Not much has changed, but it’s still just $100
The $99.99 Amazon Fire HD 8, refreshed for 2024, functions about as well as you should expect for the price. It provides enough power to run basic streaming apps and games and has enough battery life to get through a day. However, its below-average screen and muddy speakers keep it from being our top recommendation in Amazon’s lineup. The $139.99 Fire HD 10 has a sharper display, better performance, and longer battery life, so it remains our Editors’ Choice for cheap tablets.Design: A Basic Tablet
There are three versions of the Fire HD 8: the standard model for $99.99, and the Fire HD 8 Kids and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro, both of which cost $139.99. The kid-focused versions include a carrying case, a six-month subscription to Amazon Kids+ for age-appropriate content, and a two-year worry-free warranty.
At first glance, it’s difficult to tell that the new Fire HD 8 is any different from the 2022 model. It measures 7.94 by 5.40 by 0.37 inches (HWD) and weighs 11.88 ounces, making it identical in size and weight to its predecessor. New colors are the only visual indicator: Emerald (green) and Hibiscus (pink, pictured in this review) join black, for three different options. The Fire HD 10 is predictably larger and heavier (9.69 by 6.49 by 0.34 inches, 15.29 ounces), while the $59.99 Fire 7 is smaller and lighter (7.11 by 4.63 by 0.38 inches, 9.9 ounces).
When held in portrait orientation, the power button, volume rocker, USB-C port, and 3.5mm headphone jack are all on the top edge of the tablet. A slot for a microSD card is located on the right side. Two speaker grilles line the left edge, around the corner from a front-facing camera for video calls. A small, round camera module sits in the corner on the back. The rear panel is made of textured plastic that does a good job of preventing smudges and fingerprints, but the tablet can still be a bit slippery to hold.
The Fire HD 8 has the exact same 1,280-by-800-pixel 8-inch LCD as the 2022 model, with the same pixel density of 189 pixels per inch (ppi). The bezels are rather thick. The Fire 7, which hasn’t been updated since 2022, has an even lower resolution of 1,024 by 600 pixels at 171ppi. In comparison, the Fire HD 10’s 10-inch screen has a resolution of 1,920 by 1,200 pixels with a density of 224ppi, making it the sharpest of the bunch. The Fire HD 8’s screen is bright enough to be clearly visible indoors, though it can be difficult to see under direct sunlight thanks to glare. An anti-reflective coating would go a long way here.
Like most other inexpensive tablets, it doesn’t have an IP rating for dust and water resistance, so you’ll need to be careful when using it around water.
C cable and a 5W charger are included with the tablet.Performance: Good Enough
The Fire HD 8 relies on a six-core, 2.0GHz ARM processor, though Amazon doesn’t specify the manufacturer or model.
