Refreshed for 2024, the $99.99 Amazon Fire HD 8 packs a punch for the price. It provides enough power to run basic streaming apps and games, and has enough battery life to get you through the day. However, a below-average screen and muddy speakers keep it from being our top pick in Amazon’s lineup. At $139.99, the Fire HD 10 remains our Editors’ Choice for a budget tablet, with a sharper display, better performance, and longer battery life.
Design: Basic tablet
The Fire HD 8 comes in three versions: the standard model costs $99.99, and the Fire HD 8 Kids and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro both cost $139.99. The kids version includes a carrying case, a 6-month subscription to Amazon Kids+ for age-appropriate content, and a 2-year worry-free warranty.
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
At first glance, it’s hard to tell whether the new Fire HD 8 is different from the 2022 model. It measures 7.94 x 5.40 x 0.37 inches (HWD) and weighs 11.88 ounces, making it the same size and weight as its predecessor. The new color is the only visual indicator. Emerald (green) and Hibiscus (pink, pictured in this review) are joined by black, giving you three different options. The Fire HD 10 is predictably large and heavy (9.69 x 6.49 x 0.34 inches, 15.29 ounces), while the $59.99 Fire 7 is smaller and lighter (7.11 x 4.63 x 0.38 inches, 9.9 ounces).
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(Credit: Sarah Lord)
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. The microSD card slot is on the right side. Two speaker grilles line up on the left edge, around the corner from the front-facing camera for video calls. A small round camera module is located in the back corner. The back panel is made of textured plastic and does a good job of keeping out dirt and fingerprints, but gripping the tablet can still be a bit slippery.
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
The Fire HD 8 has the exact same 1,280 x 800 pixel 8-inch LCD as the 2022 model, with a pixel density of 189 pixels per inch (ppi). The bezel is quite thick. The Fire 7 hasn’t been updated since 2022 and has an even lower resolution at 1,024 x 600 pixels and 171ppi. By comparison, the Fire HD 10’s 10-inch screen is the sharpest of the bunch, with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels and a density of 224ppi. The Fire HD 8’s screen is bright enough to be clearly visible indoors, but it can be difficult to see in direct sunlight due to glare. Anti-reflective coatings can help a lot here.
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
Like most other cheap tablets, it doesn’t have an IP rating for dust or water resistance, so be careful when using it around water.
The tablet comes with a USB-C cable and a 5W charger.
Performance: Adequate
The Fire HD 8 uses a 6-core 2.0GHz ARM processor, but Amazon hasn’t disclosed the manufacturer or model. The tablet is available with 3 GB memory and 32 GB storage ($99.99) or 4 GB memory and 64 GB storage ($129.99). Previous models came with either 2GB or 3GB of RAM, so the 2024 model is a slight improvement in that regard. I received the 3GB/32GB model for testing.
I found that the tablet supported me well in my daily activities. I didn’t notice any lag when switching from app to app, even when I had multiple apps open at the same time. Some apps, including the camera, would sometimes freeze and required a complete restart. This tablet is not designed to run intense games. It just doesn’t have the capacity to handle the load. That said, Hungry Shark works fine, and I had no issues streaming video content from Amazon, ESPN, Hulu, or Netflix.
(Credit: GeekBench/PCMag)
In Geekbench 5, a benchmark that calculates basic CPU performance, the Fire HD 8 scored 192 in the single-core test and 901 in the multi-core test. These aren’t impressive numbers, but they represent a significant improvement compared to the 2022 model, which we couldn’t test without crashing. The Fire HD 10 fared better, with scores of 515 and 1,516, while Amazon’s premier tablet, the $229.99 Fire Max 11, had scores of 691 and 1,914.
Battery and connectivity: Get the job done
The Fire HD 8’s battery lasts almost a day. Amazon doesn’t reveal the battery size of its devices, but in a battery test with the display at maximum brightness and streaming HD video over Wi-Fi, the Fire HD 9 lasted 9 hours and 41 minutes. The Fire HD 10 did even better (10 hours, 18 minutes), while the Fire HD 7 came in last (9 hours, 30 minutes).
