Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) Review

Very similar to a wierd mashup of Deeperlove and The Loopy World of Arthur Brown, Amazon is again as soon as once more to carry you Fireplace – the newest Fireplace HD 10 pill, to be precise. 

This Twelfth-gen refresh affords 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 predominant sensor and 5Mp front-facing digital camera – now report 1080p Full HD video in comparison with creaky previous 720p. This implies Zoom calls will look just a little clearer. 

Lastly, the brand new mannequin can also 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 guide 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 inner 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 12 months, the Fireplace HD 10 is not the jewel in Amazon’s pill crown. In the event you’re after a cheap pill with a deal with getting some work finished on the practice between watching episodes of The Boys (possibly finest not finished on the practice), then the Fireplace Max 11 could also be extra of what you’re after. 

That mentioned, the Fireplace HD 10 stays a superb funds Android pill – albeit one with an emphasis on Amazon providers – that you possibly can, in a pinch, use as a piece machine, although the main target is principally on leisure.

Design & Construct

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

Design-wise, the Fireplace HD 10 is a really fundamental, no-frills pill – matt plastic with no accents or metallic edges, simply the smiley Amazon brand reduce into the again. You don’t wish to knock it for feeling and looking low cost, however on the similar time, it kinda seems and feels low cost.

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

On the plus aspect, 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 when you wished to drop this up in your espresso desk, you’d have to fork out for a case or dock. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

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In the event you’re holding the pill in panorama and going through 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 it’s worthwhile to develop storage.

Display & 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 expertise, so when you’ve got a USI stylus from one other pill, or a Chromebook, it’ll work right here too. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

With out having a stylus handy, I can’t say for certain 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, superb. 

I recorded a peak brightness of 369 nits, which isn’t unbelievable, probably not vibrant sufficient for outside studying, until 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 usually are not too dangerous, much better at delivering TV and film sounds and dialogue than they’re for music playback – bass tones usually are not very properly outlined, and cymbals sound skinny and tinny. Once more, to be anticipated for a tool of this dimension and value. 

Specs & Efficiency

• Mediatek 8-core processor
• 3GB of RAM
• Very best for gentle searching, emails, and informal video games

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

There’s a sport mode, which briefly disables Alexa and hides notifications for optimum efficiency, though Asphalt 8 was solely nearly playable. The Fireplace HD 10 is de facto 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 net pages, just like the BBC homepage and The Guardian. 

Often 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, the entire widgets and app icons ghosted into view. Not the tip of the world, but in addition not very confidence-inspiring both. 

Benchmarking outcomes tallied with my observations – the scores listed below are roughly on par with different tablets in its class, and because the Manhattan and T-Rex body charge scores present, it’s simply not reduce 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 just a little disappointing for any new machine in 2023. That’ll be quick sufficient for streaming video and music, however be aware that the Fireplace Max 11 helps the newer and quicker Wi-Fi 6 normal.

Cameras

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

The primary digital camera isn’t a lot to put in writing residence about. It’s solely actually able to taking satisfactory pictures the place there’s satisfactory pure gentle. Indoor pictures are likely to look fairly ropey – as you may count on from a digital camera in a cut price basement pill.  

The front-facing digital camera is satisfactory for selfies, and for video calls, which is probably going the primary cause you’d be curious about a pill’s digital camera high quality. The digital camera interface can also be rudimentary, and onerous to familiarize yourself with.

Switching between entrance and predominant 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 taking pictures Full HD video reasonably than normal HD 720p so there may be not less than some enchancment and excellent news when 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. A bit of 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 gradual going.

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

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Software program & Apps

• Fireplace OS 8, based mostly 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 customized interface which is predicated on Google’s Android software program. 

It’s very simple to navigate, particularly when you’ve used an Android pill earlier than. The primary web page is split into three sections the place you’ll be able to take a look at advisable apps and media, a house web page, and a library of every part you’ve downloaded, and all of the tabs you will have open within the Silk browser. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

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

On that be aware, you’ll be able to’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 you have to be conscious.

You don’t must do completely every part Amazon’s means on the Fireplace HD 10 although. For instance, you’ll be able to have Alexa connect with your Spotify account, when you’d reasonably use that than Amazon Music, so there’s some flexibility.

As with newer Fireplace gadgets, Alexa is ‘fingers free’, which means you’ll be able to 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 primarily turns the pill into a wise residence show, displaying off issues like climate, trending recipes, a TV information, trending recipes, and extra. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Worth & Availability

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

In the event you can put up with adverts on the lock display screen, you’ll be able to have both possibility away with a £10/$15 low cost.

USI 2.0-certified styluses are additionally available for purchase from Amazon for £34.99/$39.99. 

In the event you’re keen to half with a bit additional cash, good alternate options embody the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE, which has a superior show, higher battery, extra inner storage, for round £50 extra. 

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

Alternatively, when you’re after one thing with a bit extra energy, then the Fireplace Max 11 could also be a more sensible choice, or when you have been searching for one thing cheap for all of the household, then the Amazon Fireplace HD 10 Youngsters Professional model can be a extra appropriate possibility. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Must you purchase the Amazon Fireplace HD 10 (2023)?

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

In the event you’re already invested within the Amazon ecosystem, you’ll recognize having every part at your fingertips if you first energy it on. 

Nevertheless, at £150/$140 (with adverts), that is solely barely cheaper than different funds Android tablets, which symbolize higher worth for cash, largely as a result of they’ll offer you entry to the Google Play app retailer, which affords extra selection 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
• Digicam: 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