Amazon updated its Fire HD 8 lineup last week and has promptly discounted the slates for its October Prime Day sale. The new slab has more RAM, a better camera setup and built-in AI features to make it different from its predecessor. The device will normally start at $100 (with lock-screen ads), but Amazon is now selling the base model for $55 through October 9. An upgraded configuration with more memory and storage is also on sale for $85, down from its $130 MSRP.
As its name suggests, the new Fire HD 8 has an 8-inch display with a 1280 x 800 resolution (189 ppi). One of the 2024 model’s big upgrades is having 3GB of RAM in the base storage tier (32GB). The 64GB variant, meanwhile, slides up to 4GB of RAM. Of course, this is very much a budget tablet, so those aren’t close to barrier-breaking numbers. But it’s still 50 to 100 percent higher than the 2GB of RAM in the 2022 model.
Amazon rates the Fire HD 8 for up to 13 hours of battery life. The tablet’s rear camera is 5MP. (That’s the same as the “Plus” version of its 2022 predecessor, but it’s higher than the 2MP in the old standard version.)
The tablets also include some generative AI capabilities. Like Apple’s early take on AI in its 2024 updates, these include a Writing Assist feature that can jot out messages based on prompts. It can also summarize web pages, make grammar suggestions and tweak brevity.
There are two kids’ versions of the tablet as well: the Fire HD 8 Kids and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro. As you’d expect from Amazon’s child-focused variants, these versions will include a “kid-proof” case in Disney-branded designs (including Pixar Cars, Disney Princess or Marvel Avengers). They also come with a subscription to Amazon Kids+, the company’s content delivery service (including mobile games!) for the kiddos. Between the two, the Kids version has a thicker case built for younger tykes, while the Kids Pro has a slimmer hard case designed for older children. Both Kids tablets will typically cost $140 but are currently down to $70 for Prime Day.
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