Fire HD 8 Tablet, 8 "HD Display, Wi-Fi, 16 GB - Includes Special Offers, Black (Previous Generation - 5th)
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- Our thinnest tablet yet and almost 2x more durable than the latest iPad Mini
- Stunning 8 "HD display with over a million pixels (189 ppi / 1280 x 800)
- Fast quad-core processor up to 1.5 GHz. Rear-facing 5 MP camera and front-facing HD camera.
- Coming soon: Alexa, a cloud-based voice service that provides quick access to the entertainment you want, including music, games, audiobooks, and more. Ask questions, shop, find news, weather, and more - just press the home button and ask.
- Amazon Underground, a one-of-a-kind app store experience where thousands of apps, games and even in-app items are 100% free - including extra lives, unlocked levels, unlimited add-on packs and more
- Enjoy millions of movies, TV shows, songs, Kindle e-books, apps and games -- including Netflix, Facebook, HBO, Pandora and more
- 8 GB or 16 GB of internal storage. Free unlimited cloud storage for all Amazon content and photos taken with Fire devices. Add a microSD card for up to 200 GB of additional storage.
- Prime members get unlimited access to over a thousand books and magazines, more than a million songs, and thousands of movies and TV episodes – at no additional cost.
- Up to 8 hours of reading, surfing the web, watching video, and listening to music
Technical Details
Display |
8” touchscreen, 1280x800 resolution at 189 ppi, HD video playback with fully laminated IPS LCD display |
Size |
8.4” x 5.0” x 0.3” (214 x 128 x 7.7mm) |
Weight |
11.0 ounces (311 grams) |
CPU & RAM |
MediaTek Quad-Core: 2 @ 1.5 GHz + 2 @ 1.2 GHz, with 1 GB of RAM |
Storage |
8 GB (4.5GB available to user) or 16 GB (11.6 GB available to user) of internal storage. Add a microSD card for up to 200 GB of additional storage for even more movies, TV shows, music, photos, personal videos, and apps. |
Battery Life |
Up to 8 hours of reading, surfing the web, watching video, and listening to music. Battery life will vary based on device settings, usage, and other factors such as web browsing and downloading content. Actual results may vary. |
Charge Time |
Fully charges in under 5 hours using the micro-USB power adapter included in the box, or slightly longer with other micro-USB power adapters that you may already have |
Wi-Fi Connectivity |
Single-antenna, dual-band Wi-Fi. Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n or 802.11ac standard with support for WEP, WPA, and WPA2 security using password authentication; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks |
4G Connectivity |
N/A |
Ports |
USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) to connect to a PC/Macintosh computer, or to charge your device with the included power adapter; microSD slot for external storage |
Audio |
3.5 mm stereo jack and integrated stereo speaker with Dolby Audio |
Content Formats Supported |
Kindle (AZW), KF8, TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible Enhanced format (AAX), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC, MP3, MIDI, PCM/WAVE, OGG, WAV, M4V, MP4, Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Digital Plus (E-AC-3), AAC LC/LTP, HE-AACv1, HE-AACv2, MKV, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, HTML5, CSS3, 3GP, VP8 (WEBM) |
Sensors |
Accelerometer, gyroscope |
Camera Specs |
720p front-facing HD camera. 5 MP rear-facing HD camera |
Location Services |
Location-based services via Wi-Fi |
Available Colors |
Black, Magenta, Blue, Tangerine |
Additional Features |
External volume controls, built-in Bluetooth with support for A2DP compatible stereo headphones, speakers, microphone, and LE accessories support |
Accessibility Features |
VoiceView and Screen Magnifier enable access to the vast majority of Fire tablet features. VoiceView features IVONA's award-winning natural language text-to-speech voice. Fire OS 5 also includes system wide closed caption settings, adjustable font sizes up to 50% larger, and a variety of book reading text adjustments such as adjustable colors and text spacing. Also includes adjustable font sizes/color, and built-in Oxford dictionaryLearn more about these features |
System Requirements |
Fire HD is ready to use right out of the box—no setup, no software to install, no computer required to download content |
Warranty and Service |
1-year Limited Warranty and serviceincluded. Optional1-year,2-year,and3-yearExtended Warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Fire HD 8 tablet is subject to theterms found here |
Included in the Box |
Fire HD 8 tablet, USB 2.0 cable, 5W power adapter, and Quick Start Guide |
Generation |
5th generation - 2015 release |
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the quality, readability, and size of the tablet. For example, they mention it does a good job of making Kindle books look good, the display is nice and clear, and the resolution is outstanding. Some appreciate the value. That said, opinions are mixed on performance, ease of use, and speed.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the quality of the tablet. They say it's nice, has a nice screen, and does a good job of making Kindle books look good. They also appreciate the crisp and beautiful image display. Customers also love the camera and the larger screen. They mention that the build of the device is okay, but it'll be easy to carry around.
