Amazon Fire Phone gets OS update, battery life improved, other enhancements made

Amazon’s foray into the smartphone segment is interesting to say the least. While there are some likable features about the Amazon Fire Phone, you can tell from our review it was not an earth shaker either.  One area that we were definitely not impressed was the battery life.

The Amazon Fire Phone is way behind the pack of class leaders like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2 in that regard.

New devices on the market tend to get a quick update or two soon after a market launch though, and the Amazon Fire Phone is no different.  An OS update is now available. Fire OS 3.5.1 (111009920) brings a number of enhancements to the device, most notably tweaks to improve battery life.

According to Amazon, there are dozens of system updates to make power consumption more efficient. There is a lot more with the update though, according to the change log, video sharing should be improved, and the email client now allows messages to be deleted from the home screen.

Your favorite apps can be pinned to the carousel, and folders for apps or content can be created directly on the app grid. Double-pressing the home button brings up a multi-tasking function now, allowing a “quick switch” between apps or shutting down apps you no longer want running. Lenticular photos collages have been enhanced too. Now, you will be able to use this function with up to 11 photos instead of 3.

If you have an Amazon Fire Phone, you should be able to grab the update either through an over-the-air connection, or you can download the software to your computer and install via a USB cable. Let us know if the changes made a difference on your Fire Phone.


sources: Amazon via PhoneScoop