Member Avatar for georgeoshardo

My uncle is coming to the UK from the US for Christmas, and I've asked him to get me the Kindle Fire, which comes out in November over there, but there is no UK release date. If he buys it for me there, and beings it home to, will I have any limitations on what I can do with it? Like the kindle store for example, if it's built for the America region, and I choose to use it in the region of Europe, will I not be able to do some things that I'll be able to do there? I figured not, seeing as there's no 3g on it, it charges from a computer, so no voltage difference, and I'm assuming the store will be international.

Thanks
GH

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Brief, practical update that expands on the thread: the main friction when importing a US Fire tablet is not the charger or the hardware but the Amazon marketplace, payment methods and publisher licensing that control which apps, books and streaming content you can buy or re-download. and were right to flag rights and region effects; the device ties into the Kindle/Appstore ecosystem and that ecosystem enforces regional rules. See Amazon’s developer guidance on marketplace distribution and the Kindle Store terms for how content is licensed. (developer.amazon.com)

Workable paths if you still want a US-bought Fire:

  • Use a US Amazon account for purchases and fund it with US Amazon.com gift cards (redeem on the US store). Gift cards and marketplace balances are store-specific, so they’re a practical substitute if you don’t have a US card. Redeem an Amazon Gift Card.
  • Or keep your UK account and sideload apps you need (enable “Apps from unknown sources” and install APKs from reputable sites), but be cautious about security and compatibility. Practical sideload instructions are widely available. (website-g7g.amazon.co.uk)

Account-region changes and content consequences:

  • Changing the Country/Region in “Manage Your Content and Devices” can change which store you see, which purchases are allowed, and which titles remain downloadable; Amazon often requires a valid local address/payment method for that marketplace, and publishers can still block re-downloads by territory. If you plan to switch stores, review the [Manage Your Content & Devices] settings and the Kindle Store terms first. (digprjsurvey.amazon.co.uk)

Other practical cautions: declare the tablet at UK border if its value exceeds allowances (see the UK traveller allowances) and expect returns/repairs and some warranty/help to be easiest through the marketplace where you bought it — check Amazon’s returns/warranty info before buying. If seamless local media, support and warranty are important, waiting for the local release is often the least friction. (gov.uk)

This adds concrete steps and links to the policy pages so the OP () and others can follow the specific setup paths and trade-offs.

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Member Avatar for jingda

The store will be international, since you will be downloading app from its Amazon store.

Member Avatar for mjdodd

I agree with Jingda but a word of experience. I know that amazon are world wide but we have used a Sony reader bought in the UK and used in France. There is a very big problem with trying to download some ebook files where the copyright is in another country. Kindle will restrict you to amazon copyright (ie amazon worldwide) and other machines usually to the country in which they were purchased;
However on our Sony we can only download amazon UK stuff and not Amazon france stuff.
to get round this there are stores in the USA that hold copyright over a far wider range and if you intend using the kindle elsewhere you might wish to check up on what amazon actually allow across country borders.
M

Member Avatar for jwenting

The store will be international, since you will be downloading app from its Amazon store.

no, the Amazon app store is not available for customers outside the USA and maybe Canada.
No indication when and if that will change.

You will also have no access to any of the streaming services (so no movies, music, etc.) through the Amazon cloud and Amazon Prime, which also are at the moment unavailable outside the US (and seem to be unavailable outside the US even for US customers).

This may of course change over time, but there's no indication from Amazon as to if and when that will happen (Amazon doesn't usually release such information, customers suddenly finding capabilities unlocked they previously couldn't use, with a press release following a few days after once everything has been shown to indeed work to expectations).

Amazon is very strict (and rightly so) in enforcing intellectual property rights of their vendors, and at current there are no contracts in place allowing the distribution of that media to customers in the EU (and the same for many eBooks, though that situation is evolving as more and more publishers consolidate their electronic publication rights).

Member Avatar for georgeoshardo

no, the Amazon app store is not available for customers outside the USA and maybe Canada.
No indication when and if that will change.

You will also have no access to any of the streaming services (so no movies, music, etc.) through the Amazon cloud and Amazon Prime, which also are at the moment unavailable outside the US (and seem to be unavailable outside the US even for US customers).

This may of course change over time, but there's no indication from Amazon as to if and when that will happen (Amazon doesn't usually release such information, customers suddenly finding capabilities unlocked they previously couldn't use, with a press release following a few days after once everything has been shown to indeed work to expectations).

Amazon is very strict (and rightly so) in enforcing intellectual property rights of their vendors, and at current there are no contracts in place allowing the distribution of that media to customers in the EU (and the same for many eBooks, though that situation is evolving as more and more publishers consolidate their electronic publication rights).

So if I did buy it in the US, I could still get the store if it comes out in the UK, I don't need a region specific device? And I could use a US proxy if all else fails.

Edited by georgeoshardo because: n/a
Member Avatar for jwenting

So if I did buy it in the US, I could still get the store if it comes out in the UK, I don't need a region specific device? And I could use a US proxy if all else fails.

No, you'd need a US billing address and a credit card issued by a US bank attached to your Amazon account.

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