Amazon kindle fire 5 gen firmware. Amazon Kindle Fire tablet review. Original and alternative interface: to flash or not? Performance test results

Yesterday a friend brought me Kindle Fire is a budget tablet from Amazon. In the states, it costs only two hundred dollars. By default, a modified build of Android 2.3 is installed on the device and there are no familiar to me Android Market, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Talk and other applications from Google. But, on the other hand, there is an Amazon Store. On it you can find some useful applications, but not all. For example, Skype is not there. The changes also affected the standard Android interface, which has been redesigned and now resembles a bookcase.

After admiring the charms of the new tablet, I decided to install the recently appeared Android firmware 4.0.3. After searching on the Internet, I found several detailed instructions how to do it. Here's the main article that came in handy for me. Everything is detailed enough, so I will not repeat myself. Literally two words. Installation is performed using the Kindle Fire Utility v0.9.2, which runs on a computer and throws off on mobile device application for flashing. The current version of the utility has one drawback - it does not work for updating Kindle Fire 6.2.2.

After spending some time learning mate. part I figured out the reason. It consisted in the fact that it was not possible to root the device. In order to do this, the Kindle Fire utility uses the BurritoRoot application. Apparently the developers of the Kindle Fire Utility have not yet had time to add latest version this application where support for Kindle Fire 6.2.2 was implemented.
Therefore, all I had to do was manually install BurritoRoot3. To do this, you need to download the latest version .apk and run several commands:

Adb shell chmod 777 / data / local / tmp adb install BurritoRoot3.apk adb shell /data/local/tmp/BurritoRoot3.bin --root
After that, the Kindle Fire Utility will determine that the device is actually wired:

The rest of the installation steps I followed strictly following the instructions and within 15 minutes I was able to admire the updated Android interface 4.0.3 (CyanogenMod 9)
In front of you detailed step-by-step instruction on how to flash an Amazon Kindle Fire tablet. Our editors have chosen the most suitable method for flashing this Amazon model. If this instruction will not give a result try flashing another method: TWRP Recovery, ROM Manager, Fastboot or classic OTA.

A warning! After flashing the device, all your data from internal memory- will be erased, so to save your contacts, settings and applications, first save all data from the tablet.

Installing the system using CWM Recovery 1. Charge the flashing tablet at least 80%. 2. We save all data that cannot be lost from a flash drive, sim card and tablet memory. Simka (if any) can be pulled out. 3. We place required firmware to the tablet memory. The firmware file must be in archive format zip... You can select and download the firmware. 4. All Amazon tablets have a Recovery from the manufacturer, so we change it to ClockWorkMod Recovery. We do it according to the following instructions: Install the app from Google Play on your tablet. Miss it and provide Root rights... If there is no rutrav on the tablet, we get them by. Select "CWM Recovery" from the list of options. Then the application will show a list of available Recovery. In the example, Rashr showed 2 options: ClockworkMod with support for screen taps and classic version(controlled by the volume and power buttons). You will be prompted to download. Click "Yes". Then the download of the CWM Recovery image for the tablet will begin. A notification will appear that the firmware was successful and now you have a modified recovery installed. We immediately go into it, for this click "Yes". Ready. If you already have ClockworkMod Recovery installed, then just enter it by holding any of the combinations for 3-5 seconds: - Volume up + power button - Volume down + power button - Volume up / down + power button + "Home" - Volume up + volume down + power button 5. Movement in the Recovery menu is carried out using the volume buttons, and the selection is confirmed with the power button. Before installing the firmware, you must first do a factory reset. Therefore, in the menu, select the item wipe data / factory reset.
6. Then just confirm that you agree to reset: Yes - Wipe all user data.
7. Now in the main menu of Recovery select install zip.
8. Then select Choose zip from / sdcard.
9. Navigate to the folder where you saved the firmware zip file and select it.
10. You will be prompted to confirm the action. Please select Yes - Install ....
11. The process of installing the firmware will begin and at the end an inscription will appear Install from sdcard complete. The firmware is complete. We return to the main menu of CWM Recovery and reboot the tablet. For this we choose reboot system now.
12. Ready. The tablet will start loading with the already installed firmware. Other materials

Today I want to present you with the installation instructions official firmware on tablet Amazon Kindle Fire with via USB cable. Why is this needed? - you ask. After all, the tablet receives updates "over the air" via Wi-Fi, and there is no need to flash it in such a not very convenient way.

