Best Amazon Fire tablets in 2023

Are you looking for a tablet for media consumption, social media, or web browsing? If so, Amazon’s Fire tablet lineup has some excellent options. While Fire tablets aren’t as powerful as premium Android tablets or iPads, they are a great value for the money. But, since the e-commerce giant offers multiple tablets in different sizes, including kid-specific versions, it can be tricky to determine which is the most suitable for you. To help, we have simplified the Fire tablet lineup in our recommendations below.

Before we dive into the best Amazon Fire tablets, it’s important to remember that even though Fire tablets run on Android, they use a forked version called Fire OS. It’s essentially a copy of Android without all the Google stuff. So you won’t get access to the Google apps or the Play Store, leaving you with only Amazon’s Appstore to download apps or games.

The good news is that you can get the Google apps, including the Play Store, on a Fire tablet; however, it’ll require a fair bit of tinkering, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea — and it may void your warranty. Regardless of how you get your apps, here are some of the best Amazon Fire tablets available.

The best Amazon Fire tablets to buy in 2023

The Amazon Fire HD 10 is a very capable tablet that delivers far more value than what you pay. It has a bright 10-inch full-HD screen just right for your Netflix or Prime Video binge sessions. The display is sharp and has good color and saturation. Additionally, you get around 12 hours of battery life, which should be enough for most users and in line with pretty much any other tablet on the market. The octa-core MediaTek chip powering the tablet is no performance beast, but it does the job. So whether you are browsing the web, reading e-books, watching videos, or scrolling through Instagram, you won’t notice any issues on the performance front.

Gaming is not a forte of this MediaTek processor, so if you do want to play games on the slate, get ready to experience some choppiness and delays in even loading them. The Fire HD 10 also looks decent, and while it has noticeable bezels, they make it easier to hold the slate. Lastly, there are two cameras — one on the front and the other on the back. However, these are only good for occasional video calls or taking photos in a crunch situation.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus (2021)

Premium pick

A souped-up Fire HD 10

Although a minor step up from the Fire HD 10, the Plus model is Amazon’s flagship tablet. It adds wireless charging for convenience and more memory for smoother performance over the regular version.

Pros

• Bright, sharp display
• Wireless charging support
• Four gigs of RAM

Cons

• Poor cameras and speakers

The Fire HD 10 Plus is the top-of-the-line offering in Amazon’s tablet arsenal. Although it shares several features with the regular Fire HD 10, the tablet packs two significant upgrades that enhance the usability and performance of the device. Most importantly, the Fire HD 10 Plus comes with 4GB of RAM, which is 1GB more than the regular version. While one gig doesn’t sound like a lot, the extra RAM sure comes in handy while browsing with multiple tabs open or accomplishing other memory-intensive tasks. It will also make the tablet slightly more future-proof than the regular version.

The second upgrade is the addition of wireless charging, which is incredibly convenient. Amazon sells a $50 Anker-made wireless charging dock that is quite useful. You can simply place the tablet in the dock and watch the latest Marvel show while it charges in the background. Apart from these improvements, you get the same bright and colorful 10-inch full HD screen as the Fire HD and the same excellent battery life. But, unfortunately, you also get the same poor cameras and speakers.

Source: Amazon

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2022)

Best value

Bang for the buck

The Fire HD 8 (2022) offers the best value of any tablet in Amazon’s portfolio, with an 8-inch screen and a faster chip than its predecessor.

Pros

• Excellent battery life
• Headphone jack, expandable memory slot

Cons

• Poor camera quality
• Only 90-day warranty

Amazon’s latest Fire HD 8 tablet refresh is an excellent value option for anyone invested in the company’s ecosystem. For a starting price of $100, the tablet offers an 8-inch HD display good enough for watching videos, reading e-books, or using social media. Of course, it falls short in vibrancy and brightness compared to the iPads and the Samsung Galaxy tablets of the world, but you can’t expect much at this price point.

The new six-core processor is faster than the four-core chip present in its predecessor, which helps the Fire HD 8 deliver an okay-ish experience. Unfortunately, there is some delay in launching apps and navigating through the interface. Still, fortunately, the media playback is smooth, and even though the tablet isn’t the snappiest, it’s not unusable, either.

Amazon promises a 13-hour battery life, which is quite good for a budget slate. But the included 5W charger is pretty slow and takes about five hours to top it up. However, you can use your phone or USB-C laptop charger to reduce the charging time to about 2.5 hours. In other features, the onboard cameras are mediocre at best — your phone camera will better serve you. But the cameras are there for that rare instance when you may need to use them.

All-in-all, while the Fire HD 8 (2022) isn’t the cheapest tablet in Amazon’s portfolio, it makes the most sense to buy if you aren’t keen on spending extra to go for the Fire HD 10 or Fire HD 10 Plus.

Amazon Fire 7 Kids (2022)

For the kids

Sturdy and inexpensive

The Fire 7 Kids (2022) is the same tablet as the regular Fire 7, but it’s bundled with a kids-proof case and access to Kids+ service. So it’s a pretty good, inexpensive option for your children.