"...a lot of the OS looks like stock android 5.1 but with a nice,Amazon-inspired skin.It's refreshing.In short, I love the new Fire HD 8.... "Read more
"...plastic shell, but unlike the lower budget tablets, it's much morehigh quality,with no seams discernible to the naked eye, no creaking when you... "Read more
"...but you get the larger screen, of course. TheBellini OS is an elegant upgrade,and I like the drop-down menu with a few key settings such as... "Read more
"...I got it in ORANGE, so I could find it easier. Thebright color is a nice touch.Oh, about the storage.... "Read more
Customers like the readability of the tablet. They mention that the display is nice and clear, with vibrant colors. They also say that the resolution is outstanding, and the picture quality is gorgeous. Readers also say the reading on it is pretty smooth, and it's much easier to read on than the older Kindle Keyboard.
"...- Screen. I don't get what people are expecting here. Super crisp,high resolutionfor $149? Are you kidding? Not going to happen.... "Read more
"...It may be a lower resolution, but thescreen quality itself is pretty darn good.... "Read more
"...Perhaps in the future the plug might not be included. Thedisplay is nice and clearand to me the colors are vibrant.... "Read more
"...Thescreen is amazing,I must say! Bright, crisp colors and ability to tint the ereader helps eye fatigue.... "Read more
Customers like the value of the tablet. For example, they say it's excellent for the price, a very good affordable tablet for entertainment, and solid performers for the money. Some mention that the tablet is exceedingly cheap for an 8-inch tablet.
"...Fire for Amazon content & their ecosystem, and this is adarn good device for the price.... "Read more
"...purpose FIRE HD, I'd call it a basic model in a small format,Extremely affordableand a good choice if you are not sure how much you or someone on... "Read more
"...of the wide selection of products; reviews of products; generally,good prices;ability to buy used products; excellent ontime deliveries; and... "Read more
"...Theprice is more reasonable(All Fires are better priced than almost any other similar device) because the internal memory isn't as big.... "Read more
Customers like the size of the tablet. Some say that the screen size is nice, not too bulky, and perfect for most uses. They also say that it's convenient to carry around and that the bezels are small on the sides and a little wider on the bottom and top. They say the screen is sharp enough for its size and that it is pretty tall.
"...The first thing I noticed is that it'spretty tall;compared to the Kindle Fire HDX I just sold to someone else, it's thinner, taller, and probably... "Read more
"...this primarily at home and once in a while on the road, itfits into a small bag neatly.... "Read more
"...ScreenThescreen is sharp enough for its size,and I have not had any issues with videos skipping or buffering while streaming.... "Read more
"...I feel that the8 inch is perfect for most usesand the weight is so much lighter, I think that it makes this Edition of the Fire 8 perfect in size... "Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the speed of the tablet. Some say it's much faster than their old one, the Bluetooth is also really fast, and games apps run smoothly without any issues. However, others find it very slow, and the performance isn't as snappy as other tablets out there. Some customers also mention that there is occasional lag when tapping a button.
"...TheFire HD 8 lagsbecause of the "meh" CPU, but then again, I'm not complaining too much about this, because 1)... "Read more
"...It is so sad when you launch a game and itruns so smoothly without any issuesand you hit the home button and the whole device turns slow and clunky... "Read more
"...Yes, there's a difference, and anoccasional stutter,but you're not using this thing to play high-end games; they're intended to allow you to play... "Read more
"...It is true that theperformance isn't as snappyas other tablets out there but for the price, it's not bad.... "Read more
Customers are mixed about the ease of use of the tablet. Some mention that it is beautiful and easy to use, with a nice user interface. They say it is good for beginners and kids on a budget. However, some customers say that making it do things is not as easy as the app, reading books is extremely frustrating, and there is no help for the help screen or the email people. They also mention that the screens, browsing, and even reading have some hesitation or delays.
