I’m glad to have received my Kindle Fire on November 19. I pre-ordered the device a week before the November 15 distribution date by Amazon and was glad that they fulfilled it on the date they promised. I received it 4 days after because the item was shipped from US to the Philippines through Johnny Air.
I let Jaypee David took pictures of my Kindle Fire for me because, as most people know, I have the most amazing photography skills ever! [if ever you understand the irony in it lol] So here we go.
Amazon Appstore not yet available in the Philippines
This is the sad part, you can’t download apps from the Amazon Appstore. The Kindle Fire is intended for US users only at this time. But you can sideload apps from outside source which I do to install twitter client and other apps I use a lot. But I’m pretty much satisfied with all the native apps in the Kindle Fire such as Mail, Pulse (a reader device, much like Google Reader), The Weather Channel which I think is pretty informative about weather compared to other apps offering similar service.
Download eBooks at the rate of Knots!
You can buy eBooks in a flash and it usually only takes about a minute or less to download. Isn’t that amazing? I hate bringing books with me because I complain a lot with weight. Now that I have Kindle Fire I guess there I’ve got no reason not to read books now. 
I’ve downloaded 6 already and I hop from one book to another everyday lol.
What I enjoy about Kindle Fire
- The fact that you can read books anywhere without bringing stacks of it is great. It’s environment friendly, too because using Kindle Fire to read books makes us use less paper and therefore decreases our dependence on wood for paper production.
- Reasonable price. You can’t get any better deal than $199. This is better than other tablets I’ve seen around. I like iPad but I don’t think I’d like to use it to read books. The 7″ tab like KF is great for reading.
- Impressive display. Download some pics and check it on Fire’s Gallery app. I feel like its close to retina display. OMG.
- Powerful speakers.
- You can contact Customer Service right on the Amazon Store app which is cool. They usually respond within 24 hours.
What I don’t Like about Kindle Fire
Aside from the fact that I can’t download apps from Amazon Appstore which is given here are some of the things I don’t like about it:
- Can’t disable autocorrect. It’s annoying! Perhaps the fix is currently in the works, but no resolution yet as of the moment.
- Slow Amazon Silk browser. It looks quite primitive and lacks aesthetics, too. I feel like I’m in Pleistocene epoch. OMG! I use Dolphin browser which is good. QQ is nice, too.
- Its quite heavy. It will surprise you the moment you hold it. After using it for almost half a month now I felt that I have packed a considerable amount of muscles both in my arms and biceps. OMG! I never thought getting ripped is this easy with Kindle Fire. Next time, I’ll use my abs to hold this device! Time to get some real six pack! Crazyness!
I’ll add more as I use the device.
Verdict
Love love love love! I like it. Perhaps its a question of lifestyle and personal preference. I love to read so this one is the best device for me because I get to read books a lot and buy it right in the convenience of Amazon Store. I’m not much into apps but content aggregator app is something I value and the Pulse app was able to address that need.
Kindle Fire user? Tell us what you think by sharing your comments below.
{ 197 comments… read them below or add one }
Did you not have any problems buying ebooks from Amazon? Can you write more about your experiences using this device? I’m planning on buying KF but since most of it’s feature are only “great” in the US, I don’t know if I should buy it or not.
Hi Lynne,
Yes, you can buy e-Books without any problem.
I’ll add that in my review. Thanks for dropping by!
Yes, that’s my concern too. The primary reason why I would buy Kindle Fire is so I can buy e-books. Another question, you mentioned that it was shipped directly from US – so amazon shipped it to a Philippine address? Or did you indicate a US address? Thanks!
Yes, I used Johnny Air for that.
You can search the net for Johnny Air’s website and email them. They respond super fast. 
You’re gonna need to add their address in the US (usually NY, NJ, WA) and you’ll use that in your Amazon account so that they can send your Kindle there. Johnny will then send it to the their office in PH in Makati although you can choose to deliver it directly to your home (with an added charge).
I recommend using NJ address because that state doesn’t collect state/local tax. NY and WA charges too much.
Hi, I would like to know how much did it cost you using Johnny Air? thanks.
Hi Emman, Rainer,
When I emailed JA back in October they told me that the charge for shipping Kindle Fire to PH is Php 1,988.59. I really did not figure out how much they charged me when I finally picked up the item on Nov 19 because I also purchased other items aside from Fire. But here’s how they compute it. This may change so get in touch with them for more accurate rates:
thanks for the full details! just what i needed. i’m using kindle fire right now and it’s indeed bang for the buck. will order kindle touch for my mom via JCA
Hi, I really appreciate your blog. I would really love to purchase a Kindle Fire as a gift for myself because I love reading. I have a couple of questions if you won’t mind:
1. (I’m a twilight fan, would love to get the harry potter collection, and archie’s comic ebooks for my kids) I’ve seen a lot of ebook vendors online and can I upload all of them in Kindle Fire? This is my major concern.
