The New Fire HD refresh from Amazon has left everyone confused. It has decent specs and a great software experience, but it looks like a product straight from 2018. The screen bezels are large, and the overall build falls short compared to other tablets at a similar price point.
So, if you’re looking for a full-on review of the device and are wondering if you should get one for yourself, then you’re at the right place. We’ll be looking at everything from the device to what makes it great and what are the things that you should look out for before you make your decision. So, let’s get started, shall we?
What’s new with the 11th gen Fire HD 10/10+?
Amazon has updated their Fire HD 10 series lineup once again, and the new 11th gen models come with a lot of new upgrades and features that make it a decent choice if you want a tablet for media streaming and lightweight tasks. So what are the enhancements, you may ask, well let’s take a look at those:
- Improved screen brightness for better visibility
- Reduced bezels for a modern look
- Improved performance compared to last-gen models
- A better build quality
- Wireless charging support
- Better accessories with the new keyboard and cases
You can check details and full review of the previous model 10th generation Amazon Fire HD 10 here
What’s in the box?
The Amazon Fire HD 10/10+ comes with straightforward packaging and includes nothing more than the basics. The box comes with:
- The Fire HD 10/10+ Tablet
- A 9W wall charger
- A USB-C cable
- User manuals
Specifications
- Processor – Mediatek MT8183 Helio P60T (12 nm)
- OS – Android 9.0 (Pie), Fire OS 7
- Display – IPS LCD 10.1 inches 1920×1200 panel
- RAM – 3GB (Fire HD 10), 4GB (Fire HD 10+)
- GPU – Mali-G72 MP3
- Storage – 32GB, 64GB
- Cameras – 5MP (Main Sensor), 2MP (Secondary Sensor)
- Connectivity – USB Type-C 2.0
- Dimensions – 247 x 166 x 9.2 mm
- Weight – 468 g
- Battery Life – 12 hours SOT
Defining Features
The Fire HD 10/10+ is equipped with some notable upgrades from the previous generation, and it makes the device that much more useful and intuitive to the end-user. Let us take a look at some of the most defining features of this new variant:
New Playful colors: The new 2021 Fire HD 10/10+ comes in various colors that make it personalized and a fun option for young children. So, getting it as the first tablet for your kids would do you good and make for a great media device.
Durable build
The build of the device is made from plastic which makes it shatter and drop-resistant compared to other newer glass and metal sandwiches. However, the tablet is not as aesthetically beautiful compared to its other counterparts, but the overall build is much more robust.
Improved power and performance
One of the new upgrades with the device is the updated MediaTek 12nm processor. This octa-core chip dominates on all benchmark tests, and our testing with running apps and games proved that it had gotten a big bump with performance and power management. The PCMark Work 3.0 benchmark showed us that the HD 10 scored 5376, which is great for all-day usage and most lightweight applications and games.
Brighter and larger Display
The 11th gen Fire HD 10 and 10+ retain the same resolution panels from the last-gen variants, but they improve the screen’s overall brightness, and the bezels are reduced compared to the last-gen models. So, if you need a great media streaming machine, getting these new tablets makes a lot of sense.
All-Day Battery Life
We tested these new tablets and found that Amazon has seriously improved their battery capacity. The average Screen On Time of the tablets was around 12 hours, meaning that you can run all your games, apps and stream all content for approximately 12 hours before the device dies. Thus, this makes it a fantastic media machine and perfect for users looking for a budget-friendly media device.
USB-C and Wireless charging
Finally, USB-C is here, and it is greatly appreciated as the new Fire 10/10+ devices come with the latest and greatest connectivity standard, and the larger 10+ variant also houses a wireless charging coil that helps you wirelessly charge the device and any other phone or tablet.
Android and Amazon Services
Amazon’s Fire OS 7 is what powers the tablet. It is a basic skinned version of Android 9 that helps you optimize apps according to your preference and is as free as ever. It also has all the amazon services built-in, enabling you to control all your smart home Alexa-enabled accessories directly from your tablet. You can also get a variant with ads, and that would cause a considerable drop in the tablets price.
Storage Expansion
The tablets also come with an expansion port to help you manage all your files and apps efficiently. It also has a micro SD CARD extension tray. It can take in memory cards up to 1TB, and we would recommend you get a 128GB card if you have the 32GB variant.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Easy to use and has support for all Android apps
- Excellent battery life and wireless charging support
- Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant integration
- Expandable storage and improved performance
- Durable plastic body
Cons
- The 32GB variant runs out of storage easily
- The cameras are mediocre
- The bezels are large, and the build material is nothing special
Is the New Fire HD 10/10+ for you?
