Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018)
76
Check price on AmazonScore breakdown
90+ 1
80-90 5
70-80 2
60-70 2
0-60 0
10 Reviews
Stuff
100
The Fire HD 8 certainly isn’t perfect. There are far more advanced tablets out there, with sharper screens, fancier design flourishes and more capable cameras. But they also cost a lot more. For £80, you get a stonkingly capable tablet that does everything most people need it to, and then some.
- Bargainous price
- Dock is a very useful accessory
- Expandable storage
- OS is heavily skewed in favour of Amazon
- Iffy cameras
- Silk browser isn’t the smoothest
CNET
81
The latest HD 8 isn’t much of an upgrade over last year’s model, but the “always-ready” hands-free Alexa feature is a nice addition to what remains the best tablet value.
At $80 it remains an excellent tablet value. No, it’s not as good as the entry-level iPad – the screen is smaller and not as sharp, and its app library isn’t as extensive. But for a quarter of the price, it’s just zippy enough to make you feel that the experience of using the device is a reasonably good one, particularly when it comes to streaming video, reading e-books and surfing the web.
- Better front-facing camera
- Alexa voice commands even with your screen on standby
- Bright 8-inch screen
- Loud speakers
- Expandable microSD storage
- Ample parental controls
- Free video, music and other content for Amazon Prime members
- Display isn’t as sharp as the iPad’s
- Amazon Prime membership needed for full experience
- Slow charging (takes 6 hours to fully cap battery)
The Guardian
80
The Amazon Fire HD 8 is about the only tablet worth buying for £80. It gets the basics right with more frills than you might expect, as long as you’re happy to be embedded within Amazon’s ecosystem.
Most of the apps you need are in the Amazon app store. The tablet works great for video, comics, books and other media consumption. You can use it as a general-purpose tablet too, but most will simply just watch video on it.
It can be a little sluggish at times, but you’re still getting a lot of tablet for your money with the Fire HD 8.
- Costs just £80
- HD screen
- microSD card slot
- Good battery life
- Durable
- Good speakers
- Alexa
- Show Mode
- Poor cameras
- Very slow charging
- Chunky
- No USB-C
- Bit sluggish at times
PCMag
80
The 2018 edition of the Amazon Fire HD 8 remains the best media tablet you can get for under $100.
The 2018 Amazon Fire HD 8 is only a tiny upgrade to last year’s model. But that just shows how no other companies are really competing with Amazon in producing a decent, sub-$100 media tablet these days.
- Simple user interface
- Durable body
- Works as an Echo Show
- Amazon’s app store falls short of Google Play
- UI is very oriented toward showing Amazon content
Laptop Mag
80
The Amazon Fire HD 8 is an affordable 8-inch media tablet with good Alexa integration and improved camera quality.
The affordable Fire 8 provides decent picture quality and battery life for its price, especially when competitors cost more, with the price increases ranging from $50 (Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 4) to $250 (Apple’s iPad). Still, though, we’re sad to see the Fire HD 8 drop nearly 2 hours in battery life from last year’s model, even if the new slate’s selfie cam is better and Alexa is easier to activate.
- Affordable price
- Decent display
- Improved camera quality
- Alexa improved
- Available in a range of colors
- Battery life a bit below average
- Lack of Google Play apps
Pocket-lint
80
It’s not the best performing tablet on the market and the display doesn’t have the quality that you’ll get from any of Apple’s iPads. It’s not as ambitious in trying to do everything for you either. Instead, the Fire HD 8 positions itself well for entertainment, especially for those who are Prime members, where the value for money cannot be disputed.
Whether you’re a globetrotter, looking for a travel tablet, or just something to entertain your kids, the Fire HD 8 is well worth considering. At this price point there’s very little else that comes close.
- Great price point
- Solid build
- Alexa
- Parental control options
- Respectable Battery life
- Reflective display
- Slow to charge
- Not the snazziest of tablet specs
- Poor camera
TechRadar
70
The Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018) bets big on its Alexa skills and low price, and mostly succeeds in making a positive first impression. But with laggy performance, poor software and a mediocre screen, it isn’t an easy recommendation even when this cheap.
- Very cheap
- Sturdy build
- Decent speakers
- Weak screen
- Average battery life
- Amazon ecosystem is poor
Mashable
70
At $80, the Fire HD 8 can be a cheap Echo Show replacement, or a basic Android tablet that works well for consuming media.
At the end of the day, you can’t complain much about an $80 tablet. You have a good idea of what you’re getting going in and the Fire HD 8 is a simple device. For media consumption, light tasks or casual gaming, and even using it as a kind of portable Echo Show, you’ll be fine.
If you’re in the Amazon ecosystem with a Prime membership, you’ll get access to plenty of TV shows and movies from the get-go.
- Very affordable at $79.99 with special offers
- Display is good enough for consumption with great color accuracy
- Sound is surprisingly balanced
- Front facing camera is good for video calls
- Hands-free Alexa
- Processor is average but slow for heavy tasks and games
- No access to the Google Play Store for apps
- YouTube is not supported
Digital Trends
60
The Amazon Fire HD 8 is the best budget tablet, but you should spend more to avoid frustration.
At $80, the Fire HD 8 is the best budget tablet on the market, but there are a lot of compromises. It’s slow, which can be frustrating, and that often makes us want to pull out our smartphone instead.
- Affordable
- Improved Alexa integration
- Good battery life
- Portable 8-inch size
- Lackluster display
- Sluggish performance
- Limited app support
Wired
60
The 8th generation of Fire tablets, for those keeping count—is still dirt cheap and completely functional, just a little less fun to use. Unless you’re using Alexa.
The new Fire HD 8 is pretty much the same, inside and out, as last year’s model, and the 2016 model before that.
The Fire HD 8 remains one of the best deals in tech. Just know, before you press that 1-Click button, its budget price comes with some sacrifices.
- Starts at $80 and works!
- Durable plastic design
- Great way to access Amazon content
- Hands-free Alexa
- MicroSD card can be used to store movies, TV shows, and more
- Same processor and internals as last two Fire HD 8 tablets
- Slower and laggier, with average, but worse battery life than previous edition
- Plastic build feels cheap
- Special Offer ads are more annoying