2. Are there games installed such as what I see on demos like the angry birds (for my kids who like to tinker on my things).
3. Is there an internet browsing app such as Firefox which I can use to surf the internet if ever I don’t want to read?
Thanks!
PetiteMom
– YES!
Kindle Fire has 8GB of memory and free Digital content storage. I’ve downloaded a lot of ebooks (and games) already and the memory is still fine. 
The device comes with pre-installed applications and games and one of which is Words with Friends. Amazon AppStore is not yet available in PH but you can “sideload” (download from other source, or sites) like m.getjar.com and download games there. You will need to download a file (you will be prompted) first before you can download games and stuff. Its quite easy
Kindle Fire has a browser called Amazon Silk. I downloaded another browser called Dolphin and I use that a lot.
You’ll love it
hi, i just received my amazon kindle fire.. im loving it.. however the no access to the amazon appstore sucks! you mentioned we can “sideload” via m.getjar.com.. tried it but having difficulty as the moment i click on the download, it prompts me to access m.getjar.com, however when i access it via browser from the kf, it redirects to http://www.getjar.com and can not find the quick download button.. hope you can assist me? or any other alternatives…
thanks and regards,
Check on your settings and see if our KF is accepting installation of third-party applications. Tap on the battery icon on top right, click More, select Device, and turn On Allow installation of applications. Then, visit m.getjar.com and you should be prompted to download the apk file. Let me know if you did this.
Hi Jules, I just enabled the device to install other apps as you indicated, now able to download apps via m.getjar.com, thanks you very much!
Hello. Need help on KF, even after installing Getjar, still cant download games/apps. Error: The download failed, please try again later. I tried many times but the problem is still the same.
Hi there!
I’m just wondering how did you have the chance to purchase it on Amazon. I tried it on the site but it prompted me that the item can’t be shipped to non-US customers. Also, did they charge you for the shipping? I’m considering of buying one unit in an online shop based here in our country but I don’t know if the items they are selling are authentic. Do you think, by any chance, there are imitations of this one in our country? Thanks.
Robi, I used Johnny Air for that.
I explained it in detail in one of the replies to the comments above. Please refer to it hehe.
I don’t think there are imitations of this as of the moment and if there’s any you’d instantly be able to identify it yourself. I’ve seen some peeps selling them in Sulit.com.ph and I think they’re authentic. They’ve probably know someone in the US and ordered these in bulk although I’m not sure if you can do that from Amazon Store.
Yeah, actually the explanation wasn’t there the time I was typing my comment awhile ago. I read it after sending my comment and I find it very helpful. Would you mind telling me how much it cost you to buy one unit and have it delivered on your door? There’s an ad in Sulit for Kindle Fire and it’s for 10, 890 pesos. Would you prefer this one?
Thanks!
Thanks, Robi.
Well, to avoid all the hassle of what I experienced myself better buy the one from Sulit. It should be “in the box”. Don’t buy its already open. I got mine for $199, rate is PhP43=$1 and add a little extra to credit card charges which I didn’t care because I want the device! haha. Better get it from Sulit.
Thank you very much for the big help!
You’re welcome, Robi.
Hi,
How much was your total cost inclusive of the Johnny Air charges? Thanks!
Emman, please refer to my reply to Rainer above. The information is all there.
You article on how to buy the Amazon Kindle Fire is quite informative.
It is nice to read such a review because I too an interested in purchasing
an Amazon Kindle Fire.
You said that you can’t download apps from the Amazon Appstore, would I be able to download it if I have Paypal?
Thanks for the nice words, Jack.
Well, the issue with not being able to download apps from the Amazon appstore is not tied to payment but it’s intended that way. Amazon restrict access to apps from users other than the US and only those with credit card issued in the US are able to download apps from the appstore. I’m hoping that this changes soon.
Thanks for the helpful reply.
You’re welcome, Jack.
Hi jules. Thanks for this post. Quite informative. I have bought KF thru a friend in the US. I have yet to get my KF in 2 weeks time. Not excited though. Was disappointed that it cannot access Amazon Appstore here in the PH. I have asked my friend to download apps while the KF is still in the US. Do you think if the device is already here in the PH, the content will be erased? I hope not.
Hey, don’t be disappointed. It works just fine. You can download ebooks, newspapers/magazines, do mails and surf the web with it. You can sideload apps though from m.getjar.com and other related sources. I’ll create another post about that.
The thing here is that you cannot download apps if your payment method registered for your Amazon account is not issued by US banks and you don’t have a US address. I also suspect that even if you have those two yet you’re using Kindle Fire in the Philippines, Amazon might be checking on your IPs and block them. That’s just my thoughts on this but I may be wrong.
If the apps is already downloaded, I don’t think the apps will be removed, but who knows. We can only try.
