Best Amazon Fire tablet 2024

Amazon Fire tablets are the best and inexpensive devices for anyone looking to do media consumption, note taking, and any sort of basic productivity tasks. These tablets are also almost perpetually on sale, so you're paying way less than the actual retail price. Today, there are no fewer than 10 Fire Tablet devices on offer from Amazon, if you count the Kids Editions.

We should be getting additional discounts on Fire tablets as we head towards the Black Friday sale. You can expect good deals and discounts on many of the popular models. Out of them, the new Fire HD 8 (2024) refresh is the best overall value thanks to its size, improved RAM and rear camera, charging, storage capabilities, and its ability to hit an affordable price point.

If this doesn't do it for you, we have plenty of other great Fire tablets to choose from.

Andrew Myrick

Andrew Myrick is a senior editor at Android Central. In between figuring out ways to put retro emulators on everything, Andrew thoroughly enjoys exploring what's possible with Android tablets. He's constantly looking for new and different ways to use tablets, such as replacing his laptop or turning tablets into smart home dashboards.

At a glance

Best overall

The new Amazon Fire HD 8 (2024) is physically identical to the older Fire HD 8, but with better internals. It now comes with 3GB or 4GB of RAM depending on the storage, a 5MP rear camera, and newer colors. It still has the same lightweight design and compact dimensions that made the previous model so great.

It's the lowest-priced Fire device you can get with a 1280x800 resolution display. The base model comes with 32GB of storage, but you can quickly and cheaply add to that with a microSD card and expand up to 1TB. With up to 13 hours of battery life, you'll have plenty of juice to watch several movies or play games on the go. The device features Dolby Atmos in its dual stereo speakers and comes with a headphone jack to enjoy your music or videos. Unfortunately, you won't get access to Google apps, but the Amazon app store has better offerings than it used to.

What sets this new model apart is the GenAI features that come built-in. Writing Assist helps you draft a complex email with the right tone that you require, while Webpage Summaries does exactly what it sounds like. There's also a Wallpaper Creator which lets you generate a new image based on text prompts that you input. It's worth noting that these AI features will be rolled out to older Fire tablets too that are compatible.

Best for work and play

In a world where Android tablets are largely considered inferior to the iPad, Amazon decided to shake things up a bit with the release of the Fire Max 11. As the name implies, this Fire Tablet sports an 11-inch display with a 2000x1200 resolution, making for the best and biggest display ever found in an Amazon tablet.

Powering the device is the MediaTek MTK8188J octa-core processor paired with 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of expandable storage. On the front and back, you'll find 8MP cameras, which will be just fine for participating in video calls or snapping quick pictures.

Where the Amazon Fire Max 11 really stands out is in the plethora of productivity-focused accessories. Alongside this new tablet, Amazon also released a detachable keyboard case and a USI 2.0 stylus pen. The former lets you prop up the Fire Max 11 anywhere, while the latter lets you jot down some notes and even works with many of the best Chromebooks.

Unfortunately for some, at least, you're still stuck without the Play Store or Google Play Services, instead needing to rely on the Amazon App Store. On the bright side, it's pretty easy to sideload the Play Store onto the Amazon Fire Max 11, so that can be remedied fairly quickly.

Something that can't be remedied is the display, which only comes in with a 60Hz refresh rate. We would have liked to see at least a 90Hz panel if not 120Hz, but that just gives Amazon some room for improvement if it ends up releasing a successor.

Best tablet for sharing

If you want the most immersive video and gaming experience on a Fire Tablet, you want a Fire HD 10. We know it's the most expensive Fire, but it's still darn affordable. Try finding another Android tablet or iPad of this size at anywhere close to this price.

The Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) is the largest Amazon tablet with a full HD 1080p display, coming in at 1920x1200 resolution. It offers up to 13 hours of battery life, including video watching, web browsing, and music listening — which we discovered through our hands-on testing. The Fire HD 10 also comes with Dolby Atmos, dual stereo speakers, and a headphone jack. You get a 5MP front and rear camera with 1080p video recording.

