Yesterday I posted a review of the new Fire HD 10 so I figured I’d post a quick comparison between it and the Fire HD 8 today.
Both tablets are the new models for 2017, officially 7th gen Fires, and both share most of the same features, but the HD 10 has a nicer higher-resolution display and a faster processor with more RAM. The HD 10 also adds hands-free Alexa support, which is pretty cool.
The HD 8 comes with the option for 16GB and 32GB of storage space.
The HD 10 has the option of 32GB or 64GB of storage space. Both have a microSD card slot for cards up to 256GB.
The Fire HD 8 starts at $79 and the Fire HD 10 starts at $149, although when comparing the price of both 32GB models the difference is only $40.
Check the main reviews for more details and a dedicated video review of each: Fire HD 10 review and Fire HD 8 review.
Also here’s the Fire HD 8 vs Fire 7 comparison review for a look at the two smaller models.
Main Differences
Here’s a table with a list of detailed specs for Fire tablets, also shown in the video, so I won’t repeat all that here.
Screen: The biggest difference between the Fire HD 10 and HD 8 is the size and quality of the screens. The HD 8 supports HD (720p) and the Fire HD 10 supports full HD (1080p). The HD 8 has an 8-inch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800 (189ppi) and the HD 10 has a 10.1-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 (224ppi). Text and details are sharper on the HD 10, the screen is brighter, and it looks better overall.
Alexa: Both tablets have Alexa support built-in, but only the HD 10 supports hands-free use, whereas the HD 8 you have to hold the home button to activate Alexa.
Warranty: Another difference that’s easy to overlook is the warranty. The Fire HD 10 comes with a full 1-year warranty and the Fire HD 8 only has a 90-day warranty.
Size: Obviously the Fire HD 10 is quite a bit larger than the HD 8. Measurements: 262 mm x 159 mm x 9.8mm vs 214 mm x 128 mm x 9.7 mm. They weigh in at 13.0 ounces (369 grams) and 17.7 ounces (500 grams).
Processor and RAM: The HD 8 has a quad-core 1.3GHz processor with 1.5GB of RAM and the HD 10 has a quad-core processor with 2 cores at 1.8GHz and 2 at 1.4GHz, with 2GB of RAM. This helps give the HD 10 a speed advantage. As shown in the video the difference isn’t huge, but when you sit down and use them both for awhile it just seems like the HD 10 offers a smoother and faster experience.
Battery: The Fire HD 8’s battery is rated at up to 12 hours per charge and the Fire HD 10 is rated at up to 10 hours.
Sound: Both tablets have two speakers on the edge of the device, but the speakers on the HD 10 are louder and they don’t crackle at higher volumes like the HD 8 speakers. However, neither set of speakers sound very good; Bluetooth speakers or headphones are recommended.
Conclusion
The overall build quality and features are largely the same between the two models, aside from the addition of hands-free Alexa support on the HD 10.
The higher resolution screen on the HD 10 is a big advantage in my book because it makes everything sharper and clearer, especially small text. Another advantage for the HD 10 is the faster, more reliable performance. I have issues with the HD 8 bogging down and freezing up at times.
The HD 8 has the advantage of portability with the smaller size, and its battery life is rated at 2 hours longer. It’s also a lot more affordable with the 16GB model being nearly half the price as the HD 10.
Personally I like the Fire HD 10 better and plan on keeping it and using it as my main tablet, but I’ve always liked 10-inch tablets better. The Fire HD 8 isn’t a bad tablet for $79, although it can be slow at times and it’s on the heavy side for an 8-inch tablet, but it’s still a considerable step-up from the $49 7-inch Fire. After further testing these new Fire tablets for 2017, I wouldn’t recommend the 7-inch model at all—it’s just too darn slow. The HD 8 is usable, but the HD 10 is the best of the lot.
Just a heads up, there is a software called (name removed) that now strips DRM from Kindle KFX format. I believe it is the only software able to do this. Worth noting since who knows how long Amazon will continue to support Kindle for desktop 1.17. The (name removed) software costs money but there’s a free trial demo version and it works flawlessly. I won’t put any links, but a quick Google search will take it directly to it. Cheers!
Sorry Rick, had to remove the name. All they do is take freeware and then repackage it to sell as software for profit so they don’t deserve the slightest bit of publicity. There’s been a way to remove DRM from KFX files for awhile now for free, and they surely just copied the code and put it in their software. Currently there’s no point in removing DRM from KFX files because they can’t be converted to another format anyway. More info at MobileRead.
No prob, thanks for the heads up
Hello all. Great review(s) here. I bought a pre-owned 7″ ‘1st gen’ Kindle Fire in 2011 and have loved it (got rid of my thousands of many-quite-rare books as tired of lugging them around, etc) & really use ONLY for reading (do all else on either laptop or desktop, etc). Now 2017 and the micro-usb charging port is going south on this thing & tho’ i repair computers, do NOT have a solder gun (to replace this flimsy mo-bo port). My question: do the new(er) models have STURDIER charging ports? Not even amazon tech support directly would (or could) answer this query on a call made today. Any ideas? Sorry to bother with my paragraph-size comment/question but any input would be welcome. Am going to buy another – as have no choice (getting increasingly difficult to ‘wiggle’ [very delicately] the charging cord in place) but don’t want to get burned with a flimsy port on a new model.
Sorry but I’ve never had a problem with a USB port before so it’s just something I don’t pay any attention to.