The 8-inch tablets "Fire HD 8" and "Fire HD 8 Plus" are newly added to the Amazon device lineup. It attracted a lot of attention when it was announced in May, and although it has now been canceled, it is still fresh in our memory that it continued to be so popular that it was backordered for a while. I played around with the new model of the Amazon tablet, which has a reputation for "this price is too cheap" and "Isn't it disregarding profitability?"
The 10th generation, which will be the 2020 version, has improved performance and storage capacity compared to the 2018 version (8th generation), and has improved battery life to 12 hours (8th generation is 10 time). It has a new USB 2.0 Type-C port and supports charging via Type-C (previously microUSB). It is also worth noting that it has a "game mode" that allows you to concentrate on playing the game without being disturbed by various notifications.
In detail, the microSD card slot can now use microSD cards up to 1TB (previously up to 400GB). Compliant with IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and equipped with a dual-band compatible wireless LAN function, with two built-in antennas. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is not supported at the time of writing, but there is no dissatisfaction with 802.11ac if the communication speed is high.
The high-end Fire HD 8 Plus has 3GB memory and supports wireless charging "Qi", which is a big difference from the affordable Fire HD 8 (2GB memory, wireless charging not supported). On the other hand, the main body size / weight is 202 x 137 x 9.7 mm (length x width x thickness) / 355 g.
The deciding factors for choosing one are the price, the amount of memory installed, the presence or absence of Qi charging, and the coloring (Fire HD 8 Plus is slate only, Fire HD 8 is black, blue, and white). Regarding the included USB charger, the normal Fire HD 8 has a 5W output, and the Plus has a 9W output.
When comparing the same storage capacity on a single unit, there is a difference of 2,000 yen between the two products (in the case of a normal price without discounts), but personally, even if you pay this difference, it is a higher rank. I think I'll be happier in the future if I buy a Fire HD 8 Plus. Wireless charging and plenty of memory are important factors that make the tablet comfortable to use, and it can't be upgraded later.
The specifications of the 8-inch screen (800 x 1,280 dots, 189ppi), which was popular for its compactness and ease of holding, were inherited from the 8th generation. When reading e-books, text-based novels can be read clearly, but content with many comics and photos is not so high in resolution. However, thanks to the improved performance compared to before, the responses such as thumbnail display when quickly turning pages and scrolling through the list of works are smooth and comfortable to read. Thanks to the thick bezel around the screen, it is also good that it is difficult to make a mistake by hitting the edge of the screen even if you hold the main unit.
I also tried video playback. Since it supports the picture-in-picture (PIP) function, it is convenient to use it to browse websites and check emails while watching Internet videos on a small screen. The image quality is beautiful even when viewed from the front or diagonally, and it is easy to see without noise. What surprised me even more was the "sound spread" of the built-in speaker when watching videos.
When you watch Amazon Prime Video "Jurassic Park (dubbed version)" or Netflix's original animation "Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045", you can feel the spread of the sound better than you thought, and you should know it by watching it several times. Even though it is a work that exists, I was drawn in and looked into it. It should be the same as the previous generation in that it has dual stereo speakers that support Dolby Atmos audio, but compared to the previous generation, for example, the rustling footsteps of a group of dinosaurs running through the grassland are closer to us. as if coming SAC_2045 The calm lines of Togusa (CV: Koichi Yamadera) in the second episode also had a sense of realism, as if you were listening on the spot.
I don't know how audio processing such as Dolby Atmos is done in the Fire tablet (there is no such icon on the screen), but one thing I know is that the resin of the main body is Unlike the Fire HD 8, it doesn't vibrate even when the volume is turned up. This may have had a positive effect on the sound of the new Fire HD 8. In any case, when using a video distribution service, it seems more enjoyable to play audio with the built-in speaker. Of course, the 3.5mm stereo mini jack is still installed, so you can use earphones and headphones in consideration of your surroundings, such as late at night.