"...- Fire OS 5: Farbetter user interfacethan previous versions. I disagree with the reviewers saying that amazon is pushing its content too hard.... "Read more
"...Theinterface seems much cleanerand more like an android tablet.Battery Life... "Read more
"...Docs are still here butno longer as a menu option.Instead, they are moved to an app.... "Read more
"...Overall, Amazon did a great job providing abasic,entry-level ereader+ for $149 ($165 + tax).... "Read more
Customers are mixed about the performance of the tablet. Some mention that it works well enough, while others say that it's too buggy to be used seriously.
"...updated op system the ability to store my audiobooks on theSDHC card works beautifully.... "Read more
"...finally did away with that horrible, terrible, ugly anduseless carousel on the home screen.... "Read more
"...This one hasworked flawlessly for the past 3 months.... "Read more
"...It's juststopped reading them.Card worked great in other devices and 2 separate computers, but in the HD 8 It was just a no go.... "Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the battery life of the tablet. They say it drains very quickly, and the device struggles to keep up with their taps.
"...One lasted eight months until itrefused to charge anymore,suddenly. its replacement took only two months to refuse a charge.... "Read more
"...However, thebattery still sucksbut at least Amazon includes a power adapter which you should keep close when using the HD 8.... "Read more
"...just have it sitting in my bag or on the sofa arm and thebattery life drops noticably.... "Read more
"...Overall, I'msatisfied with the battery life.The Negatives... "Read more
Reviews with images
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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You could call me something of an android fangirl in that I've owned TONS of different android devices, and I'm thrilled that Amazon has based Fire OS 5 on lollipop 5.1 (luckily, they based it on the version that doesn't suffer from the ridiculous memory leak lag). Unlike some other reviewers, I actually LOVE the new Fire OS 5 interface. I find it much more useful, even if the device lags a little due to the Mediatek processor. I love that a lot of the OS looks like stock android 5.1 but with a nice, Amazon-inspired skin. It's refreshing.
In short, I love the new Fire HD 8. There are a few caveats, though, and how you'll feel about it depends on if you have a last-gen Kindle Fire, an older Kindle Fire, or something else.
GOOD:
- Fire OS 5: Far better user interface than previous versions. I disagree with the reviewers saying that amazon is pushing its content too hard. Folks, the Kindle Fire line is locked to the amazon ecosystem, so the only content they're ever going to "push" is their own and it would be stupid to expect anything else. Recommendations are sometimes quite nice when you're looking for something new, and I don't find them intrusive. The old Fire OS that was on my previous Kindle offered the same stuff only in the "store" areas, which often seemed inseparable from your own content anyways. The same thing pretty much goes here. My kindle library isn't huge, but I've had no issues navigating it. Video works fine, and I haven't spent much time streaming music yet. I've had a single game crash once, but otherwise, every game I've tried works great. I love that they went with the standard android lollipop on-screen buttons at the bottom (sideways triangle, circle, and square). I also like that you actually have access to android's "recent apps" list (square button) and can swipe them away or switch apps just like a stock android device.
- Screen. I don't get what people are expecting here. Super crisp, high resolution for $149? Are you kidding? Not going to happen. I think this screen pleasantly surprised me with its 1280x800 res. I read the specs before I bought the tablet, so I knew coming in this was a budget-friendly device. The HDX screen this is NOT! But it's good enough for me.
- Speakers. Not bad for a budget tablet! Don't expect deep booming sound, though -- they sound a bit lacking on the bass, but that's honestly to be expected. Haven't tried headphones yet.
- Amazon Underground. The first version of Fire OS 5 that was installed on my tablet did not have underground as a separate section under games, and in fact it was hard to find the underground apps at all - and when I did, it wouldn't let me purchase them (kept getting an error). This was Fire OS 5.0.0. After my kindle updated to 5.0.1, the new Underground section appeared, and I had no more issues with Underground apps. I should note that my Kindle arrived a day early (the 29th, rather than the 30th).
- SD card slot. This needs no explanation. Store music, store movies, whatever. It's about TIME Amazon did this with their Kindle Fire devices!
NOT SO GOOD:
- Mediatek processor. Seriously Amazon? I'm kind of disappointed that you went this route instead of a lower-end Snapdragon like the 610 or something. The Fire HD 8 lags because of the "meh" CPU, but then again, I'm not complaining too much about this, because 1) I knew it going in, and 2) the price.
