Amazon Fireplace HD 8 (2020) evaluation: A pill for Amazon lovers, and nobody else

The usual for Amazon {hardware} hasn’t modified a lot through the years: Pay a little bit to get…not quite a bit, however greater than a little bit, at the very least.

{Hardware} from the Bezos empire (just like the current Echo Buds 2(opens in a brand new tab)) tends to compromise a bit on horsepower and options as a way to severely undercut the competitors on value, and the most recent Fireplace HD 8(opens in a brand new tab) pill is not any totally different. For simply $90 (or $104 if you don’t need lock display advertisements), you get a fundamental and largely succesful pill that is excellent for folks with their claws dug deep into Amazon’s ecosystem. If you happen to love studying books on Kindle(opens in a brand new tab) and watching films on Prime Video, then that is the finances pill for you.

However if you happen to want a do-it-all social media and work machine with speedy efficiency, you may run into some bother right here.

Not breaking new floor

Amazon would not got down to reinvent the wheel with its finances gadgets and, as anticipated, the Fireplace HD Eight has the identical rectangular form as most of its friends. If you happen to’ve ever touched a pill earlier than in your life, this might be instantly acquainted to you due to a generic feel and look. You possibly can nearly mistake the Fireplace HD Eight for a generic prop pill in a TV present. It is accessible in black, white, plum, and twilight blue, although that coloring simply alters the again cowl and never something you see whereas truly utilizing the machine.

This is what $90 will get you:

• An 8-inch show with a 1280×800 decision and a large bezel

• 32GB onboard storage ($30 additional for 64GB)

• 2GB RAM

• MicroSD slot (storage expandable as much as 1TB)

• 3.5mm headphone jack

• 2MP entrance and rear cameras

• USB-C port for charging

• As much as 12 hours of battery on a full cost

• Adverts on lock display ($15 additional to eliminate these)

The Fireplace HD 8’s insubstantial 12.5oz weight makes it comfy to be used on the go, as one would count on from a pill. The 8-inch show is usually shiny and vivid sufficient to do justice to no matter you are watching on it, although the 1280×800 decision would not maintain up in sure circumstances.

As an illustration, YouTube movies cannot play at something increased than 720p as a result of, nicely, there simply aren’t sufficient pixels on the Fireplace HD Eight to even show 1080p video. YouTube movies in each the standalone app and the net browser truly high out at 720p with no choice to look at in 60 frames per second (that I may discover), which is an actual annoyance. To chop Amazon a little bit of slack right here, although, that seems to be an issue on YouTube’s finish. Different apps with excessive body fee choices like ESPN labored simply high quality.

I am not going to castigate Amazon an excessive amount of for the Fireplace HD 8’s comparatively low display decision, as this can be a actually finances machine and even some more moderen and costlier gadgets, just like the $350 Nintendo Swap OLED, are nonetheless caught at 720p. At Eight inches, the display is sufficiently small that the distinction between 720p and 1080p could be negligible for many common people anyway. Simply know getting in that you just’re not getting a premium show, and YouTube is technically compromised on Fireplace HD 8.

USB-C charging is a significant new addition, since earlier fashions ran on micro-USB as a substitute. As at all times, I am in favor of USB-C for charging as a result of it is sooner and, extra importantly, I’ve prepared entry to roughly 10,000 free USB-C cables. The one different noteworthy port is a 3.5mm headphone jack. Between that and Bluetooth help, you’ll be able to take heed to your Audible books or streaming content material nevertheless you want. Heck, even the onboard audio system are loud, crisp, and completely listenable if you happen to’re not a significant audiophile.

I do not like how the rear digicam is true subsequent to all of the buttons and ports. Credit score: molly flores / mashable

The one actual difficulty I’ve with the bodily design of the Fireplace HD Eight is that digicam and port placements are barely awkward. The front-facing digicam is inside one of many longer bezels, which means you will want to put the pill in panorama mode for Zoom calls. The rear digicam lives in a nook on the identical facet of the pill as the amount and energy buttons, the charging port, and the headphone jack. If you wish to use that digicam whereas charging the pill or sporting wired headphones, these wires might be jutting out of the highest as a substitute of the underside, which is just no bueno. I would like for the rear digicam to be on the alternative nook, so the facility and quantity buttons are clearly on the underside.

