Amazon’s line of Fire tablets remains a popular choice for those looking for an affordable entertainment device. In the home, the Fire HD 8 is a great middle ground, light and compact enough for travel, but big enough for a decent experience when watching on the go.
With an updated model coming in 2022, replacing the 2020 variant, how much has changed and which one should you choose? Let’s take a look below!
Price and Availability
Fire HD 8 (2022): From $99.99/£99/€114.99
Fire HD 8 (2020): From $89.99/£89/€89.99
Both versions of the Fire HD 8 tablet are available from Amazon, and preorders are open for the 2022 device, which hits store shelves on October 19.
Design and Build
Fire HD 8 (2022): 201.90 x 137.34 x 9.60 mm, 337 g
Fire HD 8 (2020): 202 x 137 x 9.7 mm, 355 g
There’s not much difference between the 2022 Fire HD 8 and its updated 2020 model. The two tablets look essentially the same, but the newer version is slightly slimmer—just a fraction of a millimeter—but nearly 20 grams lighter.
The overall design is the same, with a plastic rear and equal bezels on the outside of the display to allow a little room to grip the device. Color options for the new model are black, denim, and rose, while older models come in black, fuchsia, blue, or white.
There’s also a Fire HD 8 Plus model, which is slightly heavier and grayed out, with a few extras we’ll explain below.
All models offer stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, making it a great entertainment device. Those keen on details will notice that the volume rocker and power button have swapped places between these models. The 2022 model also uses 35 percent post-consumer recycled plastic.
Exhibit
Fire HD 8 (2022): 8 inches, 1280 x 800 pixels, 189ppi
Fire HD 8 (2020): 8 inches, 1280 x 800 pixels, 189ppi
There’s no difference between displays: same size, same resolution, same overall experience.
It’s not the sharpest display in the Fire tablet lineup — that’s reserved for the Fire HD 10 — but it’s a perfect size for watching movies on the go, and has enough resolution for the task.
Hardware
Fire HD 8 (2022): 2.0GHz hexa-core, 2GB RAM, 32/64GB storage + microSD (1TB)
Fire HD 8 (2020): 2.0GHz quad-core, 2GB RAM, 32/64GB storage + microSD (1TB)
There are some differences in hardware. The biggest difference is that the 2022 model of the Fire HD 8 moves to a hexa-core processor instead of the previous generation’s quad-core.
Amazon says this results in a 30 percent performance boost, which means things happen a little faster.
That should mean the 2022 Fire HD 8 offers a better overall experience – while it also benefits from slightly longer battery life – 13 hours compared to 12 hours on the older model.
The Fire HD 8 Plus models (2020 and 2022 versions) bump up the RAM to 3GB, and also offer Qi wireless charging as an added bonus.
Software
four operating systems
Both tablets run on Fire OS, Amazon‘s version of Android. It does not support the Google Play Store, instead you must use Amazon’s AppStore to download apps and services you may need.
The Fire HD 8 2022 introduces Tap to Alexa in terms of accessibility, although we suspect an update to the older model may bring this feature in the future.
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