TL;DR
- Amazon is launching a new lineup of Fire HD 8 tablets.
- The new tablets offer 50% more RAM than before.
- The company is also rolling out three new AI features for compatible Fire tablets.
Amazon’s Fire tablets may not be in the same class as Samsung’s Galaxy Tab or Apple’s iPad, but they are capable devices that provide decent bang for your buck. The latest additions to the Fire HD 8 line will give the series a much-needed upgrade, along with some new features.
Today, Amazon announced it is launching a new lineup of Fire HD 8 tablets. These models include the Fire HD 8 (2024), Fire HD 8 Kids, and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro. All three models will have their own collection of colors, which include:
- Fire HD 8 (2024): Black, Emerald, and Hibiscus
- Fire HD 8 Kids: Blue, Disney Pixar Cars (red and yellow), Disney Princess (pink and purple), and Grape
- Fire HD 8 Kids Pro: Discovery (teal and blue), Hello Teal, Jungle Cat (purple and blue), and Marvel Avengers (black and red)
The big upgrade here is the RAM, which Amazon gloats it stuffed in 50% more than the previous model. There are two versions of this tablet that will be available, one with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage and the other offering 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage. The 4GB model will only be available in black. Additionally, the Fire HD 8 has an upgraded 5MP rear-facing camera, an 8-inch HD display, and up to 13 hours of battery life.
As for the kid-friendly models, you can expect similar specs. However, these devices will come with parental controls, a 2-year worry-free guarantee, a subscription to Amazon Kids Plus, and a kid-proof case.
Outside of hardware, the company also announced it will be rolling out three new AI features that will soon arrive on the new Fire HD 8 and other compatible Fire tablets. Amazon did not say when the rollout would happen, nor did it offer a list of compatible tablets.
The first of the new AI features is a wallpaper creator, much like the one you’ll find on Android. Next is a tool that summarizes the webpages you visit while using the Silk browser. Finally, Fire tablet users will have access to a writing assist tool that’ll work for email, Word documents, and social media.
The new Fire HD 8 tablets start at $99.99, but you can get them right now for as low as $54.99. Amazon says this deal will only last until October 9, so you might not want to wait too long to pick one up.