Amazon doesn’t update its Kindle ereader line up very often but it seems to update its Fire HD tablets all the time and 2024 is no different. The tech firm has just announced a new version of its cheapest colour screen tablet, the Fire HD 8, but the biggest surprise is the price.
The new Fire HD 8 is half price at £49.99, down from £99.99, for the 32GB model. Amazon has slashed the cost of its new tablet for two weeks, with the deal ending on 16 October at 8:55am.
The best part is you don’t have to be an Amazon Prime subscriber to access this deal – it’s open to everyone in the UK. If you want to take part in Amazon’s Prime Deal Days event on 8 and 9 October, then you’ll need to be signed up to Prime.
The Fire HD 8 is a small Android tablet with an 8-inch screen. It’s a great choice if you want to watch Prime Video or Netflix in bed or on the train but you don’t want to splash out on a tablet that costs hundreds of pounds.
Amazon says it has boosted the RAM in the Fire HD 8 for improved performance, plus the rear camera is now 5MP, an upgrade on the older model. It also claims the tablet lasts for 13 hours on a single charge. The device comes with a USB-C cable in the box, but no charger plug.
View the new Amazon Fire HD 8 here
It also looks like a solid tablet for reading Kindle books on, though remember this is a colour LCD screen, not the E Ink tech found in Kindle devices.
If you use a lot of Amazon services, and others such as Audible, the Fire HD 8 will serve you well, but it’s worth noting the tablet cannot download Google apps. Amazon annoyingly blocks you from using apps such as Gmail, Google Docs and YouTube on its Fire tablets.
It’s also annoying that you have to pay more for the Fire HD 8 if you don’t want ads on the homescreen when the device is locked. If you want a version without ads, you have to pay £10 more. That said, at the sale price of £59.99, the no ads version of the Fire HD 8 is still a good deal.
Amazon has also discounted both models (ads and no ads) of the 64GB Fire HD 8, which is a better choice if you want to download a lot of videos to store on the tablet for commuting or travelling.
Amazon also introduced a new Fire HD 8 Kids tablet, which has slightly less beefy specs but costs more than the regular model because it comes with a funky protective case that should keep your little ones from immediately breaking it. This version is also on sale until 16 October.
