At a look
Professional’s Score
Professionals
- Enticing, slim design
- First rate show
- Good child-friendly options
- Reasonably priced value
Cons
- Poor efficiency
- Not the simplest pill to make use of
Our Verdict
Amazon is getting extra critical about its kid-friendly tablets, and the Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional is a superb all-rounder for youthful children – however older customers will seemingly need one thing with extra energy. It’s very reasonably priced, although, and has a sturdy set of parental controls that make it ultimate for monitoring exercise and making certain your youngster stays on-task with academic tasks.
Worth When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Finest Pricing At this time
Worth When Reviewed
From $149.99
Finest Costs At this time: Amazon Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional
$84.99
As with many dad and mom, my spouse and I picked up an Amazon Fireplace pill a while in the past for our baby forward of an enormous street journey. These six hours within the automobile flew by as he watched reveals, performed video games, and extra, but it surely all the time felt like a pill struggling below the burden of comparatively menial duties.
Whereas it was by no means going to benchmark towards the likes of an iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab, it usually felt sluggish, with a boring show that sacrificed nearly all the pieces to hit a low value. It was, in some ways, a toy, so once I acquired the chance to place the newest Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional by way of its paces, I used to be intrigued.
Proper from the unboxing, it’s clear that this can be a extra critical machine for tech-curious little ones. And whereas it’s laborious to advocate to anybody over the age of 12, it’s a way more usable machine than Amazon’s prior small tablets, regardless of some caveats.
Design & Construct
- Slim but sturdy design
- Enjoyable design choices
- No water or mud resistance ranking
One of the vital noticeable adjustments whenever you take the Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional out of the field is simply how slim it’s in comparison with its non-Professional predecessors.
It’s a drastically extra svelte package deal, giving the sensation of being a extra spectacular product for extra ‘grown-up’ children, which my five-and-a-half-year-old son immediately recognised.
Lloyd Coombes / Foundry
On the skin, you’ll discover some easy-to-press quantity and sleep/wake buttons, in addition to a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C charging port.
Amazon is continuous its two-year guarantee that allows you to swap a busted machine for a recent one with little to no friction, so I didn’t really feel as cautious as I may need been in any other case handing a £150/$150 pill to my youngster.
Nonetheless, it’s price noting that there’s no IP ranking for water or mud resistance, so that you’ll should watch out within the toilet or on the seaside.
There’s no IP ranking for water or mud resistance, so that you’ll should watch out within the toilet or on the seaside
My evaluation unit contains the ‘Hey Teal’ case, however there’s additionally a pink different with a Jungle Cat rear print and a Marvel’s Avengers providing that my son has taken a shine to. You possibly can choose up a complete host of third-party choices, too, and every of the built-in choices has a stable kickstand that’s ultimate for taking part in video games at a desk.
Whichever case you go for, the Amazon Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional doesn’t creak like a few of its predecessors, and feels snug to carry in each panorama and portrait orientations.
Display screen & Audio system
- 8-inch IPS show
- 1280 x 800 decision
- Single speaker
As you may count on from the title, the entrance of the Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional options an 8-inch display. Nonetheless, it feels a lot greater than 8 inches due to the sizeable bezel across the show, plus the extra edges of the included case.
Coming from the Fireplace 7 Children, I’m happy to see a sharper, brighter display right here, however solely simply – the decision of 1280 x 800 is identical as a Steam Deck, however pales compared to the 10-inch display discovered on the Fireplace HD 10 Children Professional, which hits 1920 x 1200.
Lloyd Coombes / Foundry
Basically, you’ll have the ability to watch movies in 720p HD, however not Full HD or something increased. It’s an IPS panel, although, so colors are pretty correct. Nonetheless, the show attracts a good quantity of glare, so visibility in shiny out of doors environments generally is a wrestle.
However total it’s a reasonably stable show that’s ultimate for almost any TV present your baby needs to observe.
It’s a reasonably stable show that’s ultimate for almost any TV present your baby needs to observe
I’m additionally impressed by how punchy the audio system can get, too. When watching a film, the Amazon Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional can hit some spectacular quantity with out turning into noticeably distorted.
It’s not the identical as you’d get from a extra premium pill, however sufficient that you just’ll want to achieve for these quantity buttons whenever you’ve had fairly sufficient of Peppa Pig for the umpteenth time.
Specs & Efficiency
- Unnamed 2GHz Hexa-core processor
- 3GB RAM
- 32GB of storage, expandable by way of Micro-SD
Regardless of the ‘Professional’ affixed to the title, there’s no actual efficiency leap in comparison with the bottom Fireplace HD 8. The Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional nonetheless makes use of the identical Hexa-core 2GHz processor (Amazon doesn’t specify the mannequin), pairing it with 3GB of RAM.
These are modest specs, however they characterize an enormous improve in comparison with the Fireplace 7 Children. That machine would normally stutter when switching between apps, downloading new ones, and even flicking between residence screens.
Lloyd Coombes / Foundry
Whereas the Amazon Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional doesn’t provide something rivalling flagship efficiency, a lot of these wrinkles have been ironed out, resulting in a extra responsive pill that handles the number of apps obtainable on the Amazon Appstore or Children Plus membership with out subject.
On a tool like this, benchmark figures don’t actually matter. If you happen to’re contemplating getting this for a kid, it’s most likely quick sufficient. I’ve examined Sonic Sprint on the pill, sprinting throughout maps with no discernible slowdown, even in a multiplayer setting, whereas the likes of Disney Coloring World are good and responsive.
