Amazon used to call newly launched models “all-new.” Sometimes it meant an entirely new device, but sometimes it referred to a handful of improvements put in the old body.
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The new 8-inch Amazon Fire HD 8, which was announced today, costs the same as before – $79.99 – and is about improvements in the old body. These improvements, however, are bigger, compared to what was added a generation earlier.
Amazon announced that the new 8-inch Fire would start shipping on October 4, 2018, but you can add it to your cart already. What’s more, you can save $15 if you bundle it with Show Mode Charging Dock. The bundle normally costs $109.99, but for a limited time (and it’s almost certain the deal will end on October 4), the price is reduced to $94.99.
Show Mode Charging Dock was introduced in June 2018 and is a smart combination of multi-angle charging stand and a back-shell case. It will turn your tablet into Echo Show by automatically switching the Fire into Alexa hand-free mode.
Why should you buy the 2018 Fire HD 8 instead of hunting for price deals on the 2017 model?
- Alexa hands-free – a previous model was ready for Alexa. However, to enable the voice assistant, you had to press the button. Now, following Fire HD 10 launched in September 2017, the newest HD 8 can activate Alexa hearing your voice,
- 2 MP front camera – no more those ugly selfie photos in which you can’t recognize your family members! The new Fire HD 8 offers a much better front camera – 2 MP. It’s the same quality as the rear camera. The previous-generation Fire HD had 0.3 MP front camera,
- support for 400 GB microSD cards – in the 2017 model, you could expand memory using microSD card by up to 256 GB. The newly-released Fire HD 8 supports memory cards that are up to 400 GB. Good news for anyone who wants to download lots of videos for offline viewing.
Besides these three improvements, the rest is roughly the same. Body colors are the same (Black, Canary Yellow, Marine Blue, Punch Red). The dimensions are the same, so your current case cover should fit perfectly.
One thing to note is that Amazon claims battery life that is closer to reality. The previous-generation model was supposed to run for 12 hours. I own the 2017 Fire HD, and it never happened. The battery has to be recharged sooner, and I was mainly surfing the web and reading news or books. The Fire HD 8 (2018) can run up to 10 hours on a single battery charge, according to Amazon.
In the table below, you will see Amazon Fire HD 8 compared to 2017 and 2016 editions. In green is what has changed for the better; in red – for worse.
Amazon Fire HD 8 compared to previous generations
| Feature | Fire HD 8 2018 | Fire HD 8 2017 | Fire HD 8 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 8-inch | 8-inch | 8-inch |
| Resolution | 1280 × 800 px | 1280 × 800 px | 1280 × 800 px |
| Pixel density | 189 ppi | 189 ppi | 189 ppi |
| Alexa | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alexa hand-free | Yes | No | No |
| Storage | 16 GB 32 GB |
16 GB 32 GB |
16 GB 32 GB |
| RAM memory | 1.5 GB | 1.5 GB | 1.5 GB |
| microSD slot | Yes up to 400 GB |
Yes up to 256 GB |
Yes up to 200 GB |
| Processor | Quad-Core 1.3 GHz | Quad-Core 1.3 GHz | Quad-Core 1.3 GHz |
| Cameras | Front: 2 MP Rear: 2 MP |
Front: 0.3 MP Rear: 2 MP |
Front: 0.3 MP Rear: 2 MP |
Battery life | Up to 10 hours (mixed usage) |
Up to 12 hours (mixed usage) |
Up to 12 hours (mixed usage) |
| Weight | 12.8 oz 363 g |
13 oz 369 g |
12 oz 341 g |
| Dimensions | 8.4 × 5.0 × 0.4 in 214 × 128 × 9.7 mm |
8.4 × 5.0 × 0.4 in 214 × 128 × 9.7 mm |
8.4 × 5.0 × 0.4 in 214 × 128 × 9.2 mm |
| Prices from | $79.99 | $79.99 | $89.99 |
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