Well, i am trying not to be disappointed. It’s already paid anyway
I already have the kindle keyboard and the KF will just be a kindle with backlight haha… Hope you post how to side load sooon…
hehe. Don’t, you’ll discover a lot of things there. I personally like the Newsstand and Books because I like to read. I love everything about Kindle Fire. This is the first time I fell in love with a device.
But then again, its a question of preference and lifestyle. Kindle Fire is great for me because it fits my lifestyle, that is, I love to read! 
Thanks for answering the comment about Amazon Appstore. Maybe later on you can do a blogpost on the top things that you like to do with your Kindle Fire and how it has helped made your life better.
I am interested in how tablet PCs like the Kindle Fire has helped people from different walks of life or how it can help them do their work better. I have to commend you for having a helpful blog. Thanks.
Jack, I’ll definitely do that. If only I have more time to blog!
Hi Jules,
How do you purchase ebooks? Do you use a US credit card or amazon gift cards? Thank you!
I use a credit card to purchase free and paid ebook from Amazon. Amazon Gift Cards are for US only residents as far as I know.
Hi,
I think you already mentioned that there’s no problem in buying e-books from Amazon even though we are in the Philippines (right?). How do you download free books from Amazon? I tried selecting a free book and clicked “get now with 1-click” button on the upper right corner but I was asked for my credit card number. Should I input my card number? Or is there another way to do so?
Thank you!
Jay
Hi Sir,
Please disregard my earlier message above. Just want to confirm my understanding – that I can buy e-books from Amazon using my Philippine-issued credit card but not for apps right?
Thanks a lot!
Jay
Hi Jay,
Yes, you can buy ebooks from Amazon but you gotta need a credit card for that even if you’re buying the free ones.
Thanks, Jules!
Hi..my friend from the States gave me a Kindle Fire and id like to know where can i buy screen protector..thank you. i also love my KF as i love reading too..
Hi Jaye,
Screen protector for Kindle Fire are sold in sulit.com.ph as well. You may want to try browsing there
Let me know when you ordered one for yourself. Cheers!
I went to a cellphone shop and asked if they can put a screen pro on my kf, they used the one for samsung tab…it’s the same….
I just wanted to share my own review of my recently received Amazon Kindle Fire… so far Im loving it!
See my full review of the KF for us Pinoys!
http://www.pilipinas.it/2011/12/pilipinasit-review-amazon-kindle-fire.html
Hi there! Nice review. Very detailed. A must read!
Hi there! your post is very helpful… got my kindle fire yesterday and i used m.getjar.com to sideload apps and it worked! just sad that i dont have a US credit card and i cant make use of the cloud, nor purchase/rent movies.. But aside from that, I’m lovin my fire, like, TOTALLY
the browser is fast, resolution is great (especially for movies), user friendly,
pls post any other sites u use for sideloading. ..hehe
Sounds cool.
I tried other sites as well but most of the apps doesn’t work so I still trust getjar for this. I’ll try to look for one and get back to you guys 
Hi.
So my dad just bought me a new kindle fire. Then I tried to access m.getjar.com. my problem is that when i press the quick download button, nothing happens. (I used my kindle to try to download it) So what should I do?
I actually had the same prob before. Accessed it again the other day and it worked, and prompted me to download the APK. Why not download it again? Try and try
I already have a Kindle 4, but I am planning to buy a colored back lit version (KF). It is disappointing to learn that Amazon Appstore is not yet available in the Philippines. Regarding sideloading of apps, is there a file manager application I still need to use in order to extract the .APK files? Or I just have to login to m.getjar.com and the installation will be just a simple click of a button?
Thanks for your informative review!
Hi frank. The getjar apk should be enough to help you sideload apps. It didn’t work for me at first but on the second try a pop up showed up and clicking it allowed me to download its APK. Try it again.
you could use 4111111111111111 and other test credit card numbers to download books and apps (yes, apps) as long as you have a US billing address (not necessarily real, mine was from an article in wikipedia) and US phone.
wow! it actually worked! I used one of the CCs here http://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/vhelp/paypalmanager_help/credit_card_numbers.htm. Great! I can now download apps ;D I’m really not sure what are the legal ramifications for using this info.
i can’t make this work. I’m tried placing a US address, Us phone number and a test CC but it still doesn’t work. Any tips on how you did it? Thanks!
Try using other test CCs. I tried them all until I got the one that really worked. Somehow Amazon already know this trick so they try to block as they detect them.
will try this tomorrow hope it’ll work…could you please give me a billing address I can put in there?and phone # as well…
Jellie, try using the test billing add on the list. Were you able to check on the link with the list of CCs, address, and phone numbers you can use to download apps in your Fire yet? Try backreading because you’ll find valuable input from the people who left comments before. It’s fun!
.