As its size would suggest, the Fire HD 10 comes with more storage (up to 64GB) that is expandable up to 512GB, and it has the best processor in the Fire Tablet line. You can use that storage and processing speed to watch hours of Prime Video, Netflix, or Showtime, and playing mobile games on that full HD screen is a delight.

While the 2021 edition of the Amazon Fire HD 10 was a bit heavy for some at just over a pound (16.4oz), the latest version is a bit lighter at 15.29 ounces. It's a fantastic device for reading books, newspapers, magazines, or even websites — particularly if you need or want to enable a larger font because there's just so much more screen space to view your content.

Best value tablet

Every excellent product line has its entry point, and for the Fire tablets, that's the Fire 7, which we loved when we reviewed it. This version is the perfect portable companion for anyone who wants a low-cost tablet to watch their favorite shows on, play games, read their favorite new Kindle book, or maybe occasionally surf the web or check Facebook. As with the other Fire tablets, this device comes with 2-megapixel front and rear cameras and a 720p HD video camera, so you can still snap some decent shots and video chat to your heart's content.

This would be a great option if you're looking to get an affordable family tablet to share with your kids. With the savings you'll get on this device, you can easily afford to pick up a protective case (maybe one that isn't neon pink or yellow). You can also add Amazon Kids+ to this or any other Fire tablet whenever you want.

You can still access all of your favorite content from Amazon and other services through this device, and even though it's not HD resolution, the screen looks good enough for most use cases. The battery life is decent, and you can add to its internal storage with a microSD card. The Amazon Fire 7 is already cheap, but you can often find it on special for even less, making this practically an impulse buy.

Best large tablet for kids

Some may object to this pick based on the price alone. You see, the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro (2023) is significantly more expensive than the Fire HD 10 Tablet, even though they are essentially the same device. So why is this so? It's about all of the extras, which adds up to a good value, as we found through our hands-on testing.

Amazon's Kids Edition Fire tablets all come with a kid-proof case with a built-in stand to protect the devices from inevitable accidents. In the case (pun intended) of the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro, you can get them with a Happy Days, Nebula, or Mint finish. In addition to the case, Amazon throws in a two-year worry-free guarantee, so you can send the device back at any time if it gets damaged, and Amazon will send you a new one.

Just as important as physical device security is digital peace of mind. The Fire HD 10 Kids Pro comes with parental controls that allow you to decide what your child can and cannot do on-device. For example, it's easy to set screen time limits, curfews, or limit content. Alexa and in-app purchasing are disabled by default. The device also comes with one year of Amazon Kids+, which gives you access to 20,000 apps, books, videos, games, audiobooks, as well as educational content from PBS Kids, Nickelodeon, Disney, and more.

Back to the specs, this tablet features 32GB of storage, with the option to expand up to 1TB via the microSD card slot. Of course, you also get unlimited cloud storage for any content purchased through Amazon. The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro (2023) can get up to 13 hours of battery life depending on usage, and it features dual stereo speakers and, blissfully, a headphone jack. There are also 2MP front and 5MP rear-facing cameras and a 720p video camera for those times when you want to have the kids chat with the grandparents. It's really one of the best Amazon Fire tablets for kids.

Best small tablet for kids

While the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is our pick for best Fire Tablet for kids, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro (2024) is a close runner-up. It’s definitely a better option if you’re worried about portability. As you would expect, the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro still includes Amazon’s Kid-Friendly Case, along with a six-month or one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ and more. Amazon also includes a “two-year worry-free guarantee,” so if disaster strikes, the company will replace the tablet for free. The new refresh gets all the new features of the Fire HD 8 (2024) like more RAM, a 5MP rear camera, and a 64GB storage option.

