What you need to know
- Amazon launches the new Fire HD 8 tablet series for 2022.
- The Fire HD 8 Plus features 3GB of RAM, a 5MP rear camera, faster USB-C charging, and wireless charging with a dock.
- The Fire HD 8 Kids Pro includes a year of Amazon Kids+, while the HD 8 Kids is available in a Disney Design bundle.
- The new tablets are priced between $99 and $160, with preorders starting now.
Amazon hasn't updated its Fire HD 8 tablets in some time, but right on the heels of the new Kindle launch, the company is introducing its latest Fire HD models. While they may not look very different on the outside, Amazon brings a few nice changes to the Fire HD 8 series that may be worth looking at.
According to Amazon, the Fire HD 8 and its Plus counterpart are both 30% faster than their predecessors, bringing up to 13 hours of battery life, an hour more than their predecessors. Amazon also uses 100% recyclable materials to package the devices, at least in the U.S.
Like the Fire HD 8 Plus (2020), Amazon outfitted the Plus with more RAM (although it's still just 3GB), faster charging (although at just 9W), and wireless charging. However, if the new tablet is anything like its predecessor, these features may not feel very significant for users seeking entertainment or productivity, which is what Amazon is targeting its new tablets for.
One place the Fire HD 8 Plus does improve is the camera, which is now an upgraded 5MP snapper. It won't win any blind camera tests, but no one is really using their tablets to take photos (and if you are, shame on you). Amazon also boasts that its latest Fire HD 8 tablets are thinner, lighter, and more durable thanks to the strengthened aluminosilicate glass on the display.
For children, Amazon has the new Fire HD 8 Kids and Kids Pro, the company's follow-up to some of the best kids tablets around. Both devices have colorful bumper cases, with the standard Fire HD 8 Kids receiving a new Disney Design bundle for cases featuring Mickey Mouse of Disney princesses.
Both tablets offer a year of free Amazon Kids+ for access to thousands of ad-free, kid-friendly content. There are also parental controls and a two-year worry-free guarantee on both devices, which should give parents some added peace of mind.
Amazon's Fire tablets also come with Tap to Alexa, an accessibility feature that lets users with speech disabilities interact with Alexa through touch.
The kids' tablets start at $150, while the non-kids tablets start at just $99. All variants come in 32GB or 64GB storage sizes, with multiple colorways for the Fire HD 8/Plus and different cases for the Fire HD 8 Kids/Pro. Additional accessory cases are also available for the HD 8/Plus for an additional $30. The tablets ship in October.
The new Fire HD 8 Plus is Amazon's latest tablet featuring a 30% faster chipset, wireless charging, and an improved camera for quick shots. It also has up to 64GB of internal storage for movies, ebooks, and more.