It turns out that everything is not so simple. Recently, a lot of messages from the owners of the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet began to appear on the network, about problems in the operation of its Wi-Fi module. And some of them managed to solve the problem by flashing the tablet with the latest, most recent version. software... And how to flash a tablet with a non-working Wi-Fi module? I’ll tell you about this in the next instruction.

Instructions for flashing Amazon Kindle Fire via USB cable.

As you probably already guessed yourself, we, first of all, need USB to connect the tablet to the computer.

Next, we need to download the most recent firmware for the Amazon Kindle Fire. You can find it on the official Amazon website at this address. On the page that opens, select your tablet to go to the firmware download page.

Attention! Before flashing, fully charge the battery of your Kindle Fire.

Now that we have everything we need to start flashing the tablet:

1. Check the version of the firmware on the tablet: Click on the " Quick Settings» -> « More» -> « Device". Here you will see the version number of your software, for example: Current Version: 6.2_xxxxx_xxxxxxxx. If the firmware version of the tablet is lower than the firmware version you downloaded, you can update the tablet with the newer firmware.

2. Copy the firmware to the tablet: Turn on your tablet and unlock its screen. Connect your tablet to your computer via USB cable... Drag the firmware file from your computer to the kindleupdates folder of your tablet and wait for it to be copied completely.

3. Disconnect your tablet from your computer: After you make sure that the firmware file has been completely copied to your tablet, click on the "Disconnect" button on the tablet screen to safely disconnect it from the computer. Then disconnect the USB cable.

4. Run the tablet firmware update: Click " Quick Settings» -> « More» -> « Device» -> « Update Your Kindle". (This option will be unavailable if the firmware file has not been completely copied to the tablet or you already have the most fresh version firmware). The installation of the new firmware will begin.

The tablet should reboot twice during the firmware process. After the first reboot, you will see the Kindle Fire logo on the tablet screen, and after the end of the firmware, a message will appear on the tablet screen " Current Version: X.X"where X.X is the version number of the software you just installed on your tablet.

Having recently received your new tablet Kindle Fire, I noticed that it has outdated firmware 6.1 installed. I knew that sooner or later, the tablet itself will update its firmware wirelessly WI-FI networks... And then an interesting thought came to my mind: "but what about those who do not have an available Wi-Fi at hand for updating?" Fortunately, the earth is full of talents, and the decision to get out of this situation was not long in coming. The author of the tablet blog www.4tablet-pc.net threw in a way to update the standard firmware for the Kindle Fire via a USB cable.

And so let's get down to updating the firmware:

As you probably already guessed yourself, we, first of all, need USB to connect the tablet to the computer.

Next, we need to download the most recent firmware for the Amazon Kindle Fire. You can find it on the official Amazon website at this address. On the page that opens, select your tablet to go to the firmware download page.

Attention! Fully charge your Kindle Fire before flashing.

Now that we have everything we need to start flashing the tablet:

1. Check the version of the firmware available on the tablet: Click on the icon "Quick Settings" -> "More" -> "Device"... Here you will see the version number of your software, for example: Current Version: 6.2_xxxxx_xxxxxxxx... If the firmware version of the tablet is lower than the firmware version you downloaded, you can update the tablet with the newer firmware.

2. Copy the firmware to the tablet: Turn on the tablet and unlock its screen. Connect your tablet to your computer using a USB cable. Drag the firmware file from your computer to the kindleupdates folder of your tablet and wait for it to be copied completely.

3. Disconnect the tablet from the computer: After you have made sure that the firmware file has been completely copied to your tablet, click on the "Disconnect" button on the tablet screen to safely disconnect it from the computer. Then disconnect the USB cable.

4. Run the tablet firmware update: Click "Quick Settings" -> "More" -> "Device" -> "Update Your Kindle"... (This option will be unavailable if the firmware file has not been completely copied to the tablet or you already have the latest firmware version installed). The installation of the new firmware will begin.

The tablet should reboot twice during the firmware process. After the first reboot, you will see the Kindle Fire logo on the tablet screen, and after the firmware is finished, the tablet will display "Current Version: X.X", where X.X is the version number of the software you just installed on the tablet.

