Amazon launches new Fire HD 8
The popularity of tablets has significantly quieted down over the past few years, but two big players have continued to update their devices. While Apple rules the premium end of the tablet market with the iPad, Amazon has a firm handle on budget devices. One of the heavyweights under Amazon’s Fire brand of tablets just got a major update.
The new 10th gen Fire HD 8 (2020) is a decent upgrade over last year’s model. The new Fire tablet is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT8168 clocked at 2.0 GHz, a good bump over last year’s quad-core SoC clocked at 1.3 GHz. The new Fire HD 8 also features 2 GB of RAM, 32 or 64 GB of storage (expandable by up to 1 TB via microSD), 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wifi 5, and Bluetooth 5.0 LE.
Amazon also introduced the new Fire HD 8 Plus. The plus model uses the same processor but bumps the RAM to 3 GB. It also features wireless charging via the Qi standard. Amazon is selling a dedicated wireless charging dock that can be bundled with the Fire HD 8 Plus for an extra US$30.
Both models use the same 8-inch 1280x800 IPS screen as last year’s model. Both machines also have a USB-C port for charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 8 Pro will run Amazon’s Fire OS 7, which is based on Android 9.
The base Fire HD 8 (the one with 2 GB of RAM) is available now for $90 (with Amazon’s Special Offers ads). Upgrading to the Fire HD 8 Plus will run $110 with Special Offers. (Opting out of Special Offers bumps the price by $15 for each model.) There’s also a Kids Edition of the Fire HD 8 that includes a kid-friendly bumper case, a free year of Amazon’s Free Time Unlimited service, an extensive two-year warranty, and kid-tailored software for $140.
What are your thoughts about the new Fire HD 8 and HD 8 Plus? Will they be the new budget kings in the tablet space? Let us know in the comments.
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