New cheap android tablet or old kindle fire for kiosk?

Hardware
1

I’ve been reading and wanna try to setup a screen for Kiosk, but am unsure of hardware

I have a couple of older kindle fires with cracked screens that I could play with, or I could buy a cheap android tablet

converting the fires sounds fussy. rather not since they are already near end of life because cracked screens

OR, get one of the no-battery touchscreens that is occasionally mentioned, but those are not exactly cheap either (but you get what you pay for, right?)

I’d prefer touch screen, no battery, USB power, wifi, and cost effective.

2

You will be constantly fighting Amz for control of the device if you want to make them control tablets. You’ll need to root them.

I have one fire8 left on a wall and when it dies it’s getting replaced by a cheap Lenovo like the o e I put in my kitchen.

You do you but I’d avoid the Fires like the plague. In my case my time is valuable and I got tired of fighting Amazon.

5 Likes
3

Watchout for the very cheap tablets. I have several Onn from Amazon of different sizes. One died already. Generally the battery that goes. And, I keep them between 25% and 80% SOC.

I had a couple RPI 3 Bs in a box. Grabbed a couple screens for them and am messing with those now too.

4

Playing Devil’s advocate, Fully Kiosk Browser has (or had) a download link on their web site for an Amazon Fire-specific .apk installer package. You can side-load it onto a Fire without going through the hassles of liberating the device from Amazon’s claws, with a footnote that their ads are only displayed on the lock screen and never displayed if the screen is unlocked/on 24/7…

5

I have 2 Fire HD8s running the HA companion app with Fully Kiosk. It was a bit of a challenge to find and install all the .apk files for Google Play etc to install the HA Companion app, but I like a challenge and it does feel good to have done it a couple of times, but, as Nathan says, my time is too valuable to be constantly fettling them to keep them working. One seems to work mostly okay, the other is just a nightmare at times. Contrast that with the only other Android tablet I have, a Lenovo A7 Lite, that works flawlessly, and I think you can guess my opinion of using Fire tablets as HA wall tablets.

1 Like
6

Used Samsung or Lenovo, or watch Warehouse deals at Amazon for the same, are the best options. They have battery management options built in. Don’t bother with the fire, particularly with cracked screens.

Then you could upgrade to a batteryless Android screen later.

7

I used Fire Tablets with Fully Kiosk Browser for years and have disliked every moment of it. I am slowly changing to other cheap android tablets around $80USD or whatever is on sale. I would avoid using Fire Tablets, they are usually cheaper but not worth it IMO.

1 Like
8

As said: Beware of very cheap tables. I’ve bought one for 69€ last year, but that was a bad buy:

  1. Android Go = Not every app will run
  2. A 566 hour shutdown timer fixed in the system, I couldn’t work around with known “keep it running”-apps.
  3. Cheap display

I replaced it some weeks ago with a cheap Lenovo Tab 10.1" (ZAEH0057) for 95€.

Now working as expected.

2 Likes
9

You can get things running on Android Go. But, it takes quite a bit of work and is not worth the time.

10

how do I even search for batteryless Android screen? trying but cannot seem to find them.

11

You are looking for a commercial tablet. You could also look for a POE tablet.