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Amazon's new Fire Kids Pro tablets are designed to win over older kids
But will it matter if they can't watch YouTube?
Amazon's Fire tablets are some of the best budget Android devices you can buy today. While they'll never truly compete head-to-head with Samsung's Galaxy Tabs or Apple's iPad on specs alone, once you get the Google Play Store sideloaded, they're great for browsing the web and streaming your favorite movies on the go. Amazon just refreshed its 10.1" Fire HD tablets today with improved specs and an all-new design, but it has also focused on expanding its Kids lineup of tablets for older children.Intended for kids ages 6 to 12, Fire Kids Pro is an all-in-one package that includes the latest Fire HD 10 tablet, a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, and a two-year warranty for $199. Unlike the previous Kids models, the Pro version features a slimmer plastic case designed to survive bumps and drops without looking like a Fisher-Price toy. Amazon Kids+ now offers a more extensive library of content alongside the new tablet, with a curated selection of apps, games, movies, and books aimed at older kids and pre-teens. After the one-year subscription is up, parents will have to shell out $4.99 per month (or $2.99 per month for Prime members) to continue with the membership.
Amazon's latest Fire HD 10 tablets are now finally optimized for Zoom
You'll have to pay up for wireless charging or an ad-free experience
Amazon's tablets aren't meant to set the world on Fire, but they're probably some of the most popular on the planet thanks to low price tags and integration with the company's retail empire. It's been about a year and a half since the 10-inch version got an upgrade, but today Amazon is taking pre-orders for the new Fire HD 10 and Fire HD 10 Plus. In terms of physical design, the refreshed Fire HD 10 now places its front-facing camera in a landscape position instead of portrait. It also moves the speakers to the bottom edge, giving the entire package a more conventional design for tablets of this size. Amazon says this is better for video conferencing. It keeps the same 10-inch, 1080p display as the previous model and a similar 2.0GHz octa-core processor, but boosts RAM up to 3GB. That's still on the low side for any Android device these days. Amazon says the body is thinner and lighter, with a stronger aluminosilicate screen that's 10% brighter.Thankfully Amazon kept the USB-C charging added to the last model, which isn't a given with tablets at this price point. Storage is either 32GB or 64GB, plus whatever you can fit in the MicroSD card slot. The 10 HD starts at $149.99 for the 32GB model, coming in black, denim, lavender, and olive color options. Yes, that price is "ad-supported," and it'll cost you $15 to get rid of them.
The HD 10 Plus keeps a more or less identical physical design, but boosts RAM up to a welcome 4GB and adds Qi-compatible wireless charging. Wireless charging is a rare feature on tablets, but Amazon started including it on some premium models last year, because it makes it easy to turn them into Alexa smart displays with the sold-separately dock. Previously the 10-inch tablets needed an adapter case for wireless charging; now it's built-in, like the Fire HD 8 Plus. The Plus model also gets a "premium" soft-touch finish. The Fire HD Plus has the same storage capacity, but that RAM boost is worth it for a $30 price bump.
In addition to the $50 wireless charging dock (made by budget brand favorite Anker), Amazon is also selling both tablets in a "productivity bundle," which comes with a Fintie wireless keyboard and a year of Microsoft 365, starting at $220 for the base model Fire 10 HD. Both tablets are up for pre-order on Amazon now, shipping on May 26th.
Amazon updates its 2017 7th generation Fire tablet lineup to FireOS 6 (Update: Not Nougat)
Amazon rarely delivers major OS updates to its Fire tablets
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- According to reports in our comments and on XDA Forums, the system upgrade seems to be FireOS 6 in name only. While a few of the system applications have been updated, the tablets still seem to be running Android 5.1 Lollipop under the hood.
Amazon's Fire tablets are media consumption devices first and foremost, and given their extremely low prices, it's perhaps not surprising that they rarely receive major OS updates. The last Fire tablet to receive a system upgrade beyond minor features was the 2014 Fire HD 6, which was updated from FireOS 4.x to 5.x. However, it seems like Amazon's entire line of 7th-generation Fire tablets is now receiving an update to Nougat.Amazon's support site says FireOS 6 is now available for the 7th-Gen Fire HD 10, Fire HD 8, and Fire 7, all of which were released in 2017. Before now, only FireOS 5.3 was available for the models, based on Android 5.1 Lollipop. By comparison, FireOS 6 is a modified build of Android 7.1 Nougat, the same software that the newer 8th-gen Fire HD 8 and 9th-gen Fire 7 launched with. The update notification hasn't yet appeared on my 7th-gen Fire HD 8, so the rollout could be in the early stages.I'm hesitant to give Amazon credit for updating its tablets to a four-year-old operating system, but it's certainly better than leaving them on Lollipop. The 2019 Fire HD 10 remains the company's only tablet running Android 9 Pie — here's hoping Amazon's 2018 models are next in line for an upgrade.