(This was supposed to be my reply like 4 weeks ago)
hahaha but it’s ok I just use android market to get free apps and games… 
))))
I was able to use the test credit card number you posted but I used a different US billing address, you know what, I was able to purchase some items (1 ebook, 1 magazine), and after a day or two, I tried to purchase some items again but I think they blocked my Amazon account so I couldnt login anymore.
i’m actually planning in buying one but with the geographical restriction and movie download inaccessibility , i’m re-thinking about it.. any thoughts about the movie download? thanks!
by the way, this was really an awesome review! =)
I never got the chance to really download movies. I tried streaming but it doesn’t work so I cancelled my Amazon Prime membership. ;(
awww… still trying to read more info.. if i find a work around about downloading movies then i’ll give it ago. =) thanks for the reply!
Sure, you’re welcome!
Hi i would just like to ask you where you get your ebooks. You didn’t mention it in your post and I’ve been scrolling through your comments to see if anyone had ased. I tried downloading an ebook from a random site but i couldn’t find it anywhere in my kindle. I hope you could help me.
I am referring to the Books section along the top of the screen.
Go get the classical books for free. There are many free books out there. Just try searching. 
Let me know if you were able to find it.
I just got my kindle fire about a week ago and got do disappointed that i couldn’t download apps but when i saw this review just last night,boom! Suddenly i just loved this thing so much. Had even thought of returning the item but now i think i wont br leaving this anywhere..
But do you know any other ways to get more apps aside from m.getjar.com? How about downloading movies?
Great! Did you read the comment part where you have to use a temporary credit card, US address, and phone number? It worked for me and I can download apps now straight from Amazon. Try it.
hi, ill try this and get back if it works for me, but are there no issues with amazon on this?
have you tried this with apps that a payment needs to be done? or only for free items?
Just for the free ones.
Nothing until they find out. ;D But don’t worry. You won’t go to jail just for this unless you do this in the US I guess? lol
Got 1 more question, since all apps will be loaded to the apps storage,how can we get more storage for more apps? Is it possible to transfer or load them to the internal storage? How?
You can have them transfer to the cloud (the ones that you don’t use). The device space has no option for expansion at the moment. Perhaps in the next Kindle Fire version?
great review!
but what about music, can you easily transfer music from your iTunes straight into the Kindle Fire?
I haven’t tried that but I tried it from my Mac, PC to Kindle Fire. You may try it though and tell me if it worked.
I can’t buy books or apps at Amazon, reason being not yet available in your region. My sister who stays in Las Vegas visited us in the Philippines and gave me Kindle Fire this Christmas. All my ebooks file are in isilo format which Kindle Fire does not recognize. I looked for isilo for Kindle or Android at Amazon. I was so glad to find isilo at Amazon but I was not able to buy it for reason I stated earlier. When will it be available to Philippine customers?
No date as to when it will become available in PH. But try using a temporary credit card, fictitious US address and phone number. It worked for me but not sure until when it will be allowed by Amazon.
You can get more info on how to do it by browsing through the comments here.
Hi, im currently on globe unli surf post paid plan. can i use my sim card to utilize my current plan in kindle fire if wifi is not available? i understand its not a fon but im thinking of at least maximizing my sim card. is it possible?
Kindle Fire doesn’t have a slot for SIM cards. Not sure if that’s what you’re asking? However, if you have a plan with any telcos out there in PH you can actually use its wifi to connect to the internet using your KF.
Hi.. Do I need a credit card? before I can buy this in amazon?
Yes, you need to.
Even when you are downloading free stuff you still need a credit card.
You can try using the TEST CREDIT CARD NUMBERS Jules posted here. I used the visa acct and a fake US billing address as well as a US phone #, and was able to purchase a $4.95 (I think) cosmo magazine from amazon.com, I also downloaded another ebook,, I dont know what’ll happen if they had found it’s not a valid acct #.
Haven’t read anything in Amazon forums as well so let’s just wait and see what will Amazon do in case they find this out
Hi! I love your review of the Kindle fire. I have a question though. Do you need to root it? Or you can leave it as is and you can use it as a functional tablet? Thanks!
No need for rooting.
Use it as it is.
Root it to achieve the most fiery kindle fire!
hey. you got a great review on the tablet…for us who are living here in the Philippines, is it possible to PURCHASE books like the harry potter series, john grisham books, the lord of the rings trilogy, archie comics etc.? because instead of buying books in fully bookd or at the national bookstore, i just want to download it on the kindle fire. thanks a lot
Yes, you can do that.
No problem downloading paid books from Amazon Bookstore. I’ve got a couple of books downloaded already. 
Thanks!
hi just got my fire. . .do you know how to convert pdf file to fire book?I have tons of ebook and hopefully can transfer them to kindle book. . .cause the pdf reader on fire doesn’t have search function while on pdf. . .and it’s hard for me to search specially a 1000 page book. . .thanks. . .
