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.
{ 104 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:
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 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!
.
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.
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.
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?