Want to have some fun? Look at the tablet. Movies, TV shows, books, games, music, and more all on a screen bigger than your phone. Amazon’s Fire tablets are among the most affordable of these entertainment products, and they receive modest updates every few years. So the newly refreshed 2024 Fire HD 8 also falls into that category. (The Fire HD 8 Plus is no longer part of the lineup; more on that below.) It was already a value-for-money model. It’s a bit better now, with more RAM, a better rear camera, and some interesting AI features coming soon (though they won’t be available at launch). Best of all, there are no price increases. This is a review of Amazon Fire HD 8 (2024 version).
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verdict: The 2024 Fire HD 8 is basically the 2022 Fire HD 8 Plus with some AI features built in, but that doesn’t negate the value of this low-cost tablet, especially if entertainment is your primary goal. You can’t.
- cheap and often discounted
- Some interesting AI features
- expandable storage
- Hands-free Alexa voice assistant
- stable battery life
- wired headphone jack
- The 2024 edition brings several updates
- Glossy screens attract fingerprints easily
- Amazon’s app store is not as robust as Google Play
- Interface needs work
$100 on Amazon
The Fire HD 8 costs $100 and comes with 32GB of storage, 3GB of RAM (50% more than the 2022 model and better overall performance), and a 5-megapixel rear camera. Wait, that sounds familiar. These specs match the now discontinued Fire HD 8 Plus, with one exception. That being said, there’s no wireless charging via the optional dock.
For an additional $30, you can get a tablet with 64 GB of storage and 4 GB of RAM. If you plan on downloading a lot of movies for offline viewing or packing in a lot of games, it’s worth paying the extra money for the extra space. That said, you can easily add more storage (up to 1TB) by plugging in an inexpensive microSD card. (Example: A 128GB card is only $14.)
For some perspective, a similarly sized iPad Mini (64GB) costs $499 and is not expandable. But how does the Fire HD 8 stack up in terms of features and performance?
Fire HD 8 (2024): Benefits
As mentioned above, this tablet is suitable for entertainment such as watching, playing, and reading. The size and weight make it comfortable to hold for long periods of time, making it easy to throw into your backpack or purse. In fact, I consider this to be the “sweet spot” for tablets. If it’s a small one, you basically have a mobile phone, but if it’s a big one, it becomes unwieldy after a while.
The Fire HD 8’s screen resolution — 1,280 x 800 pixels — isn’t even close to an iPad, but it’s plenty for this kind of activity. This is similar to the difference between a 4K TV and a 1080p TV. It’s only noticeable when you look closely, but that doesn’t take away from the entertainment. An even bigger problem is glare. We recommend investing in an anti-glare, anti-fingerprint screen protector. It’s only $12 (for a 2-pack) so it’s a great deal.
The camera… is fine. Good for kids to fool around with and appropriate for Zoom meetings. Something like that. The iPad has a very good camera, but ask yourself if you’re really going to take photos with your tablet anyway. I do that once in a blue moon.
The tablet’s built-in stereo speakers are, as you’d expect, quite small and small, so they’re great for listening to podcasts and watching videos, but you’ll probably be happier if you pair them with Bluetooth speakers or headphones . (There’s also a traditional headphone jack if you prefer wired.)
Amazon claims up to 13 hours of battery life, and my unofficial testing backs that up. That’s pretty stable for a tablet of this size, better than the iPad Mini’s 10 hours. Fire HD 8 has a USB-C charging port and comes with an AC adapter.
Like many Amazon devices these days, this one comes with the Alexa voice assistant. And you can operate it hands-free. This is perfect for tablet-specific requests (play music, start Netflix, get the weather forecast) as well as control Alexa-compatible smart devices. For example, you can use Fire HD 8 to turn off the lights in another room.
Finally, future software updates will add some AI-powered features. There are writing assistants that promise to “proofread, polish, and adjust the tone of emails, memos, and other texts.” You can now get a natural language summary of your web pages with Amazon’s Silk browser. You also get AI-generated wallpaper images (I’ve seen this feature in action on Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and it’s pretty cool).
I’m looking forward to trying out these options and will update my review when I get a chance.
Fire HD 8 (2024): The bad points
Like other Fire tablets and Amazon’s Kindle e-reader, the Fire HD 8’s lock screen displays ads. Honestly, I don’t mind this, and it doesn’t really bother me much since the ads disappear the moment I swipe to unlock. But if you find that annoying, and perhaps want to see a photo of your family on your lock screen, you can pay a one-time $15 fee to permanently banish the ads.
Another cost to consider here is Amazon Prime. A subscription to the service ($139 per year, with a 30-day free trial) isn’t necessary, but it provides quick and easy access to tons of movies, music, books, and TV shows. However, even if you don’t have Prime, you can still install apps to access Netflix, Spotify, TikTok, and more, as well as read books already in your Kindle library.
Therefore, I disagree with the popular opinion that Fire tablets are only suitable for Prime members. If you already have a subscription, no problem. You’ll love all the extra features. But do you think you don’t need this tablet without it? I don’t think so.
An even bigger caveat is that Amazon limits you to its own app store (which also has nothing to do with Prime). Most popular apps are available on Fire, but some are not, especially YouTube. While there are ways to get around this limitation (starting with opening YouTube in your tablet’s web browser), you don’t have to jump through hoops to use the world’s most popular video app.
Another complaint is that Amazon’s Fire OS isn’t the most intuitive operating system. For example, if you increase the font size for better visibility, many app names will be omitted because the text won’t fit. I appreciate that Amazon has streamlined the user interface somewhat, removing the redundant “Library” screens and leaving only “For You” and “Home.”
The warranty is also still an issue and is only 90 days. That’s a bit of a headache. Amazon’s Fire HD 10, like most modern electronics, comes with a one-year warranty. Finally, the Fire HD 8’s color choices have been reduced to just three colors: black, emerald, and hibiscus. I can’t say I love any of them. This isn’t the prettiest tablet.
Fire HD 8 (2024): Should you buy it?
But remember, we’re talking about a $100 tablet that’s frequently discounted by 30% to 40%. So some minor points can easily be forgiven.
In fact, if you want a ton of entertainment at your fingertips in a size that strikes the right balance between visibility and portability, it’s hard to beat the Amazon Fire HD 8. It’s no exaggeration to say that this is the most value-packed tablet out there. buy.