Hi Philip, can you try this one? http://blog.zamzar.com/2010/09/01/convert-pdf-files-into-ebook-formats/. You may also try zamzar.
Thanks for this review! Been considering a Fire but just wasn’t sure if it would be worth it to use in the Philippines since we can’t use all the features. But I love gadgets!!
Not sure if anyone has mentioned it here but there’s a local seller that sells Kindles here: http://www.gadgetpinas.ph . Good service in my experience from buying 2 Kindle Touches from them as gifts.
Great.
thanks for the recommendation.
Hi Jules! I just got a Kindle Fire and I tried using a temporary CC plus a US address and phone number but I still get download failures from amazon app store due to geographical restrictions. Could you help me on this one? Thank you!
Monique, glad u had your Fire
I experienced that before and all I did was try to use all the available CCs and address there until I get the ones that work for my device. Make sure that your phone number and address are all US numbers, you can use US phone any though as long as it is within the same region as your fictitious address. But mind you, Amazon might be looking at this issue already so they may have already noticed it hence the prob.
Hello there,
great and very informative blog.
Im about to have Kindle F ire as a gift by friend from US, so i needed to ask you few questions. I understand and sad about this app restrictions and all, but how can i download movies, magazines and games? I am really up to these 3 things. If and in case i can download these for free, Where? and How? Do i need CreditCard even to avail free downloads? Thanks a Lot!
Tessie, movies are still restricted and Amazon Prime is useless for PH users since the device is not really made for us. lol You can download magazines with no prob. With games, you will need to use the temporary CCs we were discussing here. Kindly scroll thru the comment section and you’ll see a discussion about using a temporary CC, US address and phone number to enable your device to download free apps.
Thanks for the informative review! I’ve been thinking of getting Kindle Fire and the information helpful here has been very helpful.
You’re welcome.
Thanks for your review. This is the most helpful Philippine review of the device that I found on the internet. I’m thinking of buying a Kindle Fire myself but haven’t quite decided yet. If it’s not too much, I’d like you to answer some of my questions.
1. What video formats does the fire support? From the discussions, I gather mp4, but what about other formats like mkv or avi?
2. For storing files, is transferring of purchased e-book from kindle store or movie to computer allowed? Or does it have to be in the cloud? Because I’d like to back-up my files.
3. My 3rd question is a bit personal. I know that with the Fire, you are also sold to the Amazon ecosystem, which means purchasing media becomes a primary activity aside from consuming them. So here’s my personal question, do you think your kindle fire makes you spend more than you should have ever since you got it? I’m asking because I tend to buy on impulse and of course I don’t like to have so much media that I don’t have time to consume.
Thank you again!
sheila,
1. I really have no idea but I tried it with mp4 and they work in there.
2. It has to be in the cloud or yes, both. But you can access your files at the backend by downloading an app that let’s you access your files. Either you email it to yourself thru attachment but should be within the limit set by your email for attachment. Read this discussion for more info http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1D7SY3BVSESG&cdThread=Tx372M4VYQ9C347
3. Well, I read books a lot and I say that I never saw any increase in spending. For the first few weeks, yes. But once you get to stuff your Fire with the books you need, you start spending less.
Enjoy!
Hi. Im planning to buy a Kindle Fire but i have some questions.
Will i be able to load pdf files that i made through the USB cable?
Thanks
I believe you can although I didn’t try it. If it doesn’t work there are apps you can use although consider the limitations of apps since you can’t purchase paid ones.
hey jules, i got a kf thru a local vendor, but i forgot to order a case. i still can, of course, but i dont want to wait another 4 weeks. do you know of anyone selling locally? i prefer the microshell folio cover by marware sana, or something similar.
salamat!
They don’t sell stuff like that here although there are some in sulit.com.ph but not the one you prefer. Would you like to order it from Amazon and pay int’l shipping fees?
i tried, but the case i want doesnt yet ship directly to the philippines. the ones in sulit got bad reviews naman. owell. guess, i’ll have to order it from my vendor.
salamat!
I see. You can try to use Johnny Air for that. Use their shipping address in the US (I suggest the New Jersey address since that address won’t charge you local and state taxes) and have them ship the item to you in the Philippines. If that’s the road you want to take, let me know.
Hi Jules, would you know where to buy a nice case for Kindle Fire?
Hi Dino,
I went to Trinoma two days ago and visited a store selling Kindle Fire. I’m not sure if the one I saw was the case for Kindle Fire although I believe it is. It was showcased side by side with Fire. Go visit. Otherwise, you can purchase it thru Amazon, you’ll just need to pay international shipping fees.
I just got my fire a couple of days ago and already tried adding a number of fake cc with valid US address to my amazon 1-click payment settings but still no luck.. : ( I thought I would check up on you if yours still works since I’ve read somewhere that amazon somehow recently fixed their system so that it won’t work anymore. I just want to know if theres someone out there has this trick still working or I should just find other means. Thank You. I’ll wait for your reply. : )
Try the CCs and addresses listed in that webpage and see which of them still works. But you see, Amazon is starting to discover this trick and update their system as they discover loopholes. We are now at the mercy of these big companies grrr.
