Amazon Fire HD 10 in the test: Entry-level tablet cheaper than 110 euros

The 2023 version of Amazon’s 10-inch tablet retains much of its predecessor, the Fire HD 10 2021 (test report). The price stays low 110 Eurosthe design is again old-fashioned and the performance is weak. The device can play Prime Video or Netflix content in Full HD. In testing, we came to the conclusion more than ever that Amazon urgently needs to rethink its tablet concept.

The Fire HD 8 Plus (test report), which we were also able to test, is even cheaper and more compact. But there we were impressed by the same few aspects of the device as is the case with the Fire HD 10 (2023).

Amazon has kept the Fire HD 10’s design unchanged for more than three years. That might be fine in 2021, but for this year’s version we’d be happy with a redesign with thinner screen edges or rounded display corners. At about a centimeter, they’re still so thick that they make the device look like a toy. The plastic back still doesn’t feel of high quality in your hands. The device is always slippery.

At 433 grams, it remains light, and it’s also about half a millimetre thinner, making it about 8.6mm thick. But has nothing really changed in terms of design? But: Amazon changed the position of the power and volume buttons in the new version of the tablet without any apparent need, so that the old cases no longer fit. From a stability point of view, this is really a shame and not at all necessary from a technical point of view, let alone beneficial.

Nothing has really changed in the Fire HD 10’s display. It appears to be the same IPS panel that was installed two years ago. Its resolution is 1920 × 1080 pixels and therefore has a respectable pixel density of 224 ppi. The fact that the refresh rate does not exceed 60 Hz should not surprise anyone in this price range. It’s a shame that the display’s colors and contrast are slightly weaker than those of similarly priced competitors. However, viewing angles are stable. In testing, we were unable to reproduce the 10 percent higher screen brightness promised by Amazon compared to the predecessor – it remains at 400 cd/m², although this is not an unusual value for a tablet.

The most impressive thing about the fantastic Amazon Fire HD 10 is the 13th generation camera. A front and a main camera are installed, both with a resolution of no less than 5 megapixels. So the photos are hardly usable; any detail is quickly lost, especially in dark lighting conditions. But the color representation is still fine. What is even more commendable is that the front camera has been upgraded to 1080p. Video recording is possible on both sides with a maximum resolution of 1080p at 30 fps.

The Fire HD 10 uses an unspecified octa-core processor that runs at a maximum of 2.05 GHz. In everyday life, the power it provides is sufficient for most tasks. However, multitasking is often too demanding for the device, and occasional stuttering and long wait times can be expected. Even for smooth operation of small games such as Angry Birds Or candy Crush That should be enough, but there’s nothing more than that.

In the PCMark Work 3.0 benchmark, the device actually scored a weak 5000 points. For comparison: the smaller Lenovo Tab M9 (test report) manages around 7000 points in the same benchmark, even though it costs the same as Amazon’s Fire HD 10. We were unable to run graphics benchmarks due to the limitations of Fire OS.

It only has 3GB of RAM available, which explains its inability to meaningfully multitask with more than two apps. Indeed, 4GB of RAM is the reasonable lower limit. There’s also a choice of 32 or 64GB of internal memory – it’s amazing that even in 2024 you’ll have the opportunity to buy a new tablet with 32GB of memory. From a sympathetic point of view, Amazon should immediately use 64GB as the lower limit next year. At least 128GB of storage space would be more appropriate. After all, the memory can be expanded up to 1TB with a memory card.

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Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.3 with LE are available for communication, but there is still no GPS. The speakers are of poor quality considering the price. The installed version of Fire OS is 8.3.2.3 based on Android 11, which is now three and a half years old.

As with the old Fire OS, the old limitations of the operating system remain, which we were already upset about with the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (test report). There are no Google services here, no Play Store, just a poor Amazon App Store that doesn’t offer many apps. Instead, you get an old operating system that is very limited in terms of customization and displays advertising in many places if you haven’t chosen the ad-free version for an additional 15 euros when ordering. We think this is a somewhat strange business model in 2024. If you still want to use Google services with a Fire tablet, we recommend our guide Amazon tablets with Google apps: cheap for a top tablet? The Fire HD 10 has one strength: Thanks to Widevine Level 1, content from Netflix, Prime Video or Disney Plus can also be played in Full HD.

If you buy a tablet for children, you can choose the children’s version for an additional fee, which is suitable for children of preschool age. Technically it is exactly the same tablet, but it comes with a very thick and extremely comfortable foam cover. In addition, the operating system has been optimized so that children have access to a special, well-designed area.

In the PCMark battery test, the tablet lasted about 10 hours with 6500 mAh. That’s okay. It is recharged using only a 13-watt power adapter; the charging process takes three and a half hours.

The black Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) costs around 110 EurosIf you choose the version with 32 GB of storage space, it is priced directly from Amazon 165 euros. In addition to black, there are two other color variants: blue and purple, which are slightly more expensive at 120 euros. Currently there are variants with 64 GB of memory 120 Euros Due, which is why we would recommend this option. On Amazon they are 195 Euros. As mentioned, there is an additional charge of 15 euros for ad freedom. The Kids version costs around 198 Euros And is available with only 32GB of storage, including a light blue, pink, or green case.

The Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) is good for the price it’s offered at. But it’s not a great device in its own right. The fact that such poorly equipped devices still exist in 2024 is surprising, given the evolution of the last few years and today’s expectations of technology. The Fire HD 10 remains at the very low end of the performance spectrum. But the whole thing certainly has a right to exist as a cheap branded product and may even have some appeal for fans of Amazon tablets.

The tablet may be good enough for pure media consumption. For children’s use, there are still few options that are better than the Kids Edition of the Fire HD 10. The same applies to price, where you can often only find what you are looking for in Chinese stores without support and updates.

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