The most recommended cheap tablet: we tested the Amazon Fire HD 10

The Amazon Fire HD 10, with a starting price of 149, 99 euros, it is more than an alternative: it is the only option if we have a tight budget and can accept some limitations.

With the success of the Kindle e-book readers, Amazon tried expand with other devices such as tablets and smartphones; And although the Kindle Phone was a failure, the Fire HD tablets are still excellent for a simple reason: their price.

Now, we have been able to test the last member of the family that has been renewed, the version of the 2021 version of the Fire HD 08 ; compared to the previous version, released in the 2019, there are not many new features, but you do not need them for continue to dominate a market, that of cheap Android tablets, from which we expected much more.

Simple but effective

The Fire HD 10 2021 is based on the same Mediatek Helio P processor 60 T of its predecessor, now accompanied by 3 GB of RAM instead of 2 GB; but far from being a drawback, the performance of this tablet is still the best in its price range. Either due to increased memory, or improvements in the Fire OS system, I have not had any problem using various apps, browsing web pages and even playing a bit, although demanding games like Genshin Impact are not recommended. At least cloud-based services like Xbox Game Pass work fine. That is already more than I can say with other cheap tablets, in which the great sacrifice to get a low price is the processor.

The battery is also noteworthy, or more specifically, the energy efficiency. Amazon promises 12 hours of use , and the truth is that it meets and sometimes exceeds them. That places it very well if we need a companion to our mobile and we do not want to carry a laptop with us. However, charging is not fast and there is no charger in the box, so you will need one; at least, the USB-C connection guarantees compatibility with whatever is modern.

On the outside, there are not many changes either, but again, they were not necessary. It is still a very austere design , without frills or anything special that makes it stand out. If you imagine “tablet” in your mind, you will probably imagine a Fire HD, that’s how generic they are. Still, there are little strange details, such as the position of the aforementioned USB-C port which, together with the 3.5mm audio jack, is at the top, and not the bottom as usual. That means it shares room with the power and volume buttons. Everything is concentrated on that side, with the rest of the edges of the device completely empty. I cannot say that it has affected the use much, but it is curious, to say the least.

As the official Amazon case is also curious, which I have also been able to test. It is completely made of recycled materials , plastic and fabric, and although the touch is somewhat rough, that helps it not fall off; Most notable is that the cover folds down to act as a stand, allowing us to put the tablet upright on the table. Although it may not seem like it, it is stable and supports our touches without falling, although 39, 99 euros can be too much for many people.

The edges of the screen are also thicker than the industry is getting us used to, which makes the tablet not as small as it could be. At least I have few complaints with the screen. With a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels in 10, 1 inch, is sharp , the color treatment is good, and I can spend hours and hours looking at it without problems. It’s not the best screen I’ve seen at this price, but it’s not the worst either. As a novelty in this version, it is protected with reinforced aluminum silicate glass , which should guarantee that it does not break at the first change.

Essential if you use Amazon While the hardware is inconspicuous, the software is another story. Amazon continues to bet on its own operating system, Fire OS; Although it is based on Android, it does not have Google apps and services, depending exclusively on the platform set up by Amazon.

The first difference is obvious as soon as you unlock the tablet. The interface is divided into three screens, designed to encourage the use of Amazon services to find our next book, movie or purchase. The first screen, the one that appears if we swipe to the left, is based exclusively on that, on finding recommendations and showing new products to buy or enjoy with our Amazon account; whether they are series on Amazon Prime Video, or books with Kindle Unlimited, we will find it here.

The screen that appears if we slide to the right, on the other hand, collects all the content that we already have, whether they are apps that we have bought and have not yet installed, or books pending to read. The central screen is the main one, from which we can access the installed apps. So far, everything normal, although from time to time you may find recommendations for new releases.

That is the big problem of the Fire OS interface: It seems that the function of the three screens is blurred, and in the end, they all serve the same purpose : so that you spend on Amazon and spend more time on their services. The fact that the app screen began to show recommendations for new books that I might like caused me a great rejection; If I want recommendations, I go to the screen on the left, which is dedicated exclusively to that. In an attempt to make me spend a bit more, Amazon only managed to piss me off.

Android, but not Google Fire OS is also not friendly if you want to do anything other than use Amazon services. We have already made it clear that you will not find Google services here and, therefore, neither the Play Store. We depend on the Amazon App Store, which, although it has improved a lot in recent years, still offers few apps.

It is worrying that, even when Amazon manages to convince developers, they do not fully bet on its platform. For example, one of the few apps that we have pre-installed is Microsoft Office , with all the great potential of its office automation applications; but in the App Store we cannot find your Edge web browser (or any other popular one) and we have to settle for Amazon’s Silk. It is shocking considering the Amazon-Microsoft alliance that will allow using this Android App Store on Windows 11 .

Although there are methods to bypass these restrictions, they are not recommended for the user who is little put into these things, when opening the door to install malware on the tablet.

The best, with small print All in all, the feeling that the Amazon Fire HD has left me 10 It is outstanding. There is absolutely nothing like it for this price , that offers the same experience, more typical of a tablet that costs 100 or even 150 euros more. But it is also a tablet tied to the Amazon platform, which expects us to be subscribers to all of its services in order to make the best use of it.

If we can accept that, the Fire HD 10 it is the best tablet for the price. We can get it from 149 euros , with 32 GB and advertising (164, 99 euros without advertising), or by 189, 99 euros with 64 GB ad (204, 99 euros without advertising).