Hi! I’ve been trying to sideload through m.getjar.com but I can’t get in to that specific site it leads me to http://www.getjar.com I’ve tried all the pointers you’ve mentioned here but still it’s not working for me.
But I’ve successfully downloaded apps in slideme but I’d love to get apps in getjar ’cause they have more wonderful apps as compared to slide me. Hope you can help me with this one.
Try rebooting again and again. My friend who owns similar device had the same prob and rebooting fixed it. If it still doesn’t work, let me know. We may try another way.
Hi!
My friend in US is about to buy a kindle fire now from amazon and he’ll ship it here to me sooon!
My question is:
Before my friend ships the KF to me, can he download some apps or movies etc in that unit first??I mean Can I still watch or use the downloaded movies/apps once the KF gets here? He can do that since he has US Crdtcard and buy apps while the unit is there. But I hope this is possible???
Thanks Brown MesTizo!
Yes, he can do that. He’ll need to use his own Amazon account and download movies from there although I’m not sure what happens when the device gets here and use your own account. My guess would be that the downloaded files will no longer be available since you’ll be using a different Amazon account. I may be wrong.
Devices like iPad and KF are pretty much vulnerable for updates so the thing that works now may change in a sec so we cn never be sure that the answer we now have may no longer be applicable in future updates.
Sorry for the late reply. My projects kept me from blogging already.
Great post. I really wanted to get a kindle and still, do. But since I already own an Ipad, carrying two tablets didnt make sense to me. If only they could somehow expand its usability a bit more. I understand that it’s still mainly an e-reader device with a little extra stuff right?
Malds, I got myself an iPad when I was in Singapore and I now sold my Amazon Kindle Fire! haha! KF is a great device but it lacks the necessary UI quality to amaze me. So I thought of selling it and just stay with iPad. But I will still keep myself on the lookout for new KF and see if it improved.
just bought my kindle fire where can I go to to have it installed with books apps and games
Did you try going to getjar.com?
hi, how much is the total additional cost using johnny air (shipping + tax)?
I paid around 3k for everything.
Figured I’d share my research on the Kindle Fire. I’m still planning to get it but because I want to make use of all the features available, I think I might need to get faster internet first.
- you can ship it ouside the US using mail forwarders like johnny air.
- apps and movie streaming wont work outside the US coz of licensing restrictions (i think).
- I doubt they’ll be able to fix this soon since even europe doesnt have a kindle fire yet. They only just got the kindle touch a couple of days ago
- it is possible to sideload apps though. It’s been mentioned above.
- it is possible to “trick” the amazon system into thinking you’re in the US by using a US registered credit card with a US billing address. Make sure that you remove all the non-US cards attached to your account.
- It’s possible to get a US virtual credit card with a US billing address. There are some online. You can use the virtual card to buy apps by loading it with credits from your non-US card.
- it is possible to use test credit card numbers to download free apps by attaching a bogus US address. See discussion above.
- Amazon only checks the credit card and address for apps.
- for video streaming though amazon also checks your IP.
- if you want to stream vids from anywhere in the world you’ll have to hide your IP by using a use proxy or connecting your router to a VPN. You’ll most likely have to pay for this. I don’t know how much a VPN account costs though.
So basically, you need to trick the Amazon system into thinking that you live in the use by using a US CC, address and IP. The first two are easy but as it’s not really practical to get a VPN account unless I can actually stream really fast (fast internet), I’ll have to wait and see if I can find an affordable fast connection first.
I’ll have to decide now if I want a kindle fire or the ipad 3 lol. There’d be no contest if they were priced the same but ipad 3 is more than twice the cost of a kindle fire and that’s only the 16G one.
Hi there,
Just a quick one, where can i get one in installment (via credit card, non BPI)?Any idea?
Thanks,
JR.
Where you able to check on the list of CC and Address/Phone info on the link I mentioned here in the comment? Everything’s in there. Let me know if you were able to locate it.
Hello po! I wanted to ask with regards to purchasing ebooks.. What credit card do you use for that? Right now I’m only able to buy the free ones kasi.. Thanks so much for this post btw, very informative!
you may want to try the list of CC and Address info dun sa link sa taas. But Amazon seems to have figured this out and most of the info there aren’t working anymore.
are there other websites you can go to for free games? aside from getjar, that is. thanks.
Lemme check on that and get back to you. So far the best I can recommend is getjar. The rest doesn’t work well with Kindle platform.
Hi! i have a problem with my kindlefire. im from Phil also.. and i just got this as a bday present.. the problem is that, i can’t seem to download apps on amazon.. and i dont know where else am i going to DL some apps. also, i dont even know how to save some pics and to dl some music.. can you help me?
