Amazon Fire HD 8 (2022) review: Pricing and a bright screen remain its best assets | Tech Reddy

For the past few years, the Fire HD 8 has been the best budget tablet around, especially for Amazon Prime members, who can take advantage of all the content that comes with that membership. That’s not to say the HD 8 is a great tablet — it isn’t — but it does well for its modest price and has a display that’s just sharp and bright enough.

Available in several versions, the “all-new” Fire HD 8 (2022) starts at $100 (£100 or around $175), which is $10 more than the previous model. It is equipped with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, and there is an expansion slot for adding a second one via MicroSD. The improvements to the 2020 model are relatively modest, but not insignificant: the new HD 8 for 2022 is not only slightly thinner and lighter, but thanks to an updated processor and software optimizations, it has a 30% increase in battery life, according to Amazon, with an extra hour together (13 hours vs. 12 hours).

Do these updates make you want to ditch the Fire HD 8 (2020) for the new model? Probably not, but you’re getting a 15% better tablet for a little more money. As a result, it’s easy to recommend the latest Fire HD 8 to those looking for an affordable tablet for media consumption, but only when it goes on sale.

What makes the Fire HD 8 worth it?

Aside from its affordable price, the HD 8 has a few things going for it. As I said, the HD 8’s screen still isn’t great — it has a pixel density of 189 ppi and a resolution of 1280×800 pixels, which is just about high definition (basically 1080p, not 720p) — but it’s good enough for most people, and it’s pretty bright. It’s also a relatively compact tablet that’s closer in size to Apple’s iPad Mini than the standard iPad, but the HD 8 has a 16:10 aspect ratio, while the iPad Mini’s aspect ratio is 6.1:4.

The new HD 8 weighs 11.88 ounces (337 grams), down from 12.5 ounces (355 grams) over its predecessor. The new model measures 7.94 x 5.4 x 0.37 inches (202 x 137 x 9.6 mm), while the previous version came in at 8 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches (202 x 137 x 9.7 mm). While these are small differences, any time you can shed some weight on a product like a tablet without sacrificing performance or battery life, that’s a good thing.

I spent most of my time watching videos on the new Fire HD 8, mixed in with reading a Kindle e-book and browsing the web. I also played some games and made some Zoom calls. The tablet’s main drawbacks are that it remains slower than high-end tablets like the iPad or any iPhone or Android smartphone from the last three years (it helps to have a fast internet connection).

When the processor was upgraded, I sometimes wished Amazon had equipped the tablet with an even faster processor. Also, the 2-megapixel front-facing camera is average, so you’ll get grainy looks on video calls (which is a good thing for some of us). Finally, the sound quality of the integrated speakers is good and does not reach the level of high-end tablets and phones. With the headphone port or Bluetooth, you’ll be better off using a headset.

All new HD 8 models are powered by the Mediatek hexa-core MT8169A processor, which is a step up from the quad-core MT8168 found in the HD 8 (2020). But bigger Fire HD 10 powered by an octa-core Mediatek MT8183 processor. So if you want a better overall tablet experience, we’d recommend stepping up to the Fire HD 10, which feels snappier and has a larger, higher-resolution display.

For $20 more, you can upgrade to the 2022 version HD 8 Plus ($120, £120), it shares the same chassis but includes an extra 1GB of RAM (for a total of 3GB), wireless charging (a dock or wireless charging pad is included) and an improved 5-megapixel rear camera (from before). 2 megapixel camera). I think I’d prefer the improved front-facing camera, but some people will use this tablet for taking videos and photos — just don’t expect great quality.

The extra RAM does make a bit of a difference as I noticed that apps started to click faster. It also helps with multitasking and graphics intensive applications. I would like to say that it never hurts to have more RAM. And with wireless charging and a rear camera upgrade, $20 isn’t too much to pay. Additionally, the Plus model comes with a 9-watt power adapter, while the standard HD 8 only includes a USB-C charging cable. So it’s tempting to opt for the HD 8 Plus (2022).

Parents can give a cheap tablet to their children

The Fire HD 8 has always been a convenient tablet for consuming Amazon video content, e-books, and music, and it’s still useful for Prime members. You can also watch other streaming video services like Netflix and Hulu, but the selection of apps in the Amazon Appstore has always been limited compared to what’s available for iOS and Android, especially when it comes to games (Android tablets have their own app limitations compared to what you can get on iPads). While you still can’t find an app for Vudu, HBO Max is now available, so that’s good news.

The tablet runs on Amazon’s latest Fire OS, a customized version of Android 11 that was released in fall 2020. Although Amazon doesn’t support it, you can theoretically install the Google Play Store by following some instructions online. . This allows you to run more apps. But some people may be intimidated by the process, and it’s become more complicated with the latest Fire tablets, like Amazon’s new one. Fire 7 (2022). I haven’t tried installing the Google Play Store on the new HD 8, so I can’t vouch for whether it will work or not.

The previous Fire HD 8 was popular with parents who wanted an affordable tablet for their kids. If that’s who you’re buying this for, the standard HD 8 is fine. However, Amazon is also targeting parents Fire HD 8 Kids ($150), it comes with a kid-friendly case, a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids Plus content, and a two-year replacement warranty if anything happens to the tablet.

And there is also to complicate matters a little Kids Pro version ($150) Amazon says it’s designed for kids ages 6 to 12 and includes “access to a digital store where kids can ask their parents or guardians to find and buy e-books, apps and games.” And for the first time, Fire HD 8 Kids is available Disney Design Set including Mickey Mouse and Disney Princess bags for $160.

That’s a lot of options for the Fire HD 8. But the mid-range model in Amazon’s tablet line, which includes the aforementioned Fire 7 ($60) and the stairs Fire HD 10 ($150) will be attractive to many people, especially when it goes on sale later this year.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2022) final thoughts

When Amazon updated the Fire HD 8 in 2020, it made some significant design changes, including moving the front camera and adding USB-C charging, as well as what appears to be wireless charging for the HD 8 Plus. overall a more substantial upgrade than what you get with this year’s Fire HD 8 (2022). But given all the supply chain issues and inflationary pressures, it’s about what I’d expect from a new model, and according to Amazon’s incremental upgrade formula — especially the aforementioned hexa-core processor — moves the needle far enough to justify it. A slight price increase.

As I write this, the previous-gen HD 8 (2020) is down to $45, and the Fire HD 10 is down to $75. With prices like these, it’s hard to beat the new HD 8 at $100. However, you will certainly see some good discounts on it throughout the year, and there is always time to get it.