🔥Amazon fires off a Fire tablet fire sale with up to $30 off the Fire 7, Fire HD 8, and Fire HD 10🔥
Amazon's Fire family of tablets, all of which are currently discounted by as much as $30 for a limited time.
Android tablets seem to exist in a state of permanent limbo, as an ever-smaller number of manufacturers seem interested in bringing them to market. The writing has been on the wall for some time, but after Google announced that it was no longer working to develop new Android-based tablets last year, the fate of Android tablets seems bleaker than ever. The one outlier in this product category is Amazon's Fire family of tablets, all of which are currently discounted by as much as $30 for a limited time.
At the beginning of the month, Amazon introduced its revamped Fire HD 10 tablet, bringing some improvements such as USB-C connectivity and a faster processor over the previous iteration. The new device is now available on the retailer's site, both in adult and kids editions, selling for $150 and $200, respectively.In addition to the upgraded SoC and port, the new Fire HD 10 tablets are powered by Android Pie, which Amazon brands as Fire OS 7. This may seem outdated given Android 10 is out, but it's a significant improvement compared to other Amazon tablets that are still running Android 7.0 Nougat. The updated version is also said to be 30% faster than the previous one while selling for the same price.In terms of components, the Fire HD 10 offers a 10.1-inch 1080p display, 32 or 64GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, and two 2MP front and rear-facing cameras. Thankfully, there's still a 3.5mm jack, which can be particularly convenient if you want to watch your favorite show during your flight. The all-new edition comes in revised colors, namely black, plum, blue, and white. If you'd rather go ad-free and get yours "without special offers," you'll have to pay an extra $15 and stick with black, which is rather odd as this is only a software limitation. More surprisingly, the edition with no ads won't ship before November 7, which makes it seem like Amazon really wants people to buy the commercially-supported product. Lastly, if you need more storage, there's a 64GB version available for an extra $40, which may not make a lot of sense since there's a built-in MicroSD slot.
Amazon's Fire tablets usually cut a lot of corners to reach low prices, but the Fire HD 10 has been a good all-around device for a while now (as long as you don't mind installing the Play Store yourself). A refreshed version of the Fire HD 10 was announced today, with updates to both the hardware and software.Amazon has finally jumped on the USB Type-C train, so you can share chargers between your tablet, phone, laptop, and anything else with the now-universal port. There's also a "new octa-core 2.0 GHz processor," and a developer page confirms the HD 10 runs Android 9 Pie (branded as Fire OS 7). Amazon's other tablets use either Android 7.0 Nougat or Android 5 Lollipop.
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After leaks have shown virtually everything the Pixel 4 has to offer, Netflix doesn't seem to care if someone spots the yet-to-be-unveiled phone on its website. The company has updated its lists of devices supporting HD and HDR10 playback to include a number of new flagships like the Samsung Galaxy Note10, Fold, and Tab S6, plus the Asus ROG Phone II – among them, you'll also find the unreleased Pixel 4 and 4 XL.
Android tablets have become sort of a joke in the tech sphere — there are no good apps is the refrain. And, well, that's sort of true: Android's tablet applications generally aren't as robust as those available on other platforms. Even so, tablets as a form factor are unparalleled for casual media consumption, and if Android is your operating system of choice (and since you're reading this, I'll guess that it is), there are plenty of interesting hardware choices.Now, the de facto tablet for most people is, of course, the iPad. For one, its apps are flatly better than Android's — the charge that Android tablet apps are generally just blown-up phone apps is one still largely grounded in fact. On top of that, the hardware is excellent, and iPads as far back as 2014's Air are still receiving major OS updates. Google, on the other hand, hasn't manufactured an Android tablet since 2015's interesting but ill-fated Pixel C, and the company gave up on tablet hardware entirely following cold reception to the Chrome OS-powered Pixel Slate. Google Senior VP of Devices and Services Rick Osterloh said in a tweet that the company's software teams are still "100% committed" to tablet OS development, but given Android's history on tablets, that claim seems dubious.Whether it's because you've paid for a ton of Android apps and games or you're just really averse to Apple's software, though, there are reasons to want an Android tablet — and plenty of companies that aren't Google are still making them. We don't see the greater landscape of Android tablets changing any time soon, but if you want one, these are some of your best options.