Hi there, sorry for the super late reply. Let me know if you still need some help with your Kindle. Did you try using the temporary CC and address info we listed in the comment section?
Hi! can i ask how much exactly did you spend for Kindle Fire including the shipment fee.?
Aside from the $199 device fee, please refer to my reply to other commenters here:
Hi Jules,
Is it possible to transfer files, like pictures, songs and movies from laptop/PC to KF?
Thanks.
Yes it’s possible.
Yes, it’s possible.
Hi…
About my question.. I’ve read from the other article abt transferring files.. It says, it’s possible with the USB cable sold separately. Thanks anyway.
Hi Jules,
Read a lot of info regarding KF. It may be late to discover the gadget but I just want to know if you have an idea where I can buy this gadget here in the PHIL.
Did you try Sulit.com.ph? I saw some there. One of my friends got his there.
hi, i just read your review about kindLe fire and was surprised that it cant access appstore once in the Philippines. but the device can still be used right?, and where do you download e books by the way?, i just got my kindle fire here at US and will be going back to the Philippines, thank you very mich!
Yes, you can still use your Kindle but not be able to use the appstore a lot since Amazon still have not gotten the distribution rights for apps here in PH I guess. It may changes soon.
I download eBooks directly from Amazon bookstore. There are tons of free classic books there. Alternatively, you can try googling and just store the eBook in your device from your laptop to Kindle using the provided USB cable.
Bro, nice review, I appreciate the blog.
But whenever I “proceed to checkout”. it says “This item cannot be shipped to the address you selected. (Learn more.) You may either change the shipping address or remove the item by clicking Delete. ”
Thanks bro. Godbless
It happens a lot actually especially for temporary CC and address. Try other address, CC, or phone number information instead. Amazon probably started to notice this already.
Hello…
I have a problem with my KF.. when i used it earlier this morning, it hanged and the screen when blank. I tried to open it many times but still not responding. Have u encountered this problem before? i don’t know what to do and my KF is only 2 weeks old.
Thank u
I have a few friends who actually had the same prob. The only solution I can see here is to send it back to where you bought it and have it inspected. I ordered directly ours from the US and sent it via courier so it’s difficult for us to return it. My friend decided to buy a new one instead.
That also happened to me. I did some research and what I did was to power shut down it. What you do is to push the power button for 30 seconds until it reboots. Try it, it worked for me.
hey great reviews for Kindle fire. I just bought one here in Doha and was so disappointed that i am unable to download apps or buy from amazon. I was planning to to return it tomorrow but after reading all the information here, I am having second thoughts. I have done a lot of readings on tablet comparison and so far, kindle fire is the best for those who don’t want to spend a lot of money on ipad.
Enjoy your new toy, Natasha.
KF doesn’t have everything that an iPad can give but its something. 
Hi Jules,
Thanks for your post. I am planning to buy kindle fire but I am quite hesitant since you mentioned in your article that the Amazon Appstore is intended for US users only. In this case, where can I download applications (games, file viewers, etc)?
Thanks!
getjar.com is the most trusted site I know as of this moment. But as soon as Amazon gets the right to distribute content to PH we will no longer have any prob downloading apps and ebooks from Amazon appstore and bookstore.
Can I read ebooks in PDF?
How about reading them in audio?
did you have any problem reading them?
yes, you can. Audio, didn’t try it yet but I believe it will work.
Have you tried setting up DSL email with it? Any problems connecting to server?
oh no I didn’t try that.
did you avail of the prime membership? will it work in pinas? hope you could share your experience
not useful for PH users. I don’t recommend it.
Did you avail of prime membrship? please share your experience
I took advantage of the prime membership but just the trial membership lang.
I didn’t use it that much so I can’t really speak about how useful it is for a kindle fire user like me.
the pilipinas.it website doesnt exist, and you commented “nice review”? I am trying to read more reviews since i can’t get over with the fact that i can’t get the movies/videos.
I can access it on my end. Not sure. It was probably down by the time you were trying to access it.
Hi Jules! Been reading your blog I have my kindle fire and I want to buy a case where in trinoma did u saw the case for KF? What is the name of the shop?
I saw that in trinoma, 2nd floor I think. Somewhere close to Digital Hub. Not sure if the case is still available. Haven’t been there for a while. Enjoying Kindle Fire so far?
Is the Amazon web app store still not accessible to Filipino KF owners? I bought my KF in the US last November and tried the fake CC number for a while, but eventually got blocked. I was hoping there would be progress in the succeeding months…
Yes, it’s still not accessible. I am considering switching soon. I love Kindle but I cannot stand the restrictions myself.
How were you able to register your Kindle fire? Ive been trying but its asking for a US address and credit card.
I registered mine using PH address. I’m not sure what’s the problem now. They might have changed the rules or something. This is one reason why I consider abandoning kindle because of these restrictions. I might switch to ipad mini when it goes out.
