They have plenty of volume and a clear sound quality, which is hard to find in low-end tablets.

The top of the Fire HD 8 is where you’ll find the dual speakers, which surprisingly don’t sound bad. On the bottom edge of the housing is a microSD card slot that accepts up to 1TB of additional storage, giving you the option to add plenty of room for your kids’ games, books and videos. We can use the same cables that we use to charge other gadgets, with most Android and accessory makers having made the switch.

We embrace the move from micro USB to USB-C for charging. The power button, volume controls, USB-C port for charging and data transfer, and a headphone jack are on the right side. The tablet measures 8 by 5.4 by 0.4 inches and weighs 12.5 ounces, about three-quarters of a pound. The 8-inch screen has a resolution of 1280x800, meaning it can handle 720p HD with ease. The front and back cameras capture 2-megapixel images, and while they’re not the sharpest of cameras, they get the job done. There’s also a camera on the back of the tablet. The move makes sense as it’s primarily designed for use in video calls, which are undoubtedly better in landscape mode. When the tablet’s held horizontally, the camera is now centered at the top, rather than on the side. The two devices are identical on the outside, with the differences between the HD and HD Plus coming down to the Plus having 3GB of memory (instead of 2GB), wireless charging support, and a 9-watt wall adapter for faster wired charging in the box. The new Fire HD tablets have been completely redesigned (which isn’t even mentioned on the Amazon website) to give them a more refined look and feel. Your CNN account Log in to your CNN accountįire HD tablets have long been boxy and, frankly, kind of ugly.

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