A Complete Review of Amazon Fire HD 10

Is there any chance to get a cheap tablet? The answer is yes. Amazon Fire HD 10 made it easier for everyone to enjoy all the perks of a tablet at a relatively low cost. But can this latest pad does just according to its cheap price? To know that, keep reading.

It’s been two years since Amazon last updated the Fire HD 10 tablet, but looking at the 2017 and 2019 models side by side, you’d be forgiven for getting them confused.

Amazon Fire HD 10

Inside, Amazon has made some upgrades, though. The processor has been modernized to a latest 2.0GHz octa-core processor (over the quad-core processor on the old model) that Amazon says is 30 percent faster. Battery life has been improved, with the company claiming up to 20 percent more screen time. The 2019 model supports up to 512GB of expandable microSD storage (up from 200GB). And there’s “enhanced” Wi-Fi in reality, a second antenna that enables the tablet to secure a stable signal regardless of whether you’re holding it in portrait or landscape mode.

None of these are poor upgrades, although there’s also nothing unusually groundbreaking. If you have the 2017 Fire HD 10, there’s a small reason to upgrade here.

Hardware

As for the experiment of using a Fire HD 10 in 2019, it’s mostly the same as it was back in 2017. The screen is, however, a fine big 10.1-inch 1080p display that seems far better than you’d expect for a $149 tablet. Given that 4K content is still slightly limited on most streaming services, it runs accurately for most TV and movie watching.

The genuine hardware seems as common as before, with a toy-like plastic back that reminds you constantly that you’re holding a $149 tablet. This does have the added advantage of making the Fire HD 10 lightweight.

The main concern is that the Amazon Fire HD 10 simply feels slow. It may quite well be 30 percent faster than the 2017 model, but it turns out that a 30 percent rise on a budget tablet processor still leaves you with a slow processor at the end of the day.

For everyday use, it works fine when you’re actually in an app like scrolling and browsing to find something to watch is smooth. But it’s slow to open apps. It’s slow to shift between them. You can’t supposed to use the Fire HD 10 to play the modern and latest games or as a laptop replacement.

Just like all the other Fire tablets, this 2019 HD 10 also runs on an android. That means Google services, Google Play Store, YouTube, Chrome, Gmail, and more aren’t installed by default.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Performance

If we compare it with an iPad, the performance isn’t even close. Apple’s entry-level tablet is way much faster, features a notably better selection of apps, and most importantly, doesn’t feel like a toy. The one great edge Amazon has is still its best-in-class parental control and multi-user support. Unlike an iPad, the Fire HD 10 allows you to add other accounts for kids to use, complete with content controls and time limits.

Comparing to what you’re paying, and the almost total lack of significant competition at the price point, there’s no shame to call the Fire HD 10 the best under $150 tablet available in the market.