Amazon's 'all-new' Fire HD 8 tablets are (a little) faster, thinner, lighter, and pricier
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Hot on the heels of a very interesting new budget-friendly Kindle e-reader, Amazon is today taking the wraps off no less than four upgraded Fire tablets... in a single size. Sorry, entry-level Fire 7 and jumbo-sized Fire HD 10 fans, the e-commerce giant's Android-based middle child is the only one getting a sequel now after a previous 10th gen release back in 2020.
The 12th gen Fire HD 8, simply labelled the "all-new" Fire HD 8 by its manufacturer, is up for pre-order today starting at $99.99 with a familiar but subtly refined design, a few moderate internal upgrades, and an actual October 19 release date attached to its somewhat confusing name.
What's different, what's the same?
Firstly (and importantly for Amazon's target audience), long-time Fire watchers are likely to notice right off the bat that this year's "standard" 8-incher is $10 costlier than its 2020 predecessor. Unfortunately, the same goes for the latest Fire HD 8 Plus, Fire HD 8 Kids, and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro generations, all of which seem to have been negatively impacted by the rampant inflation rise of the last year or so.
Amazon Fire HD 8 (2022)
To justify that hike, the 2022 Fire HD 8 promises to deliver 30 percent more raw power compared to its quad-core two year-old forerunner, a performance enhancement made possible by the adoption of an unspecified hexa-core processor clocked at up to 2.0 GHz speeds.
If speed is what you're most interested in, you should know that the $120 and up "all-new" Fire HD 8 Plus supports significantly faster (wired) charging than its non-Plus sibling while also offering an extra gig of RAM (for a grand total of three), wireless charging capabilities, and "sharper" snapshots with a 5MP rear-facing camera in tow.
Alas, that means the Fire HD 8 still comes with a cringeworthy 2MP shooter on its back (and a 2MP selfie snapper) while lasting "up to" 13 hours on a single charge, which is a slightly better battery life rating than those of the previous-gen Fire HD 8 and even the current-gen Fire HD 10.
Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2022)
Compared to the Fire HD 10, of course, the screen is still pretty modest, with an unchanged resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, but compared to the 10th gen Fire HD 8, this 12th gen model is at least a tad thinner and lighter, at 9.6mm and 337 grams respectively (down from 9.7mm and 355 grams). All in all, this is definitely not a radical upgrade, but the (apparent) quality/price ratio remains pretty much unrivaled in today's otherwise incredibly competitive tablet market.
New kid-friendly cases and the same worry-free guarantee
Yes, the $149.99 Fire HD 8 Kids and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro are both covered against any type of damage for two years right out the box, and no, you still don't have to pay anything extra for a handy 1-year Amazon Kids+ subscription with all kinds of carefully curated and age-appropriate content included.
What you may want to cough up an additional 10 bucks on is the "all-new" Disney Design bundle consisting of your child-centric slate of choice and a robust and eye-catching Mickey Mouse or Disney Princess case.
Fire HD 8 Kids (2022)
Of course, the base price includes a "kid-proof" case as well, with your Pro options ranging from Cyber Blue to Hello Teal to Rainbow Universe flavors and the non-Pro Fire HD 8 Kids tablet available in playful blue and purple colors.
Fire HD 8 Kids Pro (2022)
Just as before, the Pro version is designed for slightly older children (aged 6 to 12), with non-Pro models being deemed more appropriate for kids aged 3 to 7. That being said, the specifications are naturally identical for the two versions... and the "regular" new Fire HD 8, including everything from a hexa-core processor to 2 gigs of RAM, 32 and 64GB storage options, 13-hour battery life, and USB-C charging.
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