Amazon's Fire tablets have been commoditized to the point where the average consumer can buy six-packs of them at a bulk discount... and that was 4 years ago. They get the job done and they're very cheap — both are good things — but they could be even cheaper. Best Buy is proving that point today with a one-day sale on the Fire HD 10.The device has a humble 10.1-inch display at 1920 x 1200, a quad-core MediaTek processor, 2GB of RAM, and cameras on the rear and the front. It runs Amazon's fork of Android, Fire OS, and you can sideload a ton of apps — YouTube, for starters — with a microSD card of up to 256GB in capacity. There's also the Alexa assistant on-board.
Amazon's Fire tablets are probably the most popular Android tablets ever created — mostly because they're cheap. The 'Special Offers' versions of the Fire 7, Fire HD 8, and Fire HD 10 are now 30-33% off, if you're an Amazon Prime member.The least expensive of the bunch is the Fire 7, which is now $34.99 ($15 off). It has a 1024x600 IPS screen, 8GB of storage (with microSD card support), a Mediatek MT8127 processor, and 1GB of RAM. Not the best hardware in the world, but enough for streaming video and light gaming.Next is the Fire HD 8, priced at $49.99 ($30 off). As the name implies, it has a larger 8-inch screen, with a slightly-better resolution of 800x1280. Other specifications include a Mediatek MT8163 processor, 16GB of storage (with microSD support), and 1.5GB of RAM.
Just a few days after Google's "Dump your valentine" discount, Amazon has come up with its own deals, in time for February 14. These offers are more relevant, though, and are worth considering if you're short of gift ideas. Most of the giant's connected home devices are on sale, including Echo speakers and smart displays, Fire TVs, cameras, and even Kindles.Amazon's speakers have been marked down several times in the last few weeks, including deals on the Echo Plus and Echo Input, but the retailer is going stronger now to rival Google's bundles. Among the most appealing deals, there's a $15 discount on the Echo Input so you can bring Alexa to any regular speaker or audio system for just $20. If you'd rather buy a smart product from the get-go, Amazon is taking some dollars off most of its Echo line-up.
Could you or someone you know use a knockin'-around tablet? Considering the holidays are kind of right around the corner (December's five short weeks away!), I'm guessing the answer is yes. Amazon's running a killer deal on its eight-inch Fire tablet, which is currently going for as low as 60 bucks.If you're looking for something to read comics, futz around on social media, or watch videos on, this is a hard deal to beat. All models of the Fire HD 8 are currently $20 off; that means the 16-gigabyte model with ads is just $59.99. Ad-free versions and ones with higher storage capacity are discounted, too — depending on what you want, prices go up to $104.99 — but that base model is at a really tempting price point.
There's always someone in the family who could use a cheap tablet. Sure, we've been less than enthused with recent expensive, productivity-focused devices, but when you just want a convenient large screen for your apps and media, tablets are hard to beat. Whether it's grandma or the kids, one strong deal to consider is the 32GB Amazon Fire HD 10, currently reduced by $50 to $100.Of course, the 10.1-inch tablet is already a nice value at $150 on Amazon, but when it dips down that extra half a yard (as it has only twice since last September, including most recently in April), it's even more alluring. The discount also helps to offset qualms about the tablet's Android-based Fire OS, which only comes with Amazon's store out of the box, not the Google Play Store.Still, there are workarounds to that, and overall reviewers were pleased with the sharpness of the display for the price and solid performance, so as an Alexa-integrated media machine it could be ideal.For those with larger storage needs, a 64GB version is available for $140 (regularly $190). In either case, the color options are black, blue or red. The deals are also available from Best Buy.Beyond the tablet, Amazon is offering discounts on a range of its own devices, including 43% off the Fire TV with 4K Ultra HD and Amazon Echo Show.Source: Amazon, Best Buy
Depending on who you ask, Amazon's Fire series might just be the most popular Android tablets on the planet. They're certainly up there, thanks to an extremely low entry price and some pretty decent media tie-ins with Amazon's various platforms, the lack of Google Play access notwithstanding. The value at the high end of the range isn't bad either, and Amazon just made it a little better: the big daddy Fire 10 HD now has a 64GB option, and it's available for under $300.