Amazon's Fire range of tablets gets new entries fairly frequently, and of its three lines: Fire 7, Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10, the latest...
Amazon's Fire range of tablets gets new entries fairly frequently, and of its three lines: Fire 7, Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10, the latest model to get an upgrade is the latter.
The new Amazon Fire HD 10 for 2021 is a refresh on the company's biggest tablet, and it comes alongside two siblings: a Fire HD 10 Plus and Fire HD 10 Kids Edition - the former of those two is a brand new device.
In our review of the Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019) we praised its long-lasting battery, practical design and clear screen - while we haven't got our hands on the new model yet, or its siblings, we can bring you everything we know about the slates so far.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Amazon's newest budget tablets
- When is it out? We don't know yet
- How much will it cost? Between $150 and $220
Amazon Fire HD 10 release date and price
While we know the Amazon Fire HD 10 price, the big question mark right now is a release date and regional availability.
The new line of tablets was launched on April 27th, with listings on Amazon US, but the tablets are listed as 'Out of Stock'. There's also no entry for the tablets on Amazon in other countries, so we don't know when they'll go on sale, or where.
In terms of price, we've got the cost of each of the tablets in US dollars, and can use conversions to guess at the exact release prices, though these are rough guesses until the actual costs are announced. You can see the prices below for the three tablets, as well as different size options they come in:
| Device | US price | UK conversion | AU conversion |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB) | $149.99 | £110 | $190 |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 (64GB) | $189.99 | £135 | $245 |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus (32GB) | $179.99 | £130 | $230 |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus (64GB) | $219.99 | £160 | $280 |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition | $199.99 | £145 | $255 |
Those prices are mostly the same as the previous-gen Fire HD 10 models launched for, though they've got a little cheaper over time. You can see current prices in your region below:
Design and display
The Amazon Fire HD 10 range is named after the screen, which is 10.1-inches across diagonally with a HD resolution - exactly as the name suggests.
In terms of design, you're getting the same utilitarian looks as previous entries in the line, though with slightly slimmer bezels.
There's a front-facing camera embedded in one of the long bezels, a USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a hardy plastic body that comes in black, blue, pink or green.
The Kids Edition tablet is also covered in a big, colorful 'kid-proof' case, which should protect it from the worst a child can throw at it (or throw it at).
Cameras and battery life
The Amazon Fire HD 10 tablets have a 2MP front-facing camera, useful for video calls, as well as a 5MP rear-facing one, for taking pictures of other people and things.
In terms of battery life, the slates supposedly last 12 hours of screen-on time - but that can change depending on what you do. If you're playing loads of games, you might not get through 12 hours before needing a charge, but if you're just reading books, you'll likely be able to do so for longer.
Amazon predicts the tablet will take four hours to charge up, and this uses its USB-C port. Well, that's the case for the HD 10 and Kids Edition, but the HD 10 Plus actually has wireless charging too.
This uses the Qi wireless powering standard, so it'll work with plenty of docks, but it's designed to work alongside one made by Anker specifically for the device. When powering up the HD 10 Plus this way, the tablet turns into an Alexa-enabled smart assistant.
Performance and software
Amazon doesn't detail the chipsets used in its tablets, but we do know the RAM, which can give us a basic illustration of the power of the slates.
While the 2019 model had 2GB RAM, the Amazon Fire HD 10 in 2021 has 3GB, a minor, but hopefully noticeable, increase. That's the case with the Kids Edition too, but the Plus model goes all the way up to 4GB, which will be even more useful for games.
All Amazon tablets run the company's fork of Android, which is built around the company's ecosystem of apps including Kindle, Prime Music and Prime Video. There's an app store with a limited number of games and apps, but this kind of tablet is best used if you use the company's services.
Some rival apps, like Netflix and Spotify, are available on the tablet though, in fairness to the company.
For the Kids Edition tablet, a select range of apps is available, that are chosen by Amazon to be appropriate for kids between the ages of three and seven - this stops them viewing anything or playing games that aren't appropriate for them.
With the Fire HD 10 Plus, you can use Show Mode, which basically turns the tablet into an Amazon Echo Show. This lets you access virtual assistant Alexa, for lots of hands-free functions. You can also buy a keyboard case for the tablet which is good for word processing and answering emails.
Takeaway
So the new Amazon Fire HD 10 is largely the same as its predecessor from 2019 but with more RAM, a bigger battery, a USB-C port and smaller bezels.
The Kids Edition is the same, but with child-friendly locks and a big protective case.
The HD 10 Plus comes with even more RAM, wireless charging, and the ability to use Show Mode and connect to the keyboard case.
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