![]() ![]() And then there is the Samsung Login mess.Ī Pro of the Fire HD8 is that you get Show Mode and Hands Free Alexa if you are into those things. There are ads on the lock screen that unless you pay to get rid of, will cause a “not-so-pleasant” experience. With the Fire Tablets, the lock screen is a pita to get out of without some type of physical interaction. However, there are some issues with them that would be avoided going with the Samsung. I’ve even gotten them for $35 (2 for $70). However, I am a fan of the cheap Fire Tablets HD8 that you can easily get for $50 when they go on sale. I will let it get dusty and stay as a testing group for smart home tablet automation.The Samsung is much better and at the same price, I would go with it. ![]() If you find a better solution or a way to make the Fire Tablet amazing, please do let me know, however, for the time being. But I do have high expectations and love fluidity without issue or hacky results when it comes to my home. If I ignore my stubbornness, I guess it’s not as bad as I think. If you have issues, let me know in the comments as I did this a few times before getting it right!įire Tablet Home Automation – Is it worth it?.You should now see the Google Play Store app, restart your tablet by holding down the power button, then open and login to Google to download the SmartThings App directly.Install the APKs in the order of the download list above by going to Menu > Docs > LocalStorage > Downloads. ![]() 2017 Fire HD 8 Google Play Store download.Download the correct Google Play Store, choose from the listed versions:.Download the APK (Android application package) of the Google Account Manager and Framework.Go to Settings > Security and enable “Apps from Unknown Sources”.How do I install Google Play on my Amazon Fire Tablet for SmartThings? If you’re looking for an easy way to do this, I HIGHLY suggest checking out this forum post which has a script/tool for installing and setting all this up automatically. It’s definitely the cleanest way to keep your SmartThings devices under control and also probably the best way to utilise your Amazon Fire tablet. This then works alongside another app called ” Fully Kiosk Browser” which removes all other bars etc from the tablet. This is probably the better option when using the Fire Tablet as you can install SmartTiles Panels. Using the Amazon Fire Tablet for SmartThings I only picked up this Amazon device because it was on sale in a bundle and even then it’s not worth it. ![]() Honestly, given the specs, I couldn’t even recommend going for the Fire 10 which is fairly new. If you’re happy to hack the device a fair bit, you can remove all the bloatware and extras to keep this as a very basic shell of a device which only has one function. It’s quite expensive but if you’re not into doing total DIY it can be an easy solution to having your controllers have a clean finish. I do have to give props to Vidabox who created a wall mount for the Amazon Fire HD 7 to allow it to be charged constantly whilst keeping it stylish as a controller. With a newer update, a lot of Amazon Fire Tablets actually have an inbuilt Device Dashboard for any device which works with Alexa now. It really does depend on the amount of effort you wish to put into cleaning these out / flashing the devices. There is a LOT of bloatware on these tablets and all of which is a pain to get rid of. This shouldn’t really be surprising, but it’s always worth setting an expectation for this tablet! Can I use this as a Home Automation Dashboard (Android)? If you’ve read this far, I’m sure you can understand that this is a bottom of the barrel tablet and only really for very basic needs.ĭon’t expect the latest generation Ipad or Samsung Galaxy tablet, the Amazon Fire 7 Tablet should be considered as a very budget device for next to no functionality. How does it compare to other tablets on the market? It would be a great hacky and demo like device if you’re looking to have something to test with. But I do have to give it credit on the slim factor. It feels flimsy, very cheap plastic and poor screen quality. It’s filled to the brim with absolute garbage and honestly isn’t work your time. If you want to try and use the Amazon App Store, good luck, it’s about as useful as the Echo Skills store. So, if you do want to use this for Smart Home purposes (Like a controller), you will need to trick the Android system into installing Google Play. However, when I got the tablet, I found quickly that you can’t install Google Play natively and it requires a workaround. ![]()
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