- 1GB RAM. Another head-scratcher decision. Not expecting this to impact overall performance, Amazon? Maybe you guys should have offered a more premium version of these tabs for a little higher price. I definitely would have paid a bit more for 2GB of ram. I'm almost surprised lollipop runs at all on 1GB given its memory management issues.
SUMMARY:
If you have a 2014 (and maybe some 2013 models) model Kindle Fire, skip this. Your device will be superior, hardware-wise, any day, even if you dislike the UI, as I did on my old Fire. Amazon would be smart to bring Fire OS 5 to at least the 2014 models, but I don't know if they will since many of the 2014 models were based on completely different hardware. If you have an older Fire device or another budget android tablet, you will likely enjoy the Fire HD 8. If you have a higher end android tab (think Samsung's better devices, nexus 9, etc), unless you want a simple way to access Amazon content, you'll probably not be happy with the performance of the Fire HD 8.
If you're an android fanboy just looking to complain about how Amazon doesn't include Google Play in its devices, please do catch yourself up on Amazon devices. They have NEVER supported Google services and probably never will. You buy a Kindle Fire for Amazon content & their ecosystem, and this is a darn good device for the price. I just wish it had slightly better specs, but overall, I'm quite pleased with the device.
The first thing I noticed is that it's pretty tall; compared to the Kindle Fire HDX I just sold to someone else, it's thinner, taller, and probably about the same weight. Obviously it's built in a plastic shell, but unlike the lower budget tablets, it's much more high quality, with no seams discernible to the naked eye, no creaking when you hold it, etc. (I CAN say that if you have sweaty palms or a tendency towards clumsiness, you'll want to get a case for this ASAP.) The volume, power and charging ports/buttons are all along the top side; some may not like this, but frankly, it's hard enough to hold this thing one-handed without having to dodge positioning of any buttons on the side, so I rather like where they're at now.
Turning on the HD, you're greeted by the registration, setup and then the Fire OS upgrade download. The whole process (including upgrade) maybe took 30 minutes. Some might not like it, but hey, at least it's not like a PS4 or Xbox One zero-day GIGABYTES-large download.
On to the most important parts, if you ask me - the display and speed.
Display: In my opinion, given the purpose of these devices (largely positioned as media consumption devices), it looks great. Yes, I can tell the difference between my Kindle Fire HDX screen and this screen, but given the outcry of the decreased resolution, you'd think this was a Maylong M-250 tablet (look it up if you wonder what I mean by that). A year ago or so I bought my Kindle Fire HDX for $179 and felt like I was sacrificing a ton because, despite the screen resolution and speed, there was no expandable memory, and the sound was only OK. Now the memory's expandable and the sound is much better...and people complain about the decreased speed/resolution of the tablet. In other words - yes, you sacrifice some going from a Kindle Fire HDX screen to the Fire HD 8, but we're not talking a Benz-to-Yugo transition here. It may be a lower resolution, but the screen quality itself is pretty darn good. I didn't find myself weeping and gnashing my teeth when watching a movie. Unless you're a videophile, you're not going to be upset.
Speed: To me, this is a bigger deal than the display. Yes, you can tell the difference between the HDX processor and the Mediatek processor included with the Fire HD 8. Is it a deal-breaker? Again, it depends on your expectations. Part of the problem is what I call an 'instant gratification expectation.' I actually pulled out my stopwatch and timed some of the tasks I knew I would do.
Email - took about 4 seconds to open the first time, but once set up and cached in memory, it took maybe a second.
Amazon Music - this took the longest, at maybe 6 or 7 seconds. Again, once set up and cached in memory, it took maybe 2 seconds.
App Store - took about 3 seconds.
The same tasks on my HDX, took about 3 seconds, 5 seconds, and 2 seconds, upon first setup, and then got faster. Yes, there's a difference, and an occasional stutter, but you're not using this thing to play high-end games; they're intended to allow you to play tablet games, read books, play music and the like, and for THAT purpose, they're excellent.
In any event, it's not like there are no advantages to this tablet, either. There indeed are.
- expandable memory (*FINALLY*
- larger screen size
- Fire OS 5 (essentially a skinned version of Android Lollipop)
- MUCH better sound than the Fire HDX had
So, in the end, yes, there were and are sacrifices to make, but such is the case with most tablets nowadays. In general, given its purpose, you'll probably not find a better tablet for $150. Just keep in mind what you'll be doing with it.