Battery life is also improved over the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro, as the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro lasts for up to 13 hours on a single charge. With access to all the different content offered by Amazon Kids+, you’ll enjoy the 32GB of base storage and the included microSD card slot. Plus, this tablet offers the ability to use up to a 1TB microSD card, giving you more than enough space for all the movies and TV shows you can think of.

Under the hood, you get a hexa-core 2.0GHz CPU paired with 3GB or 4GB of RAM for solid performance overall. Its smaller display has a 1280x800 resolution allowing the tablet to easily make it to the end of the day on a single charge. And despite the upgraded USB-C port, you’ll still be waiting for a few hours before it will be juiced back up to 100%.

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How to choose

The lineup of Amazon Fire tablets has never been so complete, and we can understand why these are among the best Android tablets on the market. They offer a great entertainment experience with industry-leading parental controls and child content options, as well as access to Alexa and Amazon's connected home ecosystem, at a fantastic value. Aside from maybe the best iPad, no other tablet series can compete.

When looking at the Fire tablets, we feel that the Fire HD 8 (2024) is the best choice for most people. It has an impressive HD screen, expandable storage, and hands-free Alexa. For the price, you can feel comfortable picking up two or three of these for less than the cost of an iPad, and you can easily share them with your family members if you choose.

How to decide which Fire tablet to get

If you've already decided to grab an Amazon Fire tablet over one of the best cheap Android tablets, then you've already conquered half the battle. The other half comes down to figuring out what it is that you plan to use the tablet for.

Where we come in, is that every one of the tablets that you see listed here has been through a series of tests during our reviews. It's a similar process to the one that we use for testing the best Android phones and is even more similar to the way that we test Chromebooks.

Different considerations are made, such as things like design and durability, battery life, what features are available, and more. And despite the fact that you won't find the Play Store out of the box, we still put these tablets through their paces to determine which one is truly deserving of being the best.

Those who are looking at a Kindle-type replacement would be better suited with the Fire 7 or the Fire HD 8 thanks to their lightweight designs and portability. There's enough storage onboard for most of your books, but both of these tablets also feature expandable storage, allowing you to throw in one of the best microSD cards for even more. The latest Fire HD 8 also gets most of the features from the Plus model like hands-free Alexa, so you can check your smart doorbell without reaching for your phone.

Then there's the Fire HD 10 (2023), which is one of the largest tablets in Amazon's lineup. It's an upgraded version of the original from 2021 with more power and a lighter design. As for the best Fire tablet for kids, you get pretty much all of the same benefits as the non-kids counterparts, just with a few extras. These include things like a bundled case and up to a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+. But just as a reminder, these sport a different interface compared to the "regular" versions.

What is an Amazon Fire Tablet?

When you're comparing the best Fire tablets to the best Android tablets, you might be wondering what the real difference is between the two. While all of the tablets on this list are technically running a version of Android, it's not the same flavor or experience that you'll find on something like the Google Pixel Tablet or the beefier Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.

That's because Amazon Fire Tablets use a modified version, or fork, of Android known as Fire OS. Instead of being able to sign in with your Google account and have access to the Play Store, Fire Tablets require you to sign in with your Amazon account. And when it comes to app downloads, you have to use Amazon's Appstore, not the Google Play Store. There are quite a few apps that are available on both platforms, but if you've paid for something like Minecraft on the Play Store, that purchase won't transfer over to the Amazon Appstore because it's a separate entity entirely.

As for the interface, there's nowhere near as much customization as you might expect. This is because Amazon is trying to give you quick and easy access to all of its different services and outlets. It's why you'll see a list of Kindle books or Audible audiobooks you've purchased, or you'll see an ad for the latest show to arrive on Prime Video.

There are ways to still access the Play Store on Fire Tablets, making it possible to get rid of Amazon's convoluted interface with the help of a third-party Android launcher. But for most people, Amazon's Fire interface is just going to be what the doctor ordered. If you're entrenched in the Amazon ecosystem, all of your digital purchases are right at your fingertips.