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Amazon unveils four new Fire HD 8 tablets – here’s everything you need to know and how to pre-order in the UK
The new devices have been revealed ahead of the company’s hardware event next week
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Amazon has just announced the launch of four new Fire HD 8 tablets ahead of its annual devices event on 28 September. The suite of mid-range pads will replace the medium-sized models released in 2020.
As with the 2020 Fire HD 8 series, the company has unveiled a base Fire HD 8 tablet, a plus model, a Fire HD 8 kids edition and a pro kids edition. The 2022 tablets have seen an iterative spec upgrade, as well as a £10 price increase.
That’s not too surprising, considering the 2020 tablets also received a £10 price hike over the 2018 series. But they’re still exceedingly affordable when compared with Apple’s pricier iPads.
The new Fire HD 8 tablet is said to be thinner, lighter and more durable, and it’s said to last slightly longer too, but there aren’t any big, wholesale upgrades over its predecessor, with Amazon seemingly keen on keeping the Fire HD 8 an entertainment-focused budget device.
All four tablets will launch on 19 October, with pre-orders available now. Below, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about the tablets and where you can buy them.
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Amazon Fire HD 8, 2022: From £99.99, Amazon.co.uk – pre-order now, available 19 October
The Amazon Fire HD 8 is an 8in HD tablet with a design that Amazon claims is “twice as durable as the iPad mini in tumble tests”. It features a 2MP front-facing camera and a 2MP camera on the rear, which is a high enough resolution for video calls, but won’t be winning any camera awards. There are a host of new accessibility features as well, which is always welcome.
The cheapest version of the device costs £99.99, and comes with ads and 32GB internal storage. The 64GB device with ads costs £129.99. If you want the device without ads, it’ll be an extra £10 on top of those prices. Of course, you can always expand your storage with a microSD up to 1TB.
While you’ll still only get 2GB of RAM, Amazon says the hexa-core processor is 30 per cent faster overall. The company says the device should last 13 hours when watching video content, slightly longer than the 12 hours on the 2020 model. Less power-hungry work will see the device lasting longer.
It does charge slowly, however, with Amazon saying it charges to full in five hours, with the included 5W power adapter. For faster charging speeds, better specs and more, you’ll have to turn to the Fire HD 8 plus model.
Amazon Fire HD 8 plus, 2022: From £119.99, Amazon.co.uk – pre-order now, available 19 October
If you want something a bit more powerful, the Fire HD 8 beefs things up a little and it only costs £20 more, so it’s still relatively cheap. You get 3GB of RAM, instead of 2GB. It’s wireless-charger compatible, so you don’t have to plug it in, but it also comes with a 9W USB-C charger, giving you an extra three hours of battery life.
If you have a compatible dock, you’ll also be able to turn it into a hands-free Alexa device, like an Amazon Echo show. Lastly, there’s a 5MP rear-facing camera as opposed to the 2MP one on the base Fire HD 8. Other than that, you’ll still get all the same features as you would on the cheaper model.
Again, it comes in either 32GB or 64GB models, with or without ads. Prices start from £119.99 for the 32GB model with ads, but you can always expand the internal storage with a microSD card.
Amazon Fire HD 8 kids: £149.99, Amazon.co.uk – pre-order now, available 19 October
The kids tablets have also had a refresh this year. The new 2022 Fire HD 8 kids edition is built for children aged three to seven, and it comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which provides curated fun and educational advert-free books, games, videos and apps from Disney, Nickelodeon, Peppa Pig and more.
Unlike the standard Fire HD 8 tablet, the kids tablets come with a parent dashboard, enabling you to filter content based on your child’s age; set educational goals and time limits; or grant access to additional content from Netflix, Disney+ and Zoom.
It comes with a two-year warranty, so if the device breaks within that time, Amazon will replace it for free. It does come bundled with a kid-friendly case with a built-in stand, so hopefully you won’t have to use the warranty.
Amazon Fire HD 8 kids pro: £149.99, Amazon.co.uk – pre-order now, available 19 October
The kids pro device is much the same as the base kids device, except this one’s designed for school children aged six to 12. Like the device for younger kids, the pro device also comes bundled with a kid-friendly case, two-year warranty and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.
Children will be able to access age-appropriate apps, games, books, videos, songs and Audible books, including content from National Geographic, KeyStageFun, Collins Big Cat, Lego, Marvel and Star Wars.
Children using the pro device also have access to a digital store, where they can request parents to purchase apps and eBooks or download games, including Roblox and Minecraft. They can also make video calls to approved contacts.
This version costs the same as the Fire kids 8 tablet and comes with 32GB storage and 2GB RAM.
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