Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018) Review: Cheap But Tough E-Reader
March 28, 2020Performance: 1.3GHz, quad core, 1.5GB RAM
Display: 8-inch, 1280×800
Storage: 16GB
Camera: Rear 2MP, Front 2MP
Rating: 5/10
Price: Under $79.99
Tablets, especially Android ones, are a dying breed. As smartphone screens have become progressively larger over the years, the need for tablets have declined proportionately. However, there are still instances where having a substantially larger screen could prove useful.
That’s where devices like the Amazon Fire HD 8 (8th Gen) thrives. It’s a cheap, no frills alternative to far more expensive e-readers. A relatively compact, matte black slab with an underwhelming 8-inch screen (1280×800). Its picture quality is passable at best, and is best suited to reading articles, documents etc.
The Performance
It’s powered by a quad core chip and 1.5GB of RAM, which is adequate for light tasks such as surfing the web or streaming videos. There is a noticeable lag, from the time you tap the screen to when the HD Fire 8 actually responds to said task.
It can be an infuriating experience, especially when time is of the essence. This is a tablet that doesn’t like to be rushed, no matter the task. Even when accessing the Settings menu, there’s an apparent 0.5 to 1 second delay, before it actually does anything. And don’t bother with the front or rear cameras. Picture quality is appalling for both.
The Fire HD 8’s only saving grace is its bottom firing speakers. They produce decent sound quality, and a good helping of bass, which is rather surprising. Regardless of what you’re watching or listening to, the audio quality is clear and devoid of sound distortions.
As an everyday tablet, the Amazon Fire HD 8 fails miserably. It isn’t meant to supplement your laptop or smartphone. It will make a hash of things, responding with app crashes and screen freezes. That, coupled with the fact that it lacks support for Google’s Mobile Services, make it an unworthy prospect as a daily driver.
That said, Google’s App Suite can be side loaded, but you would need to be tech savvy enough to accomplish this task. Even then, you won’t be able to enjoy the benefits of timely updates and app stability patches. Despite being a full-fledged Android device, Amazon chose to forgo the Play Store, Chrome and Gmail. Choosing to rely on its own app suite.
This isn’t a device for everyone. In fact, it’s actually meant for those wanting a colored-alternative to an e-ink reader such as Amazon’s own Kindle series. And this is where the Fire HD 8 excels at its job. Viewing PDF files, e-books and various other document formats on its screen are quite convenient. Words and diagrams are displayed properly with only minimal distortions.
Mind, there is still a noticeable amount of lag when attempting to open documents. But that is forgivable especially if you treat it as a cheap e-reader. And if you are able to come to terms with this fact, then your experience with the tablet should improve, remarkably.
Should I Buy One?
It’s a cheap but robust device that can handle abuse pretty well. Minor bumps and scrapes shouldn’t cause any internal damage, and battery life is decent too. So, if you’re in the market for a cheap tablet to serve as an e-reader and be used occasionally for media consumption, then the Amazon Fire HD 8 offers the best bang for your buck.
