Why it matters: Amazon on Thursday refreshed its entry-level Fire 7 tablet with faster hardware, more storage and additional features. What hasn't changed, however, is the attractive price point - still just $49.99. Is this the budget tablet to beat?

The new Fire 7 boasts a faster quad-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz and is available with either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage (or up to 512GB of expandable storage via microSD card.) You also get a 720p HD front-facing camera for video chatting and selfie tasks, dual-band Wi-Fi, hands-free Alexa and up to seven hours of battery life on a single charge.

Amazon also introduced a new version of its Fire 7 Kids Edition. It's largely the same as the standard Fire 7 but comes with a kid-proof case, one year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited and a two-year worry-free guarantee for $99.99. You can also get it in a two-pack for $149.99.

Amazon's Fire 7 is even better with Prime, the company's multi-purpose subscription service. It's available to try for free for 30 days if you haven't already given it a whirl.

The new Fire 7 tablet is available to pre-order now in your choice of purple, green, black or blue. Anyone that purchases before the June 6 ship date will also receive a $10 credit that can be used in the Amazon Appstore.