Andrew Heinzman
Amazon’s new line of Fire HD 8 tablets sport faster processors than their predecessors, along with a 12-hour battery life and USB-C charging. The high-end Fire HD 8 Plus even supports Qi wireless charging, a rare feature for a tablet. Starting at $90, Amazon’s new Fire HD 8 tablets are available for preorder and release on June 3rd.
With its updates, Amazon is bringing the Fire HD 8 line up to speed with the Fire HD 10. The new $90 Fire HD 8 has an upgraded Quad-Core processor and 2 GB of RAM, along with a MicroSD slot for up to 1 TB of expandable storage. It charges over USB-C and fits in Amazon’s new Fire 8 kickstand case, which doesn’t seem to be for sale yet.
An extra $20 will net you the Fire HD 8 Plus, which has an additional gigabyte of RAM and supports wireless charging through the Amazon Wireless Charging Dock, or any other Qi-Certified charger. But other than the extra RAM and wireless charging support, the HD 8 Plus is identical to the basic Fire HD 8.
Parents can also grab the new $140 Fire HD 8 Kids Edition, which comes with a year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, a rugged kids case, and a two-year replacement plan. It may seem expensive, but the HD 8 Kids Edition saves you from buying a $20 kids case or paying for a year of FreeTime Unlimited. Also, Amazon will replace the tablet for free if it breaks within two years of the purchase date—a policy that’s well worth its price tag.
The Amazon Fire HD 8, the wirelessly-charging HD 8 Plus, and the child-friendly HD 8 Kids Edition are available for preorder today. Amazon will start shipping units on July 3rd.
Source: Amazon via Business Wire
