In the world of tablets, Amazon’s Fire line has always been an affordable, mid-range option. That changes today though with the Fire Max 11.

It ditches a plastic build for a metal one and ups the price-tag for what Amazon is calling the most powerful table they’ve ever offered. That means applications should swiftly and you’ll be able to accomplish whatever you’d like to do within the customized Android platform. It also features a vibrant and sharp 11-inch display.

Amazon’s Fire Max 11 is up for order now at $229.99 and starts shipping on June 14, 2023. Ahead we’re sharing everything you need to know and what it compares too, including Apple’s iPad and the forthcoming Pixel Tablet.

The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.

Fire Max 11: What You Need to Know

Leading the pack in terms of features is the design of the Fire Max 11. Amazon’s moving on from a plastic build to an aluminum exterior, which enables a thin and lightweight design here. It comes in one color, sleek silver and gray, weighs in at 1.08 pounds, and is 7.5 millimeters thick. That’s super portable, though. Like an iPad, the 8-megapixel back camera sticks out a bit.

Like the Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10, along with the 10th Gen iPad, the front-facing camera is positioned for proper use in horizontal orientation. The 8-megapixel camera lives on the bezel centered on the longer side. There is also a USB-C port for charging, an SD card for storage expansion, a volume rocker, and a power button with an integrated fingerprint sensor on the side. We’re eager to spend more time with that dual-purpose power button and see how it compares to the iPad Air, 10th Gen iPad, and iPad Mini.

The Fire Max 11, as a whole, feels like a more substantial device and is certainly a more premium one. Alongside better build materials, Amazon packs an 11-inch display with 2.4 million pixels in a 2000 x 1200 resolution with 213 pixels per inch. In terms of durability, Amazon emphasizes strengthened glass over the larger screen and says it is three times as durable as the 10th Gen iPad. We need to spend a bit more time, but the Fire Max 11 team did conduct tumble tests.

The screen here should be vivid, sharp, and vibrant for most tasks you’d run on a Fire tablet. With the extra performance here from an Octa-Core MediaTek processor and 4GB of RAM, the custom version of Android with an Amazon Fire interface should glide here. Entertainment and personal apps like gaming, social media, streaming, and playback should run smoothly here.

There are also some productivity use cases, including support for Microsoft 365 and Zoom, though we’re not sure if this will be a laptop replacement for most folks. Safe to say, though, with a process that’s built up by two cores clocked to 2.2 GHz and six at 2 GHz, the interface should be fast and fluid. Apple’s iPads, though, are super speedy from years of work with custom processors and iPadOS; they have more chops in the productivity space. Google’s forthcoming Pixel Tablet is powered by the Tensor G2, which makes for a seamless experience on the Pixel 7a, 7, and 7 Pro.

For those productivity workflows, Amazon offers a detachable keyboard and trackpad case that both protects the Fire Max 11 when closed and connects easily to the tablet. You won’t need to worry about charging or fussing around with a Bluetooth connection, as pogo pins are built into the tablet. When the keyboard case attaches, it will auto-connect, and you’ll be off to the races. The case is sold separately at $89.99, or you can get it bundled with a tablet and a stylus for $329, which saves you about $25.

As a whole, Amazon is delivering a more premium experience that can scale for more advanced workflows at a price that undercuts other higher-end tablets. The battery life here is no joke, at least on paper, with an estimated 14-hour runtime. You can recharge the Fire Max 11 to 100% in about four hours via a USB-C cable and the 9-watt wall plug in the box. That can be sped up if you pair it with a 15-watt or higher adapter.

Let’s Recap Amazon’s Fire Max 11

For $229, you’re getting the most premium Amazon Fire tablet, which will likely be ideal for everyday tasks, communicating with friends and family, streaming, and light productivity. The fact that Amazon is offering a keyboard and trackpad case with a stylus also shows bigger ambitions here.

If it will be an iPad or Pixel tablet competitor remains to be seen, though. Still, if you set expectations or want a nice screen with a better build for streaming, you likely can’t go wrong here.

Amazon’s Fire 11 Max and some bundles are up for order right now; deliveries will begin on June 14, 2023. We’ll be going hands-on soon and circling back with a full review, but if you’re sold, we’d preorder now.

• Amazon Fire 11 Max, 64GB ($229.99 at Amazon)
• Amazon Fire 11 Max with Keyboard Case and Stylus Pen ($329.99, originally $354.97 at Amazon)
• Amazon Fire 11 Max with Keyboard Case ($319.98 at Amazon)
• Amazon Fire 11 Max with Stylus Pen ($264.98 at Amazon)
• Amazon Fire 11 Max with Slim Cover and Screen Protector ($297.97 at Amazon)

Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.