So, taking a look at everything, should you get yourself the new Fire HD 10/10+ variant? Or Should you consider some other tablet?
Buy If
Case 1: Well, if you’re someone with many Amazon devices and smart home appliances and need a tablet for your home, we would highly suggest getting the new tablets. This tablet is designed explicitly for deeply invested people in Amazon’s services and is looking to expand their domain of devices. So, make sure you know what you’re getting into.
Case 2: If you need a tablet for media consumption and streaming TV shows from Netflix or Amazon Prime Video and if you want a device for social media and you’re on a tight budget, the Amazon Fire HD 10/10+ devices would be a great choice.
Case 3: If you are in the market for a secondary work device for emails and research, and reading on the go, then the Amazon Fire HD tablets make perfect sense and should be your primary picks.
Case 4: If you need a new tablet for your kids that can help them learn new things and gaming with some lightweight titles, the Fire HD 10/10+ tablets come with enough performance and power to be that perfect device.
Don’t Buy If
Case 1: Don’t get the new Fire HD tablets if you want to have the best possible Android experience and need the latest and greatest technologies and performance. Fire OS also has compatibility issues with a few apps. If you need full access to the Google Play Store and high-performance, we recommend you look somewhere else as the device’s overall performance feels a little lackluster compared to other devices.
Case 2: If you want a primary work tablet, then the Fire HD tablets seem like a bad option as the overall device feels slow for a work device, and the most you can use this for are emails and some easy research.
Case 3: Finally, if you want a tablet for some high-end gaming sessions, you’re unfortunately out of luck as these Fire HD tablets are just good enough to run some lightweight games.
Little comparison: Amazon Fire HD 10 or Samsung Galaxy Tab A7?
While both of these devices come at a relatively similar price point, they still have many differences. This begs the question of which one is superior and what variant should you choose as your next device. Let’s compare both of them and see what looks better for you.
The Price
The Fire HD 10 comes at a fantastic price of $150 for the regular variant and $180 for the plus model, making these new tablets a real budget-friendly contender. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 starts at $210 and goes up to $250 for the 64 GB variant, which is a respectable price point to be at, but the Amazon devices take the win for this round.
Winner – Amazon Fire HD 10/10+
The Performance
The Fire HD 10 series comes equipped with the Mediatek Helio P60T SOC, which is respectable but compared to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chip housed in the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7, the Fire HD tablets fell short as the Samsung A7 tablet just beats them in raw power and gaming performance.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy Tab A7
The Displays
There is no competition here as the IPS LCD 10.1 inches 1920×1200 panel of the Fire HD tablets flat out beat the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 meagre TFT 1200×1200 panel, which isn’t a suitable choice for 2021. The overall sharpness and brightness of the IPS panels help the Fire HD tablet lineup take another win.
Winner – Amazon Fire HD 10/10+
Apps, Games and the OS
The new Fire HD tablets run on a custom variant of Android known as Fire OS, built on top of Android 9. This creates many incompatibility issues with some apps and games, and the older version of the base Android build isn’t helping its cause. We hope that Amazon works at their software and update it to the latest Android build asap. However, if you need a great tablet with the latest and greatest Android OS, you should be looking at the Tab A7 as it comes with Android 10 out of the box and can be updated to the latest Android 11 version. So, you can expect good performance, impressive security and a better overall experience. Hence, Samsung takes a win here.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy Tab A7
TLDR
If you need a great media streaming device with a decent screen and an affordable price tag, then get the newly released Amazon Fire HD tablets but if you want a better performing device that can game and has a better overall software experience, then get the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7.
Final Verdict
The new revamped design and build of the 11th gen Fire HD 10/10+ tablets are seriously impressive for the budget price tag they come with. They provide an experience that is hardly challenged by any other tablet on the market. The benefits it brings for being a media streaming tablet make this a definite must-buy.
However, it does have its caveats, and the biggest one is the compatibility issues it poses to some apps due to the Fire OS Android 9 operating system that it runs on. But if you don’t mind the old OS and a few incompatible apps, we would highly recommend you get the new tablet, specifically the HD 10, as it brings the same performance as the 10+ and is much cheaper, making it a better deal overall. With that said, we end this review, and if you still have any other query that keeps you from getting the device, contact us in the comment section below, and we will have a solution for you asap.
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