![]() ![]() If you need more storage for movie and game downloads, you can pop in an inexpensive microSD card. The two tablets include 32GB of onboard storage, though you can opt for 64GB at the time of purchase for $30 more. Amazon promises up to 13 hours on a charge, which is extremely good battery life, and my informal testing bears that out. (There's also a traditional headphone jack if you prefer something wired.)Īs noted, the Fire HD 8 Plus supports wireless charging, but both models have USB-C ports and actually come with both a USB-C cable and an AC adapter (unlike certain Apple tablets, cough). The tablet's built-in stereo speakers are, as you might expect, tiny and tinny - fine for listening to podcasts and watching videos, but ultimately you'll be happier with a paired Bluetooth speaker or headphones. The Fire HD 8's screen isn't ultra-high-resolution, but it's plenty sharp for reading e-books and other text. iPads offer vastly superior cameras, but ask yourself if you're really going to take photos with your tablet anyway. Good for kids to mess around with, decent in a pinch for Zoom meetings, that kind of thing. Although you get hands-free Alexa voice controls regardless, Show Mode turns it into a full-screen experience. In fact, if you add that dock to the mix, you can better take advantage of something called Show Mode, which effectively turns the Fire HD 8 Plus into an Echo Show 8 smart screen. This is where I pause to recommend spending an extra $10 (normally $20) for the Fire HD 8 Plus, which offers three key advantages: 3GB of RAM instead of 2GB (that helps with performance and multitasking), support for wireless charging (via Amazon's $50 Wireless Charging Dock or any Qi charging pad) and a much better rear-facing camera: 5 megapixels, to the Fire HD 8's 2 megapixels. Similarly, while the Fire 7 is a fairly sluggish device, the Fire HD 8's newly upgraded hexacore processor affords the horsepower needed for basic tablet tasks. It's also noticeably better than the Fire 7's 1,024 x 600-pixel screen, which I found so grainy that I ultimately couldn't recommend that tablet. Although that's far below what you get from modern iPads, it's definitely sharp enough for the likes of books, games and movies. The Fire HD 8 and HD 8 Plus have 8-inch screens (both fingerprint magnets, alas) with a display resolution of 1,200 x 800 pixels. $65 at Amazon Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 8 Plus: Which one should you choose? And the new Fire HD 8 just got slashed to $55, meaning now's the time to scoop one up.įor just $10 more you get extra RAM, support for wireless charging and a much better rear-facing camera. But here's good news: The previous Fire HD 8 went on sale a dozen times in the last dozen months, sometimes dipping as low as just $45. That's to be expected these days inflation is hitting everything. ![]() ![]() Starting at $100, the Fire HD 8 costs $10 more than the 2020 model. These were already great tablets for the money now they're a bit better, with faster processors, more storage and slightly longer battery life.Īnd a price bump. So it goes with the Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 8 Plus, just refreshed for the tail end of 2022. Amazon's Fire models are basically entertainment-slinging screens, and every few years they get a modest update. Looking for fun? Look to a tablet, which can serve up movies, TV shows, books, games, music and lots more. All that's true of the Fire HD 8 as well, and it's $20 cheaper. The new Fire HD 8 Plus features a bright, sharp display, 32GB of expandable storage, hands-free Alexa and up to 13 hours of battery life. ![]()
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