That design quirk is considerably forgivable contemplating the Fireplace HD Eight is not essentially meant for images anyway. Much less forgivable is charging an additional $15 to eliminate advertisements on the lock display. Put merely, that is a trash coverage. Amazon does this with Kindle gadgets, too, and it is a frankly ridiculous behavior for an organization that already milks sufficient cash out of individuals. Sufficient!

These complaints apart, I typically do not thoughts the Fireplace HD 8’s modest design. The audience for it’s somebody who simply needs a pill with out going bankrupt and that is what they’re going to get. Its show will not trigger eye pressure, and its weight and kind issue will not trigger hand cramps.

Sadly, modesty is not as endearing in terms of efficiency.

Unsteady as she goes

The SD card slot can broaden storage by a ton. Credit score: molly flores / mashable

The Fireplace HD Eight runs on Fireplace OS, an working system Amazon makes use of for its Fireplace {hardware} that is based mostly on Android. The house display seems to be like a typical Android dwelling display with app icons in a grid, however swiping to the left and proper takes you between Amazon-centric menus for Kindle books, Prime Video streaming, straight up on-line procuring, and extra. If you happen to’re the type of one who lives, breathes, eats, and sleeps Amazon, you will really feel proper at dwelling.

The Fireplace HD 8’s efficiency is often high quality when bouncing round between Amazon apps like Kindle books and Prime Video streams. I learn a few of Dune on Kindle and watched a little bit of Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Child on Prime, and each have been fairly responsive and quick-loading experiences.

Sadly, Amazon’s reliance by itself customized model of Android means the actual Android expertise is not accessible by default. As a substitute of the Play Retailer, it’s important to set up apps from an Amazon app retailer that does not help each app you’d discover within the Play Retailer. Native Android apps for Gmail and Chrome, for instance, aren’t accessible right here. You’ll be able to technically sideload the Play Retailer onto the machine, however that requires some technical know-how and possibly is not price it for rookies.

Loads of main third-party apps are within the Amazon retailer, however I had much less optimistic experiences with them than the native Amazon apps. Twitter, Fb, and Instagram are all sluggish and jittery to make use of. Merely scrolling down a Twitter timeline feels such as you dipped the pill in molasses. There was a noticeable hitch at instances when switching from one in every of my mates’ Instagram Tales to a different. And once more, YouTube movies are restricted to 720p and 30 frames per second, show parameters that any fashionable smartphone can simply surpass.

With all that being stated, the battery life on the Fireplace HD Eight is definitely respectable for the worth. Amazon charges it for as much as 12 hours and I acquired near that whereas placing loads of stress on the machine.

On a full cost, I streamed a complete NFL sport, watched roughly an hour of YouTube, listened to podcasts for a pair hours on Spotify, streamed from Prime Video, and idly scrolled by way of social media feeds earlier than needing to plug in once more. In all, I acquired about 10 hours of use out of a full cost unfold out over 24 hours, and if I hadn’t streamed an entire soccer sport, it might need been extra.

I by no means anticipated the Fireplace HD Eight to be a powerhouse, so I am not shocked that it has bother with non-Amazon apps. It is definitely much more forgivable if you take the competitors into consideration.

Powerful to argue with $90

With out beating across the bush, you are simply not gonna discover a lot else within the pill marketplace for lower than $150. Your choices embody:

In fact, current iPads(opens in a brand new tab) are out of the query on this value vary. There’s additionally the $109 Fireplace HD Eight Plus(opens in a brand new tab), a souped-up mannequin with 3GB of RAM and wi-fi charging however in any other case the identical software program and have limitations of the Fireplace HD 8.

For sure, I’ve issues with the Fireplace HD 8. It is a comparatively weak pill that is clearly geared toward individuals who rely closely on Amazon for literature, leisure, and retail. As such, it performs these duties respectably, however it falls aside in different eventualities. Widespread apps like Twitter, Fb, and YouTube simply do not run nicely or supply all of the options you need on this underpowered finances pill.

However as a pure streaming and Kindle machine, you are not going to discover a higher worth on the market. It is nice that you may spend lower than $100 for a pill that may reliably stream the wonderful second season of Fleabag. Simply do not hassle with putting in third-party software program.