Despite the development of technologies and their widespread introduction into our daily life, reading until recently remained aloof from progress. Various readers on phones of any manufacturers are convenient in terms of compactness, but not very pleasing to the eye. And the autonomy of such a solution is questionable - almost all smartphones need daily recharging. This is tolerable for the home, but fraught with a lack of communication on the road - finding an outlet, for example, on the train is problematic. The first signs of changes in the reading process, which in the future can put an end to traditional book publishing, were specialized devices for viewing text files... Elink technology, e-ink, is a breakthrough. Caring for the safety of vision has found a visible embodiment. The advantages of electronic ink are undeniable - from a week to two months without recharging, the screen is close to ordinary paper (in the latter, high-contrast elink). The disadvantages include extreme fragility - just one fall or too strong pressing on the screen is enough - and that's it, efficiency is restored only in the service, by replacing the broken part. The fact is that almost all existing readers are produced on a glass substrate, where the elink-screen lies. It is notorious for its inimitable fragility, with replacement costs approaching 50% of the device's price. Which, by the way, does not please with low numbers. The disease of fragility was defeated by replacing glass with flexible plastic and optimizing the design, but the price increased even more. Cheap elink e-readers were an unattainable dream until the online monster Amazon took over the market. Its series of reading devices, collectively called the Kindle, has dropped price tags to pleasant heights. For example, a very easy-to-use 6-inch screen reader from one of the latest generations - the Kindle 4, is sold for $ 69, with worldwide shipping. Customers are expected to spend their money in the embedded online store buying books. In the post-Soviet space, this, undoubtedly, is not a useful opportunity. And most of our fellow citizens, frankly, consider it beneath their dignity to pay for virtual goods. Like, why pay for what is on thousands of sites, two clicks away? Leaving aside the legality of using collections of online libraries (the subject of copyright is vast and multifaceted), let's talk about something else.

Attention! All instructions refer to readers without touch screen and only for Kindle 4!

Having unpacked a small box, our fellow citizen is faced with a surprise - the number of formats is exhausted by mobi, txt, pdf. Not a lot, considering that in "these your Internet" the fb2 format is more familiar to the Russian-speaking user. And converting each book separately is still a pleasure. Of course, using the built-in Wi-Fi and a special email address where the file is sent, you can get the book back in mobi format and download it directly to your device. But, unfortunately, open access to the network is not available everywhere. You can preliminarily redo all the texts in one fell swoop excellent program Caliber. In our opinion, these are half measures. It is much more interesting to teach Kindle 4 to understand all formats (including fb2), teach it Russian and slightly modify the built-in software. It is not so easy to do all this, but only once.

Updating the Kindle 4

Those who want to reflash their Kindle without any risk can get it by putting it closer to the computer - we are starting our show. Press the Home button, go to the menu, to the Settings item. Scroll down to see the software version. If the numbers are identical to 4.1.0, that's good, one step is missing. If the numbers are smaller, you first need to update. Connect the device to the computer and upload the file ( http://yadi.sk/d/oBbwwG_J1gl6q) into the reader without creating any folders. Feel free to disconnect the Kindle, and after going through the confusing menu along the Home -Menu -Settings - Menu -Update Your Kindle path, select the last item. Do not be alarmed by reboots, everything is ok. When the device calms down, take a look at Settings and see if the version numbers have been updated.

Hacking the Kindle 4 reader

The reader received the latest firmware version, but that's not all. Now we have to force the Kindle to accept programs that were not originally intended for it. Otherwise, Russification and reading fb2 will not take place. In order for the device to get full functionality, you need to play the role of a hacker and hack the device for a couple of minutes. Let's do that. Download the archive ( http://yadi.sk/d/y2c-AUi51gntc) ... Unpack it wherever you go. From there we need to take the data.tar.gz archive, the ENABLE_DIAGS file, the diagnostic_logs folder. Copy them to the Kindle memory without making folders on the device. Unplug the cable and restart the device (menu-settings-menu-restart). The reader will reload into the text menu. Use the joystick to navigate it to point D) Exit, Reboot or Disable Diags. Select it (joystick left or right). In the submenu, you will see the logical items of the reboot system, after selecting it, the device asks if it understood you correctly. Choose to continue. The Kindle will finally agree with you, going into a reboot. For a few seconds, the Jailbreak text, familiar to all iPhone owners, will freeze on the screen. The reader will show the text menu on the screen again. It is clear that even a jailbroken device cannot be used in diagnostic mode, so we force the Kindle to go into its standard state. Go to Exit, Reboot or Disable Diags, disable diagnostics, confirm to the incredulous device that you know what you are doing (to continue). We remind you that the selection and movement of items is done with the joystick. The reader will playfully wink the screen and reboot. You should see the new book You are Jailbroken in the list of books. This is a kind of humorous test of the correctness of the hack.

