Amazon has taken its Fire HD 8 tablet and made it even better with a 10th-generation 2020 release.
While it can’t come close to holding a fire to the iPad, it’s the perfect tablet for those who want to spend less than $100.
Out is the old 1.3GHz quad-core processor, replaced by a new 2.0GHz quad-core chip that Amazon claims boosts performance by 30%. Storage also gets a bump, with the new Fire HD 8 being offered with 32GB or 64GB, a doubling of the capacity compared to the previous model.
And if this isn’t enough, Amazon has added a microSD card slot compatible with 1TB cards, giving the tablet expansion possibilities, which means there’s no penalty if you buy the 32GB model.
This gives the Fire HD 8 a huge advantage over the iPad, where Apple doesn’t offer microSD card expansion. Pricing is where Amazon’s Fire HD 8 really has Apple’s iPad beat. Apple’s cheapest iPad — the iPad mini 5 — starts at $399.
RAM gets a bump in Amazon’s new Fire HD 8, from 1.5GB to 2GB, and a whopping 3GB in the Fire HD 8 Plus. The Fire HD 8 Plus also adds wireless charging to the tablet, a much-requested feature.
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Charging is now handled by a USB-C port, doing away with the older, more fragile microUSB port. This port allows the Fire HD 8’s battery — which is rated as all-day and offers 12-hours of use — to be charged in under 5 hours. This is a 20 percent improvement on the previous model.
Both tablets feature an 8-inch 1280 x 800 (189ppi), dual speakers, and 2-megapixel front- and rear-facing cameras.
