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Verdict
The Fire series of tablets exists very definitely within its own special niche. These are throwaway devices that fit their specific brief very nicely and offer a decent experience overall, but with a number of glaring issues.
The design of the Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018), while distinctive, is perhaps a little too utilitarian, the screen is bright and has a reasonable resolution but the color reproduction is poor.
The battery lasts a full day, but takes almost the same again to recharge, the performance is adequate for browsing media, but anything more demanding proves to be too much of a challenge.
Against all of this, the price is $80/£80, but the real cost is having Amazon’s services forced through at every possible moment - and for some who aren’t quite enamored with the e-retail giant this may be too bitter a pill to swallow.
The price is low enough to wash many of these criticisms away though, and those who do make the leap will be rewarded with a mostly cracking piece of hardware which sacrifices just a bit too much soul to be an easy recommendation.
Who's this for?
Anyone looking for a cheap tablet should have this at the front of their mind, regardless of the drawbacks.
Should you buy it?
An iPad will typically cost many hundreds of pounds/dollars, even for a fairly basic model - this tablet costs $80/£80. Ultimately, it is very good value for what is on offer. If you don't plan to use the tablet too heavily or for overly demanding tasks then the Fire HD 8 (2018) is a solid option.
First reviewed: October 2018
There are a number of other cheap tablets to consider, such as the following three:
Amazon Fire 7 (2017)
Amazon’s smaller tablet has the same chipset as its larger sibling but a smaller battery, less RAM and a weaker screen.
However, it can sell for as little as $30/£30 during promotions, and as such will satisfy the bare minimum needs of the most basic users better than the relatively bloated Fire HD 8 (2018).
Read our full Amazon Fire 7 (2017) review
Amazon Fire HD 10 (2017)
The largest of the Fire family is also the most powerful, housing more RAM, a 1080p screen and better speakers and battery life.
It is also more expensive however - and is better suited as a ‘round the home’ tablet than its smaller brother the Fire HD 8 (2018). Those who would like a bigger screen are certainly more likely to prefer the larger model.
Read our full Amazon Fire HD 10 (2017) review
Huawei MediaPad T3 10
The Huawei MediaPad T3 10 has an 800 x 1280 9.6-inch screen, promises better battery life than the Fire HD 8 (2018) and comes with full Android, a definite strength. Saying this, it retails starting at 30% more than the Fire HD 8 (2018), if one is counting the pennies then the Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018) wins on cost alone.
