Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) Review

Value When Reviewed

From $139.99

Very similar to an odd mashup of Deeperlove and The Loopy World of Arthur Brown, Amazon is again as soon as once more to deliver you Fireplace – the newest Fireplace HD 10 pill, to be actual. 

This Twelfth-gen refresh gives a marginal bump in specs versus the earlier version, which was launched in 2021. 

The 2023 Fireplace HD 10 is powered by a MediaTek MT8186 processor, which Amazon says is 25% quicker than the 2021 version’s MT8183. 

The cameras too – a 5Mp principal sensor and 5Mp front-facing digital camera – now file 1080p Full HD video in comparison with creaky previous 720p. This implies Zoom calls will look a bit clearer. 

Lastly, the brand new mannequin can be 30g lighter than the Eleventh-generation Fireplace HD 10 pill, so it’s simpler to hold round and crash on the sofa with a ebook or TV present. 

In any other case, it’s a lot the identical as what we bought final time round. A ten.1-inch show, as much as 64GB of inside storage, and Android with Amazon’s FireOS customized interface and app retailer. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

With the arrival of the Amazon Fireplace Max 11 this yr, the Fireplace HD 10 is now not the jewel in Amazon’s pill crown. For those who’re after an affordable pill with a deal with getting some work executed on the practice between watching episodes of The Boys (possibly finest not executed on the practice), then the Fireplace Max 11 could also be extra of what you’re after. 

That stated, the Fireplace HD 10 stays a very good funds Android pill – albeit one with an emphasis on Amazon companies – that you could possibly, in a pinch, use as a piece system, despite the fact that the main focus is especially on leisure.

Design & Construct

• Black plastic with a matt end
• Kind-C USB, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Light-weight, however cheap-feeling

Design-wise, the Fireplace HD 10 is a really primary, no-frills pill – matt plastic with no accents or metallic edges, simply the smiley Amazon brand minimize into the again. You don’t need to knock it for feeling and looking low-cost, however on the identical time, it kinda appears to be like and feels low-cost.

The model I used to be despatched was black, however lilac and ocean blue variations can be found as nicely.

On the plus facet, it’s light-weight and cozy to carry in a single hand, whether or not in portrait or panorama. Given the deal with leisure right here, it’d be nice if Amazon had labored a kickstand into the again just like the Fireplace HD 10 Youngsters Professional, so in case you wished to drop this up in your espresso desk, you’d must fork out for a case or dock. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

For those who’re holding the pill in panorama and dealing with it with the digital camera on the highest edge, you’ll discover two audio system sitting up on the highest edge, and the facility key, quantity rocker, USB port and headphone jack on the right-hand edge. On the underside edge, there’s a microSD slot, ought to you must increase storage.

Display screen & Audio system

• 10.1-inch LCD show
• Full HD+
• USI 2.0 stylus assist
• Stereo audio system 

The Amazon Fireplace HD 10’s show is properly detailed with a decision of 1920 x 1200, and it helps USI energetic stylus know-how, so when you have a USI stylus from one other pill, or a Chromebook, it’ll work right here too. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

With out having a stylus at hand, I can’t say for positive how good stylus suggestions within the show is, nevertheless it’s secure to imagine that it’s on par with the Fireplace 11 Max expertise – in different phrases, excellent. 

I recorded a peak brightness of 369 nits, which isn’t improbable, not likely vibrant sufficient for out of doors studying, except you’re someplace shady. That’s par for the course for funds tablets although, the Nokia T21, Samsung Galaxy Tab A8, and Oppo Pad Air all returned related outcomes, though the Fireplace Max 11 and Galaxy Tab A9 are a bit brighter. 

The stereo audio system should not too unhealthy, much better at delivering TV and film sounds and dialogue than they’re for music playback – bass tones should not very nicely outlined, and cymbals sound skinny and tinny. Once more, to be anticipated for a tool of this measurement and worth. 

Specs & Efficiency

• Mediatek 8-core processor
• 3GB of RAM
• Splendid for gentle looking, emails, and informal video games

The Amazon Fireplace HD 10 may be very a lot geared in direction of gentle internet looking, studying books, and streaming media. As commonplace you get 32GB of storage however 64GB is on the market too.

There’s a sport mode, which quickly disables Alexa and hides notifications for optimum efficiency, though Asphalt 8 was solely nearly playable. The Fireplace HD 10 is admittedly higher suited in direction of much less demanding titles, like Conflict of Clans.

The Silk browser is fairly good at working with north of ten tabs open, though it struggled with some busier internet pages, just like the BBC homepage and The Guardian. 

Sometimes struggled to leap between apps and processes. Exiting the digital camera, Conflict of Clans, and the Kindle app all noticed the pill freeze for a few seconds and take me again to a clean residence menu. A second later, all the widgets and app icons ghosted into view. Not the tip of the world, but additionally not very confidence-inspiring both. 

Benchmarking outcomes tallied with my observations – the scores listed here are roughly on par with different tablets in its class, and because the Manhattan and T-Rex body fee scores present, it’s simply not minimize out for fast-paced gaming. 

Amazon Fireplace HD 10 (2023) benchmarks

By way of wi-fi connectivity, you get Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.3, which is a bit disappointing for any new system in 2023. That’ll be quick sufficient for streaming video and music, however notice that the Fireplace Max 11 helps the newer and quicker Wi-Fi 6 commonplace.

