#Amazon fire hd 8 case review full#
#Amazon fire hd 8 case review plus#

The Fire HD 8 Plus reached an average frame rate of 24fps in the GFXBench Manhattan 3 on-screen benchmark, more than tripling the score of the previous model. Gaming performance is equally good, although it’s worth highlighting there’s a rather limited selection of games in Amazon’s app store. This translates to a tablet that feels much more fluid and responsive in operation than ever before, but you will still notice a bit of slowdown when quickly switching between applications, for instance. In the Geekbench 3 test, the Fire HD 8 outperformed the 2018 version by up to 50%. Because the Fire HD 8 Plus uses the Qi wireless charging standard, most third-party wireless chargers will work just fine.Īs expected, then, performance is the best we’ve seen from a Fire tablet to date, but it can still feel a bit sluggish from time to time. This allows for all sorts of things, from streaming Amazon Prime Video to showing graphics for a seven-day forecast when you ask about the weather.ĭespite what Amazon’s heavy-handed marketing materials would have you believe, however, the optional Wireless Charging Dock isn’t a necessary purchase. There’s not much else to say about it though, really, except that it charges the Fire HD 8 Plus to 80% in less than two hours and transforms it into a makeshift Echo Show-like device. As I’ve already mentioned, for an additional £30 the tablet can be bought in a bundle with Amazon’s own Wireless Charging Dock, which is a rudimentary wedged stand that allows you to place the tablet in either landscape or portrait orientation, at a fixed angle. Of course, a key new feature this year is the arrival of wireless charging, which is only available on the Fire HD 8 Plus. Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2020) review: Wireless Charging Dock

#Amazon fire hd 8 case review full#

Amazon also includes a faster 9W charger in the box (the other model comes with a 5W charger) which can charge the tablet from empty to full in less than four hours. The Fire HD 8 Plus also uses USB-C for charging, rather than the micro-USB charger supplied with its predecessor. It is clearly designed to be used in landscape orientation, with a pair of top-firing speakers on one of its long edges, and a 7MP selfie camera sitting below, just above the screen. The Fire HD 8 uses the same hard plastic backing as the 2018 model, and it can be picked up in six different colours: black, plum, twilight blue, white and slate. If you prefer a larger screen, and still don’t fancy spending a huge amount, however, last year’s Amazon Fire HD 10 is another good option starting at £150. If you want to buy both the Fire HD 8 Plus and Wireless Charging Dock, Amazon is currently running a bundle offer for £140, saving you a total of £10. That’s £20 more than the bog-standard Fire HD 8. If you don’t mind lockscreen adverts (you can pay another £10 to remove them) the Fire HD 8 Plus costs £110 for the 32GB model and £140 for 64GB of storage. Naturally, you don’t get all these extras for free. Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2020) review: Price and competition The tablet works with Amazon’s new Wireless Charging Dock (£40), which can also be used as a stand for a pseudo-Alexa smart display. The main reason why you might want to pick up the Fire HD 8 Plus, however, is for wireless charging. The Fire HD 8 Plus also comes with three months of Kindle Unlimited for free.

So, what do you get for the extra money? Well, the Fire HD 8 Plus includes 3GB of RAM, rather than the 2GB offered with the normal model, and has a faster 9W charger in the box.