankly is so NOT the way to go for app downloads.
Yes, the Amazon app store is impressive, but the Android Market Place has many more apps, and most app developers are always going to be looking to park their apps there, rather than on Amazon’s store, for the simple reason that the Android Market Place is accessed by more Android devices. As of now, Amazon’s store does not have the official Google Docs, CNN, Google+ or even YouTube apps and the mighty Silk browser cannot compensate for them all! Once again, the Force is with the Reliance Tab here.
Android experience – Google or Amazon Android?
It may run Android, but the Android experience on the Kindle Fire is very different from that seen on other Android devices. Some experts are even going so far as to call the OS running on the Kindle Fire as a complete rework of Android by Amazon. While we are sure this does not make a difference to first time users, for the Android crowd, this will mean restrictions and the absence of a number of noteworthy features.
Many stock Google applications like the Gmail app will simply be replaced by Amazon alternatives. Will they be better? We don’t know. What we do know is that we are mighty pleased with what the Reliance 3G Tab already offers in this regard – a relatively uncluttered Android interface and all the apps that one wants. As of now, we do not even officially know which version of Android the Kindle Fire runs – we are simply calling it Kindle Android 1.0.
Amazon content – expensive, often not available
One of the biggest strengths of the Kindle Fire is its almost seamless integration with Amazon content and services, we are told. Terrific if you are in the US, but not so convenient if you are in India. For, many services (such as Amazon Prime) are not available in India and even those that are, are not exactly super affordable – even e-books on Amazon’s Kindle store tend to cost a lot more than their paperback counterparts. Also, streaming most of the content to the Kindle Fire from Amazon will require a Wi-Fi connection – see why we are calling the 3G connectivity absence a deal breaker?
Service – if the Fire splutters…
We love the way Amazon has backed up service for the Kindle – if something goes wrong, you just ship it back and they fix it or replace it. And while they may bring the same approach to the Fire, not having your e-book reader with you for a couple of weeks is a remarkably different thing from missing a tablet for the same period. For the simple reason that you do so much more with a tablet – browse the Net, check social networks, et al. As of now, the Reliance Tab has the edge here – it might change if Amazon opens up service centres for the Fire in India. But then, this piece is about the “as of now” situation.
Value for money – price differential ain’t that much
The Kindle Fire currently retails for USD 199. When it does start shipping to India, we expect a further USD 30-50 to be added to the price as shipping and custom charges (as with the other Kindles), which would put it in the vicinity of Rs 11,000+. While that makes it much more affordable than an iPad, it does not put it too far away from the Reliance Tab, which currently costs Rs 12,999 and throws in 3G connectivity, cameras, expandable memory and an unrestricted version of Android in the bargain.
Yes, the Kindle Fire has a higher resolution display, the Silk browser and a better processor, but we think that the Reliance Tab’s inbuilt 3G, bigger app reservoir and expandable memory more than cancel that out.
So, there you have it – our humble opinion on just how good the Kindle Fire is for the Indian market today. Of course, that could change. We hope it does. But as things stand, we would rather go for the Reliance Tab than ask our friends in the US to get us a Kindle Fire. (Please note: we have made very few references to the iPad in the entire piece. This is NOT a comparison between the Kindle Fire and the iPad.)
