Amazon Fire OS: a great introduction to Android?
Without trying to fuel the ongoing argument between Apple and Android fans, it’s pretty safe to say that Android isn’t the simpler of the two. Apple has long been considered as the most user-friendly name in the smartphone world, with iOS focusing on simple design over detailed customisation.
Windows Phone has since offered a nice mixture of the two, but hasn’t been successful in drawing in the crowds as of yet. But now the Amazon Fire mobile phone is bringing something else to the table, in the form of Fire OS 3.5.
So, will Fire OS prove the perfect blend for giving users a more simplified Android taste? Could it be the ideal introduction to the hugely popular system? Let’s find out!
What Features Does Fire OS have?
For those of you with knowledge of Android, one thing you’ll know is that it is absolutely jam-packed with features for you to use, sometimes too many. Fire OS which is powered by Google, offers more of a modest selection which are all extremely useful, something that can’t be said of some Android mobile phones.
Firefly
Normally, we see something we like and maybe jot it down in our phone and search the web to try and find it. This scenario is a common occurrence for the majority of smartphone users out there. Fire OS helps avoid this chore with the Firefly feature which utilises the handset’s camera to identify millions of different items.
Even phone numbers and email addresses can be pulled from documents using the feature. If shown Amazon stocked items, Fire OS takes you right to the online store and gives you a price. Forget trawling through a laborious Google search on an Android phone, with the Amazon Fire and Fire OS, it only takes a press of the Firefly button.
Mayday
Have you ever had a problem with your smartphone? Most of us have, and it’s almost always a nightmare to sort out if the classic ‘turn it on and off method’ doesn’t work. Android isn’t the easiest system to fix either, but Amazon has a solution!
Mayday is a feature which gives you live tech support by an actual, real life person, in less than 15 seconds any hour of the day. Simply put, if you manage to change your phone’s language to binary code somehow, these are the people who can help you out.
Carousel
Finding a recently used app isn’t the easiest thing to do on an Android phone by any means, but the Amazon Fire handles it for you with complete ease, all thanks to the carousel. No we aren’t talking about some innocuous fairground ride here, the carousel is a menu based on the top of the Amazon phone’s home screen which displays your most recently used apps.
You can quickly slide through all the apps in chronological order, making it ideal if you can’t be bothered to hunt through your menus just to find that game you’re currently half way through. It’s also ideal for media playback, letting you jump right back into the video you were watching quickly and easily.
App Menu
With Android OS, all your apps are kept in a specific menu area, listing dozens upon dozens of them for you to sort through, no matter how much you use them. Amazon has helped combat this common problem by featuring a dedicated app menu, which lets you pick and choose which apps make the cut.
Let’s be honest, apps like Language Translator 2014 aren’t going to be at the top of your app priorities, whilst Facebook, Twitter and Google Drive probably will be. The app menu lets you fill it with all of your favourite apps, whilst the others stay hidden back in the regular menus, making it easier than ever to get to your best apps whilst keeping the less popular ones tucked away.
Should I get the Amazon Phone?
To put it simply, if you have trouble understanding Android, or often find yourself getting frustrated with it, then the Amazon Fire smartphon with Fire OS could solve all of your problems. Apps are easier to find, easier to use and help is always at hand. Pretty much anything you see can be identified by the handset.
It might not be quite as customisable as your standard Android phone, or pack as many apps behind the scenes, but it’s way more user-friendly and boasts some great features. By the way, did we mention the Amazon Fire has a 3D display? Try and find an Android phone that does that!