Pros

• Bundled Amazon Kids+ subscription
• Two-year warranty
• Kids-proof case

The Amazon Fire 7 Kids (2022) is the same tablet as the new Fire 7, at least hardware-wise. You get the same quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 7-inch 1024x600p display. The big difference is that the Fire 7 Kids is designed specifically for children aged 3-7. As a result, the tablet comes with a sturdy kids-proof case with a built-in stand, which will keep the tablet safe when your kids inevitably drop it.

In addition, Amazon bundles a one-year subscription to its Kids+ service that offers access to thousands of apps, games, books, videos, and more. However, after the first free year, you will have to pay $5 plus tax to get the service. Several parental controls are also baked into the tablet, allowing you to filter content based on your child’s age, set time limits and educational goals, and give access to a limited selection of content from Netflix, Disney+, and Zoom.

Unfortunately, apart from the age-based filtering and per-title blocking, there is no way to limit content availability in the Kids+ service. Another highlight of the tablet is its two-year limited warranty. So if the tablet has issues anytime in the two years, you can ask Amazon to fix or replace it. As the Fire 7 Kids is based on the Fire 7 tablet, it’s not as powerful as Fire HD 8 Plus or Fire HD 10, but your child isn’t going to do any processor-intensive tasks anyway.

Source: Amazon

Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2022)

Compact but powerful

Great for small tablet buyers

The “Plus” in the tablet’s moniker means you get extra features over the regular Fire HD 8, including 10W wireless charging support.

Pros

• Solid battery life
• Wireless charging
• 3GB RAM

Cons

• Mediocre cameras
• Only 90-day warranty

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (2022) is a minor upgrade over our value pick — the Fire HD 8 (2022). It offers the same feature set and specifications, but you get improvements in three areas for a $20 premium over the Fire HD 8 price. First, the Plus model gets you an extra gig of memory, which helps with the overall fluidity and responsiveness of the tablet. There is also a 5MP primary shooter on the Plus model instead of a 2MP camera. But while you get higher-resolution photos, the overall quality isn’t that different from the non-Plus version.

Additionally, Amazon has included wireless charging support in the Fire HD 8 Plus. But you’ll have to buy a $50 ($40 if you get the bundle) wireless charger separately. Apart from charging your tablet at 10W, the wireless charging also acts as a dock, which will come in handy while watching videos, reading recipes in the kitchen, or during video calls. Lastly, the company bundles a 9W power brick with the Plus model, which can top up the slate in around three hours, about the same time the wireless charger takes.

Amazon Fire 7 (2022)

No-frills budget slate

An inexpensive tablet

The Fire 7 is the most affordable slate in Amazon’s lineup. While it packs entry-level specifications, the company has upgraded features in the latest version to make the tablet more responsive.

Pros

• 10 hours of battery life
• Upgraded processor

Cons

• Only 90-day warranty
• Mediocre, lower-resolution display

The Amazon Fire 7 (2022) is the newest addition to Amazon’s Fire tablet lineup. It packs several welcome upgrades over its predecessor, which had become quite dated. Most importantly, you will now get a new processor, which Amazon claims is 30% faster than the one present in the 2019 model. Plus, the company has doubled the amount of RAM to 2GB. Both of these improvements will undoubtedly aid in the device’s overall performance. Battery life is also getting a boost in the new Fire 7 tablet. Amazon promises the tablet will last up to 10 hours on a single charge.

And when it’s time to charge, you will be happy to see the USB Type-C port on the device. The display is still a 7-inch 1024×600 pixel IPS panel, which is unlikely to blow you away, but it’s the best you can get at such a low price. Unfortunately, the onboard cameras and the single speaker are also similarly mediocre. But, overall, it’s the most reliable tablet you will find at $60.

Comparing Amazon’s Fire tablets

If you are still deciding between two or more Amazon tablets, here is a quick comparison to give you a neat idea of how each stacks up against the others.

The right Amazon tablet for you

Google may have decided to join the tablet party with the Pixel Tablet this year. But barring probably Samsung, Amazon has been the most consistent brand when it comes to Android tablets. Every couple of years, the company upgrades its tablets to ensure they are reasonably powerful enough to tackle what’s thrown at them. And as its portfolio has matured since the days of the Kindle Fire, it has expanded to include a wide range of sizes and capabilities. As a result, it has something for everyone.

Our best overall pick, the Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021), is an all-rounder. Its high-resolution 10-inch screen is great for watching videos or browsing the web. But if you prefer the absolute best premium option, Fire HD 10 Plus is the way to go. It has wireless charging and 4GB of RAM in addition to everything you get in the Fire HD 10. But remember, both the Fire HD 10 and the Fire HD 10 Plus are due for an upgrade. So unless you really need a tablet right now, it may be wise to wait for a month or two for the 2023 edition of the Fire HD 10 slates.

Finally, if you need a reliable but cheap tablet for accessing social media, reading e-books, or catching the latest Prime Video show, the Amazon Fire HD 8 (2022) makes the most sense. It lasts up to 13 hours on a single charge and has an HD display.

Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021)

Best overall

Good performance, battery life, and a decent display

Although due for an upgrade, the Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021) is still the best tablet in the company’s portfolio. It’s great for media consumption and general web browsing.

Pros

• Bright, colorful display
• Inexpensive
• Excellent battery life

Cons

• Unimpressive cameras and speakers
• Limited apps and games