How good colours appear will depend on how liberal you are with the brightness slider. The screen is very reflective, making blacks appear quite grey and the fairly low resolution (1280 x 800) doesn’t look super-sharp even when spread out over the small 8-inch canvas. What is most evident is that for a tablet primarily aimed at media use it’s not a fantastic device to watch Prime content on. The specs are basic, as is the case with all the lower-cost Fire tablets. The screen is one of the weaker parts of the HD 8 and it hasn’t seen any major updates. I don’t think many of you will feel let down by its build, or become irritated by the amount of storage space you have to play with. However, I’ve used many sub-£100 tablets over the years that are, frankly, rubbish – and a constant reminder that you opted to cheap out.Īmazon has tried to make a tablet that isn’t going to disappoint buyers quickly. The Fire HD 8 succeeds in a manner that sounds like an insult: it isn’t rubbish. The tablet is also available in a wide array of hues. It’s a pleasant look and has a textured finish that both looks and feels better than glossy plastic. I’m looking at the white version of the Amazon Fire HD 8. This is a tablet I wouldn’t mind chucking in a bag without a case or giving to clumsy kids (or clumsy adults). It isn’t thick or heavy, and it’s very durable. One of the best things about the Amazon Fire HD 8 is that while it is a cheap tablet, it doesn’t appear instantly dated like many others in this price bracket. The only minor niggle is that for £20/$20 more you can get the Fire HD 8 Plus, which has a little more RAM and comes with wireless charging.
It’s a great way to binge Prime content, use Alexa and just have a cheap tablet for day-to-day use. It offers more features than the Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Oasis e-readers and it’s a lot more compact than the very large Fire HD 10. The Fire HD 8 is perfect for those who want a cheap, basic tablet primarily for media consumption and reading. It costs £89.99 and features all the basic features you would expect. The Amazon Fire HD 8 is one of the best budget tablets you can buy from a recognisable brand.