Add Russian language to Kindle 4 after jailbreak

Let's add Russian to the list of supported languages. Download this archive if you have a gray device ( http://yadi.sk/d/LCOO3bG31guS6) or this ( http://yadi.sk/d/jupN3q0c1guiG) if black. In both the first and second options, move update_ru_RU_4.07_k4b / w_install.bin and russian.keyb to the piece of hardware. Update through the item in Home -Menu -Settings -Menu - Update Your Kindle. Now the Russian language will appear in the settings (in Device Language). The reader will restart, showing us a Russian-language menu and a virtual keyboard.

We connect the reader to Wi-Fi

The firmware was updated, hacked, Russified, but what about the goals set for us? Don't worry, the time has come for the cynical introduction of features into the device that the excellent company Amazon has not invested in it. If you have not yet registered your device on the company's website, please do so. We hope that an open Wi-Fi hotspot is near you, fortunately, after the free distribution of routers by many providers around, there are plenty of them. Connect your Kindle to Wi-Fi. There is a Turn Wireless item in the menu. Select On and see if there is a connection. Since this way the device connects only to access points supplying ip connected devices, not all points will be available. Connection failed or do you need to enter a password? Go to Home-Menu - Settings -Wi-Fi Networks (view). There, scan the available access points again, select the one you need and click connect. Enter the network name manually, you can set the password in the enter other Wi-Fi networks section in the same place. You can check if the Internet is available in the browser along the path Home> Menu> Experimental> (launch browser).

We register Kindle with Amazon and install an alternative reader in fb2 format

The network is available, proceed to registration. It's in Menu-settings-registration. Gone? Put the program Cool reader, which can read fb2 and pleases with a wealth of customization. Download it from here ( http://yadi.sk/d/3jLuUBix1gtI6), drop it onto the memory card, unpacking everything into the device memory without changes. Do not forget that after any archive we have abandoned, you must disconnect your Kindle from your computer. Update the device with the update item, as you did just above. After restarting, Cool Reader will appear in the menu. Let's update it too, perhaps. Take the archive from here ( http://yadi.sk/d/NWyuzNAQ1gva0), transfer it to the reader and the cr3 folder (it is already there), replacing the files. It remains to customize the fully functional program to your liking. Launch CR3 Runner, go to menu-settings. By manipulating the joystick, get to the language settings (press down, the center button, confirm the transition to Russian). Now we go back through home-menu-close. By restarting the program, you will see that everything has become clearer and more pleasant - we are greeted by a Russian-language menu. After going to the same menu, press the joystick to the right, there is a tab "Page" and "Styles". Adjust the font size, line spacing, as you like. All settings are made with a joystick, which is not surprising, since there is no touch screen. You can apply the changes made if the cursor is not on the numbers in the windows. Just press Home.

The last thing we do today would upset Amazon... All of the $ 69 e-readers come with ads that don't get boring as they act as a screen saver. Since, as already mentioned, our countries are not included in the list of eligible customers of the online store, advertising does not help the company to sell, and we - to buy. Let's eliminate this oversight in the most cynical way by disabling advertisements completely. Download (http://yadi.sk/d/1rf-aQR61gwvw) and extract update_noads_0.5_k4x_install.bin from the archive. Disable conscience, move the file to the device memory, not forgetting to disconnect it from the computer later. Update the Kindle with the tried and tested Update Your Kindle item in the settings. On the next reboot, you will not see fresh ads.

So, having tampered with the Kindle 4, we made it more interesting for people who speak Russian. Nothing else prevents us from enjoying reading. Indeed, contrary to the opinion of the older generation, young people read a lot. Not really striving to return to the old image of paper books. In addition, the price of a dozen such works printed on plain paper will pay off the purchase of the device with interest, and then you will only save money. It looks like it's time for publishers and retailers to start thinking about pricing and the move to the internet before they get sent into retirement from a company like Amazon.