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
Charging the tablet takes about 5 hours using the included 5W charger. If you have a 15W brick, the charging time will be reduced to 2 hours. Like most tablets, the Fire HD 8 doesn’t support wireless charging.
Fire HD 8 uses the older Wi-Fi 5 specification and Bluetooth 5.2 to connect to the Internet and other devices. We used a Wi-Fi 6 router for testing and found good download speeds (318Mbps) and upload speeds (22.5Mbps). These are comparable to the results of the iPhone 14 Pro tested on the same network, but we wish it had Wi-Fi 6 or 6E radio for future protection.
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
The speakers aren’t impressive. On our test track, The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the bass was difficult to discern. Additionally, you should be able to listen to TV programs even in a small room, although the speakers won’t put out much volume. For a better audio experience, you need to connect wired or wireless headphones.
Camera: Use your mobile phone
Cameras aren’t usually a tablet’s selling point, but that’s certainly the case. The 5MP rear camera had difficulty capturing details even in daylight. The tree branches below are dark and blurry, making it impossible to identify individual pine cones.
Main camera (Credit: Sarah Lord)
The 2MP selfie camera is even worse. As you can see in the image of my dog, the photo is completely blown out and detail is almost completely lost. Be prepared to look grainy and pixelated on video calls.
Selfie camera (Credit: Sarah Lord)
Software: Trapped in the Amazon World
Like all Fire tablets, the Fire HD 8 runs Amazon’s Fire OS. This locked down version of Android is designed to encourage purchases of other Amazon products and services. Every time you pick up your tablet, you’ll see ads on your lock screen (unless you pay $14.99 to remove them) and sponsored content on your home screen. This is the same for all Fire brand tablets.
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
The home screen consists of two tabs: “For You” and “Home.” The “For You” tab displays a number of rows of movies, games, and TV shows that Amazon thinks you’ll be interested in. Some are free, but many are paid. There is a separate section for special offers on subscription services. The home screen shows all your apps, but there’s a bar of recommended apps prominently displayed at the top. The first two suggestions are recently used apps, but the rest are sponsored, along with even more books, movies, and TV shows.
There is no way to remove or change sponsored content;[For You]Looks like it’s the same set of tab recommendations.
(Credit; Sarah Lord)
Amazon’s Silk browser is your only way to the internet, and Amazon’s Appstore is the only place to download apps. Many of the most popular streaming services are available here, but Google products (Calendar, Chrome, Docs, Gmail, etc.) are missing. Popular apps like Alto’s Odyssey, Apple TV+, and Marvel Unlimited are also not available from the Amazon store.
For reading, find titles in Amazon’s bookstore or the Kindle app, listen to audiobooks on Audible, or use the Libby app for library books. You won’t find reading apps from competitors like Apple or Barnes & Noble. Again, this is the same experience as Amazon’s other Fire tablets, and it primarily directs you to Amazon’s products and services.
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
Fire HD 8 smart display Use echo show mode. This gives you hands-free access to Alexa voice control, and your tablet displays the time, trending topics, weather, and more. It works well, but I think it has limited functionality.
Amazon hasn’t disclosed how many software updates the Fire HD 8 will receive, but it will receive four years of security updates.
Verdict: Minor refresh for a decent tablet
The 2024 Amazon Fire HD 8 may be new, but it shares many of the same features and shortcomings as its predecessor (not to mention other Fire tablets). For just $100, it’s small, fast enough to handle basic apps, and has enough battery life to survive long trips. But the screen and speakers are ok. For an extra $40, the Fire HD 10 continues to be our Editors’ Choice winner with a larger, sharper display, more power, and better battery life.
Strong Points
Cons
conclusion
The 2024 version of the affordable Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet has enough power and battery life to watch videos and play games all day long, but its screen could be even better, and it has more I hope it’s compatible with the app.
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About Sarah Lord
analyst, mobile
