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Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2022)
MSRP $120.00
“The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus is an affordable tablet for people who love Amazon services, but it comes with some serious caveats.”
Pros
- Low value
- Good construct high quality
- Great battery life
- Functional for primary duties
Cons
- Ad-supported mannequin isn’t definitely worth the financial savings
- Absolutely horrible digital camera
- Frustrating limitations of Fire OS
An costly pill is one thing of a questionable buy today, significantly should you’re dwelling on a good funds, or already personal a big smartphone. That’s why a super-affordable pill just like the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2022) is so interesting. On paper, you get virtually every thing you anticipate from an iPad or different premium pill for not far more than the price of an ad-supported Netflix subscription. That comparability is quite apt, as advertisements are how Amazon has achieved such an absurdly low-cost value level for the HD 8 Plus. But is the low price of this funds pill definitely worth the tradeoffs, or has Amazon minimize too many corners?
Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2022) design
Surprisingly, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus could be very nicely made in a practical kind of method. It’s not fancy or premium, however the textured plastic again is definitely very nice. Compared to glass or aluminum, it’s simpler to grip and gained’t present put on and tear as simply. I very a lot recognize the presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is a characteristic I’ve missed in high-end trendy telephones and tablets. The Fire HD 8 Plus additionally has a USB-C port, which is nice to see, and features a charging brick, one thing that’s not so typically included with units today.
On the opposite hand, the bezels across the display screen are fairly obtrusive, and positively broaden the footprint of the machine, making it much less moveable than a pill with smaller bezels. This is a compromise I’d anticipate finding in a funds pill.
Amazon claims that the Fire HD 8 Plus has a diminished carbon footprint as a consequence of its packaging. The packaging is absolutely recyclable, which is nice, although the advantages of that packaging are considerably imprecise. The packaging is constructed from wooden fiber-based supplies from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources, however such claims of accountable forestry are sometimes of questionable benefit, and I’d be far more impressed if the packaging was made absolutely from recycled supplies.
I examined the Fire HD 8 Plus with the non-compulsory case, which makes the pill appear and feel considerably extra premium. case is nearly important for a pill, given what number of I’ve seen family and friends break over time.
Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2022) show and efficiency
The HD 8 Plus show is merely OK; it gives first rate shade, distinction, and sharpness, although I did discover it to be a bit bit dim. At max brightness, it was very troublesome to make use of open air, and at 1280 x 800 decision, it’s not spectacular — but it surely will get the job finished. The audio system on the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus are completely acceptable, if not significantly improbable.
In common, the efficiency of the HD 8 Plus is ok. When searching the house display screen, utilizing an internet browser, or streaming media, it’s snappy and responsive. The new, sooner processor allows an marketed 30% enhance in processing velocity over its predecessor, enabling picture-in-picture video and split-screen functionality. Gaming is feasible on the HD 8 Plus, and I used to be capable of get pleasure from My Friend Pedro: Ripe for Revenge. However, I did run into body charge drops regardless of it not being graphically demanding.
Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2022) digital camera
The digital camera on the HD 8 Plus is the worst I’ve utilized in years. Image high quality is dangerous even in broad daylight, and in even mildly dim inside situations, pictures prove muddy and vague. The selfie digital camera delivers 2MP nonetheless pictures and 720p video seize, whereas the rear-facing digital camera shoots 5MP stills and 1080p video.
The first digital digital camera I ever used practically 20 years in the past delivered larger decision and higher high quality pictures than this. The digital camera interface can be as primary and troublesome to function as potential. These cameras are so dangerous it’s questionable whether or not they need to have been included within the first place.
Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2022) software program
The HD 8 Plus runs a closely modified model of Android known as Fire OS. It’s been some time since I used a Fire OS machine, however the expertise hasn’t improved since I final picked up an Amazon machine. It’s ugly and locks you into Amazon’s ecosystem, because it doesn’t provide entry to the Google Play Store. This signifies that you’re restricted to apps acquired by Amazon’s personal app retailer, and numerous common apps are lacking or put behind a complicated paywall.
For instance, I wished to put in Ultimate Guitar, but it surely prices $3 on the Amazon App Store regardless of being free within the Google Play Store. I already pay an annual subscription for Ultimate Guitar, and I’m not about to spend an additional $3 for the privilege of utilizing it on the Fire HD 8 Plus. Furthermore, some apps (equivalent to YouTube) put in simply positive, however then didn’t launch accurately.
If you take a look at the Fire HD 8 Plus as a portal into Amazon’s ecosystem, it makes much more sense than as a standard pill.
Basically, when you enterprise outdoors of Amazon’s personal apps and a handful of aggressively monetized cellular video games, it’s a fairly depressing expertise. The first-party Amazon apps are nice, and you should utilize the machine purely with voice instructions by way of Alexa like a sensible speaker. If you take a look at the Fire HD 8 Plus as a portal into Amazon’s ecosystem, it makes much more sense than as a standard pill.
Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2022) battery and charging
An benefit of the Fire HD 8 Plus is that it delivers quite spectacular battery life. With blended use between searching, streaming, and gaming, I discovered that it actually does clock in across the 13 hours of battery life estimated by Amazon. Unfortunately, it’s mildly sluggish to cost, taking round three hours to go from empty to full.
Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2022) value and availability
The doubtlessly redeeming issue of the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus is the extremely low value level of simply $120. That’s only a fifth of what an iPad Mini will price you, however as somebody who owns final yr’s iPad Mini, I imagine the iPad Mini is 5 occasions the pill that Fire the HD 8 Plus is. Beyond all the issues already talked about, the HD 8 Plus is an ad-supported pill, that means that your lock display screen is an commercial, and there are advertisements on the house display screen.
At first, this didn’t trouble me an excessive amount of, however over time I actually grew to detest the fixed advert bombardment. People I’ve identified who’ve used these units have given them up as a result of they couldn’t put up with advertisements anymore. However, you should buy the Fire HD 8 Plus with out lock display screen advertisements for an additional $15, which I’d extremely suggest should you’re planning to purchase this machine.
However, the discount value of the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus isn’t even actually that good if you look. For $10 much less on the time of publication, you’ll be able to choose up a Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite that has comparable specs to the HD 8 Plus, and it isn’t contaminated with baked-in ads or hobbled by Fire OS and the absence of the Google Play Store.
Also, that $120 is only for the bottom model with 32GB of storage. If you need 64GB of storage just like the mannequin I examined, it’ll set you again $150. And if you’d like the case bundled in, it’s $195. The Amazon Fire 7 is far more engaging as an ultra-budget Amazon pill, provided that it begins at simply $60.
A pill for Amazon superfans solely
The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2022) is an enchancment over its earlier iterations, and that’s actually the very best factor I can say about it. The Fire HD 8 Plus is essentially a portal by which Amazon’s companies might be accessed, and the one individuals I’d suggest it to are those that simply desire a pill to look at Amazon Prime streaming, hearken to Amazon Music, and work together with Alexa-enabled good residence units. Everyone else is best off with another pill.
Editors’ Recommendations
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