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Amazon Fire HD 8
Amazon Fire HD 8
Amazon Fire HD 8
Amazon Fire HD 8
...


7.3/10
Informr score
The Amazon Fire HD 8 currently has an Informr score of 7.3 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 12 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Good audio quality
  • Thin and lightweight
  • Good battery life
  • Decent color accuracy and viewing angles

What's bad

  • Sluggish performance
  • Low resolution display
  • Poor camera quality
  • Cheap build quality

Amazon's Fire series has lagged behind Android and Apple. In an attempt to rake in a larger market share, they have lowered the prices on their tablets to budget prices. Besides being cheap, the Fire HD 8 is also the first 8-inch tablet from Amazon. At just 0.3 inches thick and only 311 grams it was very comfortable and easy for critics to use for an extended amount of time. Amazon has also stepped away from its black-backed design for a more colorful approach as users can now choose from magenta, blue or tangerine. While reviewers appreciated the pop of color, they were disappointed with how cheap it felt and the amount of fingerprints and dust the back attracted.

The 8-inch LCD display offers a low resolution of only 1280 x 800 for a pixel density of 189ppi. Unsurprisingly, experts noticed pixellation around text and especially when viewing movies. Despite being marketed as a multimedia device, they noticed colors tended to be fairly dull and lacked the visual punch found even on other budget tablets. With that said, they add it does have excellent viewing angles, decent color accuracy and good contrast.

The quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM mean the Fire HD 8 doesn't have the fastest performance. Even at the best of times, reviewers noticed slowdowns even during basic navigation. When connected to Wi-Fi they noticed a further drop in performance. Launching and switching between apps often took several seconds and the camera also took some time to actually snap and display the captured image. Still, they were pleasantly surprised that it was able to handle most games at a good frame rate so long as there were no other apps running the background. They were also impressed with the battery life as it lasted a solid 5 hours of consistent video streaming, which translated to almost two days of moderate use. The only downside to the battery that reviewers found was its recharge time as it took several hours to go from empty to full.

The Fire HD 8 has two cameras: a 5MP rear camera and a 720p front camera. Experts weren't expecting too much so weren't let down when the images were low on detail and grainy even in good lighting situations. They were frustrated with how long it took to actually take a picture, especially in HDR mode as it took 3-4 seconds. The front camera was likewise unimpressive though they found it adequate for video calls.

The biggest highlight of the Fire HD 8 is its sound quality. While reviewers don't qualify it as amazing, most were impressed with its loudness and overall accuracy. Stuff.TV says, "It's good enough to make casual music listening using them more-than bearable." Others agree and add that it sounds better than even some flagship smartphones.

Overall, experts have a hard time recommending the Fire HD 8. Laptopmag states, "The Fire HD 8 misses the mark, due to a low-resolution display, sluggish performance and a cheap overall design." Techradar adds, "Unless this is your first tablet…I'd look elsewhere…For all its shortcomings, however, Amazon has made a likeable tablet…"


Fire OS
Operating system
Operating system
Fire OS
1.3 GHz
Processor
Processor
1.3 GHz
8"
Screen Size
Screen Size
8"
5+ MP
Camera
Camera
5+ MP
Unknown
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


The Wirecutter
The Wirecutter

Most people use tablets for streaming video, browsing the web, and reading. The Amazon Fire HD 8 excels at all three. It uses Amazon’s services, not Google’s, which means no Google Play Store or Google apps by default (though you can add them, with effort, if you’re technicall...

- Ryan Whitwam, The Wirecutter
TabletPCReview
TabletPCReview

Despite its sub-$100 price, the Amazon Fire HD 8 is a decent option for people looking for a budget tablet for light personal use. The screen is large enough for ebooks and video, and this model makes a good choice for Amazon Prime subscribers, especially given its immense battery life.

- Ed Hardy, TabletPCReview
Recombu
Recombu

If you’re after a simple and affordable family tablet boasting fast access to all of your Amazon Prime content, then the All-New Fire HD 8 tablet is a worthy purchase. The hardware is basic but backed up by lots of great software features, and the sub-£100 price point makes it easy on th...

- Chris Barraclough, Recombu
Alphr
Alphr

The Fire HD 8 isn’t the slickest tablet around. Its camera is a bit naff, it isn’t particularly quick and it feels a touch on the cheap side, but for £90 the rest of it isn’t half bad. For media streaming and web browsing, it’s great, the battery life is exceptional, an...

- Jonathan Bray, Alphr
Laptop Mag
Laptop Mag

Amazon took last year's Fire HD 8, fixed its performance issues and added three more hours of battery life. Not only is it arguably the best mid-size Amazon tablet, but the company's decisions to cut the price and double its storage make it an even more alluring purchase.

- Henry T. Casey, Laptop Mag


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Quick view

Screen Size
8"

The Amazon Fire HD 8's screen size is 8 inches with x pixels resolution.

Processor
1.3 GHz

There is a MediaTek Quad core 1.3 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The tablet runs on proprietary operating system firmware.

Camera
5+ MP
You can take photos or capture video with the tablet's onboard 5+ MP camera. There is also a secondary front facing camera useful for video chat and self portraits.
Storage
8/16 GB

Internal memory is 8/16 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 128 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
Unknown

The tablet is powered by a battery.

Fire HD 8 Specs

Overview
Release Date September 30, 2015
Regions Available USA, United Kingdom
Operating System No

Compare Fire OS Smartphones

Processor MediaTek Quad core 1.3 GHz
Internal Storage 8/16 GB
RAM 1 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible No
TTY/TDD No
SAR Unknown
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included Data Cable, Manual, USB Power Adapter
Cellular
Networks
Mobile / Cellular Data
No (Option available)
Wi-Fi Calling No
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) No
SIM card size
No
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Micro-USB 2.0
USB OTG Support No
Infrared No
Bluetooth Yes
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 128 GB)
NFC No
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
5+ Megapixels
Zoom
Yes
Flash
No
Additional Main Camera Info
Geotagging, White balance, Exposure compensation
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4
Video Recording Parameters
Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels)
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
Additional Front Camera Info
No
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology LCD (IPS)
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution x pixels
Pixel density 189 pixels
Size 8 inches
Sensors Motion / Accelerometer, Gyroscope
Backlit Illumination Yes
Zoom / Magnification Yes
Screen Orientation Lock Yes
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen
Power & Battery
Battery Capacity No
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging No
Battery Charge Time 5 hours
Video Playback Time Unknown
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Unknown
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Standby Time Unknown
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Material Plastic
Colors Black, Magenta, Blue, Tangerine
Dimensions [H x W x D] 21.3 x 12.7 x 0.8 cm (8.4 x 5 x 0.3 in)
Weight 311 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Unknown
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Touchscreen Yes
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key No
Physical keyboard No
Text-to-Speech Yes
Screen Reader No
Keypad/Screen Lock Yes
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor No
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Additional Information Other Names (AKA):
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