Deal
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Amazon Prime Day 2020 is well underway, and if you’ve been mulling a tablet purchase, now is the time to strike. One of the deals we’ve spotted is the Fire HD 10, Amazon’s best tablet, which has dropped down to just $80 ($70 off), the lowest price we’ve ever seen for it. The Kids Edition of the Fire HD 8 is also down to $80. Price drops on the 7-inch version of the Kids Edition haven’t hit yet, but Amazon has already pledged that it will be dropping to $60, which is $40 off its list price of $100. Both Fire Kids Edition tablets include a case and a year of Amazon’s Kids Plus subscription service, a $36 value.
So far, we don’t see price drops on the “adult” versions of the Fire HD 8, HD 8 Plus and Fire 7, but we’ll keep an eye on their prices, since Amazon often slips previously unannounced deals on its devices into Prime Day.
David Carnoy/CNET
Amazon has come a long way from the first Kindle Fire tablet. The Amazon Fire HD 10 is Amazon’s biggest tablet with a 10-inch screen size and powerful speakers (and it now charges via USB-C). Just like its smaller 8-inch sibling, the Fire HD 8, the tablet is packed with benefits for Prime subscribers, making it easy for members to stream and download movies, TV shows and games. The Fire tablets don’t use a pure version of Android, but instead Amazon’s Android-based Fire operating system, and pull apps from the Amazon App Store. You can still get apps from Google Play, but you’ll have to install the store yourself — meaning gaming enthusiasts have access to all of their favorite mobile games for an excellent gaming tablet experience.
The Fire HD 8 was updated earlier this year with a faster processor, USB-C charging, better Wi-Fi performance, 2GB of RAM (up from 1.5GB) and a bump from 16GB to 32GB of storage in the base model. Its HD screen is sharper than the entry-level Fire 7, but it’s not nearly as sharp as iPad displays. Even so, it’s a decent deal at $90 and a great deal at $55.
The HD 8 Plus adds wireless charging and slightly better performance, thanks to 3GB of RAM. It’s on sale for $75, or $20 more.
David Carnoy/CNET
The Fire HD 8 Plus adds wireless charging and more RAM (3GB instead of 2GB), which slightly improves performance over the standard Fire HD 8. It’s $20 more but is arguably the better deal at $75. Worth noting: The HD 8 Plus bundle with wireless charging dock is normally $150, but is on sale for $115 for Prime Day. I do like the charging dock. Read our Fire HD 8 Plus review.
The tablet should charge just fine on most wireless charging pads.
Amazon
This child-friendly version of the Fire HD 8 tablet adds a padded case, parental controls, a two-year warranty and a one-year subscription to Kids Plus (formerly known as FreeTime Unlimited), which normally costs $3 a month and gives you access to a bunch of kid-friendly content. It’s not really suitable for remote learning, but it’s a much more affordable option than giving a young child a full-on iPad.
Amazon
This has all of the same extras as the HD 8 above, but it’s the childproof version of the smaller, more affordable Amazon Fire 7. You’re getting a 7-inch screen instead of 8, and a less robust processor.