Hi guys, just came accross this site and I must say I am so glad. I got like four KF total for me and my son and friends. Unfotunately like everyone else we are disappionted with the appstore problem.
If anyone is interested please email me @ pmg714@yahoo.com.
Will give a reasonable price for them.
Really thinking hard whether to get a Kindle Fire at this point. Will it be wise to wait at the end of the year, maybe because Amazon will come up with a better version?
I suggest that you wait for the next model. I’d like to see how the second one looks like, too.
Hi Jules, I appreciate your reviews and suggestions on Amazon Kindle Fire. I’ve read all of this last night. I bought my KF here in Cebu a week ago although KF is not my first choice that time. After reviewing the features and specs of this tablet/e-book reader. I’m glad that it suited to my lifestyle as an investor in stock market. I can easily read facts on investment using this tablet. Btw, I’ve got a question. It’s is possible that time will come, tablet can be show or use as e-ticket for airport terminals? (paperless). Can we suggest this idea to appropriate authorities? Thanks and more power.
Hi Al. Glad you’re enjoying your new toy. Well, good idea. I actually don’t print my plane tickets anymore. What I do is I save my itinerary in iBooks in my iPhone and show it to the ground attendant when I go to the airport to get my boarding pass. I care for the environment so I don’t really print a lot. You can also do that in your Kindle Fire.
Hi Jules!
Just to clarify – there is no issue in buying ebooks from Amazon using locally issued credit cards (e.g. BPI, BDO, etc.), right?
And the only issue with using this type of credit card is when you purchase applications from Amazon appstore, correct?
Thanks a lot!
Tin, before you really can’t purchase any paid apps from Amazon even if you have a valid credit card issued in PH. Amazon would like to have both cards issued in the US and physical address in the US. Recently India was issued access to their appstore but not for PH yet. I’m not sure when rights will be secured for PH. This is one reason why I abandoned Amazong Kindle Fire and used iPad instead. But I’m still hoping that the next KF is better and I’m still eyeing for it because I love Kindle products.
Hi! Have you seen the new Kindle Fire HD?
Haven’t seen it yet. But the reviews said its awesome
got problems with downloading free apps.
It’s a problem that hasn’t been given a solution to until today.
Hi, Jules.
I read through all from 2010 through the last one above in 2012. Any progress/update on downloading apps with the latest – Sep 20q12 – KF?
I would like to pick up the thread regarding downloading movies via VPN. Anybody tried it out successfully?
Please please let me know because I am on the verge of buying the latest KF.
Salamat!
I really haven’t tried that and I’m not sure when will Amazon gets the license to open up their entire marketplace here in PH. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!
Dear Jules, my husband bought me a kindle fire HD a few days ago no problem downloading custom I just followed your instructions the thing is whenever we play games and watched on you tube the screen turns black and I can’t access the dictionary. Thank you
This could be a problem on the device already and should be checked immediately. Did you buy this in the US or here in PH?
Would you know if we could read PDF files in Kindle Fire? I have so many books and magazines in PDF format, but I wonder if Kindle Fire could read those?
Also, can we download books here in the Phils or borrow books at their online library with no problem?
Thanks!
Yes you can read books in PDF.
Hi! May i ask where can i bu a KF charger? Mine got lost
Thanks!
Hi there. Try going to Sulit.com.ph or eBay. I’ve seen some users selling KF chargers.
thanks Jules!!! pwede ka nang bayaran ng KF or amazon kasi u help KF users a lot.. heheh!!!
hehe salamat!
Hi Jules! My mom sent me a Kindle Fire which I’m about to receive in a few days. My question is, is the Kindle Appstore available now here in the Philippines? Your last post regarding that was in 2011. And what are the recent updates with regards to the use of Kindle Fire and downloads here in Manila? Thanks in advance! God bless you!
Sorry for the super late reply!
I no longer have Kindle so its impossible for me to answer your questions now. Once the kindle fire becomes lightweight I’ll probably buy one again
Hello,Can You Install Apps when You are living OUTSIDE U.S. ??????????
yes, you can but the policy may have changed by now. Go try it.
hi,,i already have a kindle fire..and the touch screen was broken..where can i buy or find the service center here in manila so i can change the parts..tnx..:)
Hi Alma. I don’t have any idea if they have local support here but you can try here http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200212360
That’s great to hear.
Enjoy your new toy 
I had the same issues before but just keep on visiting getjar and you should see the prompt. But can you try downloading apps again without waiting for the apk file to download?
It happens. Maybe Amazon is now trying to block each of these info one by one as they discover them.
but im afraid bout the warning that popsnin my kindle fire when i hit the allow app download from unknown sources, is this safe?
Thank You !! Your A life SAVER
So far I can see that it’s safe. I get to receive that a lot.
enjoy