-
The new Fire 8. It looks just like the old Fire 8.
Amazon
-
It works in portrait format.
Amazon
-
The Fire 8 HD on the wireless charging stand. It can become an Alexa smart display.
Amazon
-
There are also cases for $30.
Amazon
-
The suitcases have a stand.
Amazon
Two years after the previous version, Amazon is introducing a new Fire HD 8 tablet for 2022. Amazon claims the new model is “faster, lighter, and comes with all-day battery life.” As usual, the price is dirt cheap: $99.99 for the Fire 8 HD and $119.99 for the higher-end “Fire 8 HD Plus” model. Amazon didn’t provide a full datasheet before launch, but there should be details on the Amazon Developer website eventually.
Here’s what we know. There’s some sort of eight-core SoC (probably a Mediatek) that Amazon says is “30 percent faster” than the MT8168 in the 2020 Fire 8. The base model has 2GB of RAM, 32GB or 64GB of storage, and a MicroSD slot . Amazon promises “13 hours” of battery life, but the old Fire 8 HD had the same hourly output from a 4,850mAh battery. The tablet charges in five hours via a 5W USB-C power adapter on the bottom.
The “Plus” model raises the bar for $20 more. You get 3GB of RAM, wireless charging, a whopping 9W USB-C charger, and “sharper pictures” from an upgraded 5MP rear camera. The wireless charging dock holds the tablet in an upright position and puts it in an Alexa smart display mode, just like an Echo Show. From the outside, the Plus model looks identical to the regular Fire 8.
-
The “kids” version. This is for 3-7 years.
Amazon
-
It’s very, very thick to hopefully withstand the worst your child can (or can) throw at it at).
Amazon
-
The “Kids Pro” version is slightly less padded
Amazon
-
A rear stand is installed in both models.
Amazon
There are also children’s versions. According to Amazon, the Fire HD 8 Kids is “designed for children aged 3 to 7” thanks to the extremely durable, permanently attached housing, while the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro is “designed for children aged 6 to 12 less.” strong body. The Kids versions come with parental controls, kickstands, a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, and educational content. You pay extra for this amount; Kids’ tablets start at $149.99, with Disney-branded versions available for $10 more.
All tablets can now at – where else? – Can be pre-ordered on Amazon.
Ars Technica may earn compensation through affiliate programs for sales made from links in this post.
Promotional image from Amazon
