![]() Of course, you can disable this feature, but it's sometimes helpful to have stuff waiting for you to watch for those times when you forget to load up your tablet with videos. The My Stuff feature is interesting because it preloads content from your watchlist that you might want to have available offline, and dynamically adjusts that content based on the storage space available on your device. The Amazon Insider feature showcases and surfaces compelling content and things to do with your Fire tablet. I was happy to see the truckload of free content that I can find on Fire TV was available on the tablet as well, but here it's expanded to include books and games, too. That's already a pretty sweet deal for what you get, but you can bet that come Prime Day (whenever that happens) or the fall holiday shopping season, this will probably be on sale for as low as $60-$70. Speaking of price, the Fire HD 8 starts at $90 for the model with 32GB of internal storage. You'll need a stand or case with a built-in stand, but when you enable it, you essentially get two devices (a tablet and a smart speaker) in one. So long as you either a) leave it plugged in, or b) remember to charge it frequently, it's a nice touch. That feature is once again available here on the Fire HD 8. One feature that Fire tablets have had for a few years now is Show Mode, which turns the tablet into a smart screen speaker like an Echo Show or Nest Hub (sort of). I didn't feel like I needed this introduction, but I can bet that it's proven helpful for scores of others setting up an Amazon device for the first time. After you set up your Wi-Fi connection and log in to your Amazon account, you're greeted with a two-minute video walking you through some of the most compelling features and use cases. I know it sounds silly, but I really enjoyed the onboarding process when setting up my Fire HD 8 tablet. Some may clamor for a higher-density display, but at this price point, what you get is perfectly fine for watching Netflix, Amazon Prime, or playing games.ĭon't laugh, but Amazon's setup video was super-helpful, even for me! ![]() The dual speakers and HD screen sound and look pretty much the same as the 2018 version, and that's because they mostly are the same. USB-C charging is a long-overdue feature, but a welcome one, and any time a company can improve battery life by whatever means is a blessing (here it jumped up by two hours!). The spec bumps to this device may not seem like a big deal, but they do make all the difference in being able to recommend this tablet to friends and family. (Image credit: Jeramy Johnson / Android Central) Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020): Things that are hot Now that we've reviewed what has changed since the previous edition, let's dive into what I liked and what I felt was lacking in this new iteration of the Fire HD 8. The most significant change to the physical design is a rounding of the corners, and the front-facing camera moving from the top to the side so that it greets you in a landscape mode. There are new color options for the 2020 version that bring it into the fold with the 2019 Fire 7 and Fire HD 10, and now you can get the Fire HD 8 in White, Black, Plum, and my favorite, Twilight Blue. It has a similar size and polycarbonate construction to the previous version, and the cameras, screen, and audio are all the same, too. The rest of the tablet remains mostly unchanged. ![]() Amazon is also finally, slowly, starting to bring USB-C charging ports to its devices (which began in 2019 with the Fire HD 10). 16GB or 32GB), and a battery that lasts 20% longer. ![]() 1.5GB), a 30% faster processor, twice the onboard storage (32GB or 64GB vs. The 2020 edition of the Fire HD 8 (10th-Gen) makes improvements in all of these areas. The forward-thinking, future-proofing gadget hounds might be more interested in the Fire HD 8 Plus, but this is the device for the rest of us. If you don't want to spend a lot upfront but want a tablet that can expand to suit your needs, that can handle multi-user families and even kiddos, and that can stand up to the occasional drop or bumps, this device is for you. If you're someone who wants a device with good battery life, Dolby Atmos audio, and HD video output, this device is for you. Still, I do think it's a good value, and that after a two-year wait for updates, this is still the tablet that most folks should buy. For example, that 8th-Gen device still charged via Micro-USB, it had much lower storage capacity and lower expandability options, and it had less RAM and a slower processor. 8.0" x 5.4" x 0.4" (202 mm x 137 mm x 9.7 mm))Īs I mentioned above, the last time the Fire HD 8 received a refresh was back in 2018, and while that device still performs admirably for many, a lot of its features were getting a little dated. ![]()
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