Cameras

• 5Mp rear digital camera
• 5Mp entrance digital camera
• Full HD video

The principle digital camera is just not a lot to jot down residence about. It’s solely actually able to taking satisfactory photographs the place there’s ample pure gentle. Indoor photographs are likely to look fairly ropey – as you may anticipate from a digital camera in a cut price basement pill.  

The front-facing digital camera is ample for selfies, and for video calls, which is probably going the principle motive you’d be fascinated about a pill’s digital camera high quality. The digital camera interface can be rudimentary, and arduous to become familiar with.

Switching between entrance and principal cameras, for instance, requires you to faucet the three dots icon within the backside left nook, after which hit the double arrow icon – why this shortcut has been squirreled away to a sub-menu is a thriller.

As talked about earlier, the pill is now able to capturing Full HD video reasonably than commonplace HD 720p so there’s at the very least some enchancment and excellent news in case you plan to make use of the Fireplace HD 10 for video calls. 

Battery Life & Charging

• 13 hours quoted lifespan
• Weedy 9W charger

Battery life is nice, with the PC Mark Work 3.0 battery life take a look at giving me 10h 11mins. Somewhat off the quoted 13 hours, however loads of energy for most individuals’s functions. 

Much less good is the truth that the Fireplace HD 10 takes simply over 4 hours to cost utilizing the provided 9W charger. After quarter-hour from empty, I used to be on 4%, and after half an hour 8%. After an hour, 18%. That’s extraordinarily sluggish going.

Amazon says that USB Kind-C-to-C 15W chargers (bought individually) will recharge the pill from full in three hours. Which is nice to know, nevertheless it makes you surprise why they only didn’t embody one within the first place.  

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Software program & Apps

• Fireplace OS 8, primarily based on Android 11
• No Google Play Retailer
• Alexa and Echo Present Mode

As with all different Amazon Fireplace tablets, it runs one thing known as Fireplace OS, a personalized interface which relies on Google’s Android software program. 

It’s very simple to navigate, particularly in case you’ve used an Android pill earlier than. The principle web page is split into three sections the place you may try really useful apps and media, a house web page, and a library of all the things you’ve downloaded, and all of the tabs you’ve open within the Silk browser. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Nevertheless it’s not fairly the identical as common Android. For starters, despite the fact that the Amazon Appstore has most of the identical video games and apps, there are conspicuous absences, just like the YouTube Android app, Google Maps, and Chrome.

On that notice, you may’t even obtain different browsers from the Appstore – it’s very a lot a case of use the Silk browser or go residence. It’s the identical story on each Fireplace pill on the market, so that is nothing new however try to be conscious.

You don’t need to do completely all the things Amazon’s means on the Fireplace HD 10 although. For instance, you may have Alexa connect with your Spotify account, in case you’d reasonably use that than Amazon Music, so there’s some flexibility.

As with newer Fireplace units, Alexa is ‘arms free’, which means you may ship it voice instructions even when the show is off, and the pill’s locked. 

Echo Present mode additionally returns on the Fireplace HD 10. This basically turns the pill into a sensible residence show, displaying off issues like climate, trending recipes, a TV information, trending recipes, and extra. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Value & Availability

The Amazon Fireplace HD (2023) is in the stores instantly from Amazon now. The 32GB model prices £159.99/$154.99 whereas the 64GB model is priced at £189.99/$194.99. 

For those who can put up with adverts on the lock display screen, you may have both choice away with a £10/$15 low cost.

USI 2.0-certified styluses are additionally in the stores from Amazon for £34.99/$39.99. 

For those who’re prepared to half with a bit more money, good alternate options embody the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE, which has a superior show, higher battery, extra inside storage, for round £50 extra. 

The Oppo Pad Air is one other good choice – once more, higher show, extra storage, not far more costly, though the battery’s longevity is just not fairly nearly as good. Additionally contemplate the recently-tested Samsung Galaxy Tab A9, which is an analogous worth, has a smaller show, however comes with extra inside storage and Googke Play.

Alternatively, in case you’re after one thing with a bit extra energy, then the Fireplace Max 11 could also be a better option, or in case you had been in search of one thing cheap for all of the household, then the Amazon Fireplace HD 10 Youngsters Professional model could be a extra appropriate choice. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Do you have to purchase the Amazon Fireplace HD 10 (2023)?

The Amazon Fireplace HD 10 is for anybody who reads quite a bit on Kindle and Audible, has a Prime subscription, and streams the occasional present on Prime Video.

For those who’re already invested within the Amazon ecosystem, you’ll recognize having all the things at your fingertips if you first energy it on. 

Nonetheless, at £150/$140 (with advertisements), that is solely barely cheaper than different funds Android tablets, which characterize higher worth for cash, largely as a result of they’ll offer you entry to the Google Play app retailer, which gives extra alternative than its Amazon counterpart.

Specs

• Show: 10.1in, USI 2.0 stylus assist
• Decision: 1920 x 1200 (224 ppi)
• Processor: Octa-core as much as 2 GHz
• Storage: 32 or 64 GB (expandable by as much as 1TB)
• RAM: 3GB
• Digital camera: 5Mp entrance, 5Mp rear
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3
• Alexa-enabled: Sure, hands-free
• Sound: Dolby Atmos-branded dual-stereo audio system, microphone
• Battery Life: As much as 13 hours
• Charging: USB-C (USB 2.0)
• Weight: 433.6g
• Dimensions: 246 x 165 x 10.9mm