Amazon has refreshed its middle tablet in the Fire lineup with both external and internal upgrades. The new Fire HD 8 (2022) model makes the budget tablet more slender while adding a boost in performance and a negligible price increase.
The Amazon tablet now starts at £100 / $100 / AU$100, a roughly £10 increase from last year’s model, and features an updated hexa-core processor which Amazon claims makes the new Fire HD 8 30% faster than the 2020 model.
The Fire HD 8 gets a thinner and lighter design without sacrificing durability. Amazon has equipped the new 8 with a strengthened aluminosilicate glass display, which it claims makes the tablet twice as durable as Apple’s 2021 iPad Mini.
That 8-inch screen features a resolution of 1280 x 800, so not the sharpest on paper - but expected for a tablet at this price. Much like the rest of the Fire line of tablets, you can spec the HD 8 with or without lock-screen ads, the ad-included versions make the device cheaper. Storage comes in two configurations - 32GB and 64GB - both backed with 8GB of RAM. A maxed-out Fire 8 with 64GB of storage and no lock screen ads comes in at £139 (around $150 / AU$232), still setting it squarely in the budget tablet ballpark.
But, if you have a little more cash to splash, then the Fire HD 8 Plus may be what you’re after. This upgraded HD 8 tacks on wireless charging, an extra gigabyte of RAM, a better 5MP rear camera and a 9-watt fast charger. The Fire HD 8 Plus will set you back £119 / $120 / around AU$197 for the 32GB model with lock screen ads.
Pre-orders are open now on Amazon, with units expected to ship on the 19th of October. The standard Fire HD 8 will be available in three colours - Black, Denim (blue) and Rose (pink), while the HD 8 Plus will only come in Grey.
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Read our Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020) review
And here's our Amazon Fire 7 review
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