If the £ 500 spend on an iPad Air seems a bit rich, then a popular option is Amazon’s Fire tablet range. These affordable devices were a huge hit for the online retailer and the company is now back with another update for its mini PCs. The Fire HD 10 Plus has just hit the market with a performance upgrade and a refreshed design that now comes with a slate-colored soft-touch finish. With prices starting at £ 179.99, it seems like a pretty decent bargain, but is this tablet really worth your hard-earned money or should you save a little extra and just buy an iPad? Express.co.uk put it to the test and here is our full review.
CHECK THE FIRE HD 10
Right out of the box, this new device still looks a lot like an Amazon tablet. Despite the tactile soft-touch finish on the back, everything else appears the same as before. That means you still get some pretty chunky bezels around the screen that now look very old.
Obviously, this is a very cheap device, so we expect some compromises, but if you’re looking for the best-looking tablet in town, the Fire HD 10 Plus probably isn’t for you.
Turn things on for the first time and next, you’ll be asked endlessly to sign up for Amazon’s numerous subscription plans. Many of these, like Prime Video, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Kindle Unlimited, have very enticing free trials that are fine. Please note, however, that after these deadlines you will be billed monthly.
Once you’ve passed those constant pop-ups, things are actually pretty impressive.
The 10.1-inch full HD screen is good and completely sufficient for surfing the Internet and watching one or two films and box sets on Prime Video. The octa-core processor isn’t the fastest, but basic tasks can be performed with a touch of stuttering, and this model gets a tiny bit of extra RAM to handle more intense activity.
Overall performance is pretty good, with our only major flaws about ease of use coming from the pretty bad speakers that sound terribly tinny and don’t have an ounce of bass.
There’s a bit of a problem with apps too. That’s because the Fire HD 10 Plus running on Android cannot access the Play Store and all of its millions of applications. This means you are stuck with Amazon’s own app marketplace which is fine but just can’t compete with what Google or Apple has to offer.
You can’t even install Chrome or Gmail on the Fire, which is quite irritating. If that doesn’t bother you and you just need a tablet for browsing and shopping on Amazon, the HD 10 Plus is pretty hard to fault.
While those little things are a bit annoying, one thing that has improved with the Fire range is the accessories on this new tablet.
Amazon even offers a productivity bundle that includes a keyboard and full access to Office 365 and all of its apps such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote for a whole year. That means you can enjoy a Windows 10-style experience, without endless security updates, bug threats, and complicated menus.
The standard Fire HD 10 Plus costs £ 189 while the Productivity Bundle costs £ 275 which isn’t bad value for money.
Since it’s an Amazon tablet, you can of course access Alexa hands-free, invoking the talkative assistant without having to touch the screen. You can even turn the screen into an Echo-style smart speaker which is a really nice and very useful touch.
Get around 10-12 hours of battery life when you’re on the go and wirelessly charge when things run out – not even the iPad Pro has this feature!
FIRE HD 10 JUDGMENT
ADVANTAGES – Nice 10.1 inch screen • Good battery life • Wireless charging • Great value for money
DISADVANTAGE – Design looks outdated • Missing apps • Terrible speakers
If you’re already a huge fan of Amazon and its subscription services, there’s a lot to like about the Fire HD 10 Plus.
It has a decent screen, long battery life, and just enough power for the average user. The extra memory and wireless charging are nice additions, and the ability to add a keyboard and Microsoft applications is a welcome addition.
It’s not the fastest or prettiest tablet out there, and the lack of apps can be a problem for some. Those little things mean this is definitely not an iPad killer.
However, for the price, this tablet is great value and if an iPad just seems too expensive, this is a solid option for anyone on a budget.