If you happen to’re contemplating getting this for a kid, it’s most likely quick sufficient
Issues solely actually are likely to get sluggish whenever you open a handful of apps without delay, however as long as your child isn’t making an attempt to put in writing an e-mail or one thing, all the pieces works properly.
The one mannequin obtainable affords 32GB of storage, of which round 25GB is accessible to the consumer. That doesn’t sound like so much, however the Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional helps growth by way of Micro-SD card all the way in which as much as 1TB.
Cameras
- 5Mp rear digital camera
- 2Mp front-facing digital camera
- Each help Full HD (1080p) video recording
You’re most likely not shopping for the Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional for its photographic talents. In case you are, I wouldn’t hassle.
You’re most likely not shopping for the Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional for its photographic talents. In case you are, I wouldn’t hassle
The machine places nearly all of its eggs within the single rear-facing 5Mp sensor, and it’s not nice.
It’s wonderful for fast snaps of images and mates, however even my son was reaching for my cellphone as a substitute after we have been taking footage of issues out and about. As you’d count on, there’s little to no picture processing right here – images are shadowy, darkish areas lack element, and any motion contributes to important blur.
Selfies from the 2Mp front-facing lens are primary at finest, however they do the job for any apps that decision upon them, like doodling video games and the like.
It may be used for video chats, however solely with parental authorisation. Even then, the lens isn’t ok to see the good thing about Full HD 1080p video.
Battery Life & Charging
- No battery capability quoted
- As much as 13 hours of battery life claimed
- Helps wired charging as much as 15W
Whereas it’s been a problem on older Amazon tablets, I’m happy to say that the Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional steps issues up a notch on the subject of battery life.
Amazon gained’t say what dimension the battery is, however its estimate of 13 hours of utilization holds as much as scrutiny in my testing. Gaming will naturally carry issues down a bit extra, however you’ll be able to count on round 10 hours of streaming films, or extra for those who obtain one thing for offline utilization reasonably than streaming it.
The Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional steps issues up a notch on the subject of battery life
Charging is gradual, although. The ability brick within the field is a 5W charger, and you’ll count on it to take upwards of 4.5 hours to cost absolutely. I’d advocate getting a appropriate 15W charger, which Amazon claims will scale back that to below 2.5 hours.
Fortunately, the higher battery life than older fashions means it’s extra more likely to be able to go when your youngster wants it – I used to be pleasantly stunned to seek out it with cost as a rule, whereas the older Fireplace 7 pill would seemingly run dry whereas it was on standby.
Software program & Apps
- Amazon Fireplace OS
- At the very least 4 years of safety updates
- Good parental controls
Like all Amazon tablets, the Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional runs Amazon’s Fireplace OS software program. Whereas technically an Android pores and skin, it takes a really completely different strategy.
The primary factor it’s essential to know is that there’s no Google Play Retailer. As a substitute, you’ll should make do with the Amazon Appstore, which has a way more restricted number of third-party apps.
Lloyd Coombes / Foundry
I don’t discover the software program to be almost as simple to make use of as Android or iOS. Every part feels a tad clunky, so count on to spend a while getting used to issues – even for those who’re comparatively tech-savvy.
Additionally, Amazon’s personal ‘Silk’ browser is the de facto browser right here, and it’s very primary. I’d have most well-liked the choice so as to add Chrome (particularly since that might sync between Google accounts so I may monitor what my baby was as much as), but it surely does the job.
Anticipate to spend a while getting used to issues – even for those who’re comparatively tech-savvy
Elsewhere, parental controls are actually spectacular. Mother and father can set closing dates and bedtimes on the pill, and lock off sure apps between customers. This may trigger some confusion for little ones seeking to leap into an app on their profile solely to seek out out they want parental recommendation, however the 30 seconds it takes to maneuver between profiles and authorise one thing is healthier than the choice.
Amazon’s Children Plus membership affords ad-free books and apps for a low month-to-month value, and also you get a 12 months included with the pill, too. Amazon has additionally dedicated to no less than 4 years of safety updates, which is respectable for a tool that’s so reasonably priced.
Worth & Availability
The Amazon Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional is accessible from Amazon, beginning at £149.99/$149.99.
This contains 32GB of storage and the aforementioned 12 months of Children Plus. After that, plans begin at £4.99/$5.99 per 30 days for those who’re a Prime member and £6.99/$7.99 per 30 days if not.
It’s very a lot a price range pill, and can solely attraction to younger youngsters who don’t thoughts its limitations.
Do you have to purchase the Amazon Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional?
It gained’t dazzle tech aficionados, however for younger youngsters, the Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional is a superb moveable pill that may do all the pieces they want it to.
In comparison with the Fireplace HD 7, the display is brighter and sharper, the efficiency is barely higher, and the battery may be very stable for a tool on this value vary.
Supplied you’re conscious of its limitations, the Fireplace HD 8 Children Professional is an effective purchase – particularly if a Marvel fan.
Specs
- Processor: UNISOC SC9863A (reported)
- Safety: Passcode
- Inner storage: 32GB built-in
- Expandable storage: As much as 1TB by way of Micro-SD card
- Reminiscence (RAM): 3GB
- Battery: ‘As much as 13 hours’, non-removable
- Show: 8-inch HD show – IPS
- Decision: HD (1280×800) | 189 ppi
- Side ratio: 16:10
- Rear digital camera: 5Mp
- Entrance digital camera: 2Mp
- Dimensions: 212 mm x 162 mm x 17 mm (8.3” x 6.4” x 0.7“)
- Weight: 506g (with case hooked up)
- Ports: USB-C port