Amazon Fire HD 8 vs. 8 Plus: Which should you buy?

Amazon has updated almost all of its Fire tablets over the past year, from the basic Fire 7 to the more expensive Fire HD 10 The Kids Edition versions of the tablets have been updated in a way that mimics the regular ones.

Fire fans like myself have been waiting nearly two years for an update to the HD 8, which I have often called the Goldilocks of tablets for its price, performance, and value. Now that the Fire HD 8 has been updated along with a more premium Fire HD 8 Plus, what is someone in the market for a great mid-sized tablet to do?

Amazon Fire HD 8 vs. 8 Plus: Nit-picking the differences

This is the first time we've seen two different tablets in the same product line.

There is no difference between the two versions of the Fire HD 8. They look the same, weigh the same, and have the same accessories. TheRAM and charging capabilities are the biggest differences. That's all that's going on.

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The iterative changes that Amazon made to both models are welcome improvements.

It increased the battery life from 10 to 12 hours, which doesn't sound like much, but it can make a difference on long road trips or flights, and it just means that you can wait that much longer before charging again. Hopefully, we'll see that on all Amazon device updates, as it was brought to the lineup with the HD 10.

The HD 8 was updated to match better the 7 and Amazon's series. The processor was improved for a 30% performance improvement, and the RAM was increased to 2 and 3 gigabytes. Amazon bumped the microSD storage expandability up to 1 terabytes, which is great for storing movies, music, and games in areas that don't have internet.

I think it was a good decision to have the front-facing camera on the side in a horizontal orientation. It makes sense that this would be a better experience for video chatting with others since I tend to hold my tablets that way. The orientation of the keyboard makes sense.

Game Mode is Amazon's new distraction-free gaming experience. Notifications are not allowed to intrude on your game. What's the best part about it? When you open a game, it will come on automatically. If you don't mind the interruption, you can always turn this off in the settings.

Amazon Fire HD 8 vs. Plus: What does the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus offer?

The Fire HD 8 Plus was Amazon's first attempt to create a more premium tier in its Fire tablets. The device looks the same as the regular Fire HD 8 except for being available in a Slate color. It's what's on the inside that counts.

The HD 8 Plus has 50% more ram than the HD 8 and should help games and movies look better, as well as future-proof you longer than the other Fire tablets. The HD 8 Plus can charge more quickly thanks to its included 9W accessory. It's great for people who want to top off more quickly.

The real selling point of the HD 8 Plus is that it can be used for wireless charging. Some of the best wireless charging docks are also available on Amazon. If you use the Amazon dock, you can quickly put your Fire HD 8 into Show Mode and leave it like that without having to worry about the battery running out. You can pick it up and take it with you wherever you go.

I was happy to see that the popular size of the device had been updated after two years. More premium features were introduced in the HD 8. The HD 8 is the best option for most people. I don't think it's important that it doesn't have wireless charging or that it takes as long to charge as the HD 8 Plus. They're nice to haves, but not need-to-haves. Most people will be fine with the base version of the device if it isn't on sale.

The Fire HD 8 Plus is an excellent value for a personal or family entertainment device, even though it is less expensive than the cheapest iPad. You can get two fantastic Amazon devices for the price of one with that wireless dock and the fact that it can serve as a full-time replacement for the Echo Show. It's not a bad deal.