Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023)
Amazon’s FIre HD 10 (2023) looks to be a worthwhile upgrade thanks to improved performance, longer battery life and a lighter design.
Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021)
Amazon’s Fire HD 10 (2021) is still a worthwhile option but keep an eye on the price - as the newer version might be cheaper.
Amazon’s Fire HD 10 tablet has been a stalwart of affordable tablets over the years. Offering a large display and great resolution, it makes an ideal tablet for entertainment. For many years it was the largest tablet that Amazon offered, but now sits under the flagshipFire 11 Max tablet. However, the Fire HD 10 remains a great choice of tablet and mostly because of that attractive display size, which is great for entertainment.
Amazon announced a new version of the Fire HD 10 in September 2023, replacing the version that originally launched in 2021. The tablets are, however, basically the same design, so at first glance look similar. There are differences to note, however, so join us as we dive through a comparison of these two Amazon Fire HD 10 tablets.
Price, availability and specs
The 2023 Fire HD 10 is now available. It’s normally priced at $140 for the 32GB model, although Black Friday prices have brought a 43 per cent discount so you can pick it up for $80. The new Fire HD 10 will be available in three colours: Black, Lilac and Ocean.
The Fire HD 10 (2021) is still available through a wide range of retailers. The 32GB version of this tablet launched at $150 - so the new version is cheaper - but it has a 50 per cent Black Friday discount bringing it down to $75 - not much different to the new model. It is available in four different colours: Black, Denim, Lavender and Olive.
The new HD 10 design hasn’t changed very much. Both tablets have a 10.1-inch display with a front-facing camera that’s centered along the top of the display when the tablet’s in landscape orientation. Comparing the dimensions and weight, it looks like Amazon was able to shrink the overall size of the new Fire HD 10’s housing. The 2023 model measures 246 x 164.8 x 8.6mm, while the 2021 version measures 247 x 166 x 9.2mm. It’s not a whole lot smaller, but it’s something to note. As for weight, the 2023 HD 10 weighs in at 433g, while the 2021 version is 465g. The 30g difference may not sound like much, but I imagine it will be.
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These two tablets sit at the large end of Amazon’s range, but what are the differences?
Another difference is that the buttons on the right edge of either tablet have changed. On the 2023 model, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, a single microphone, the volume buttons and then the power button. The 2021 model, however, has a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, two microphones, then the power button followed by the volume buttons.
Below are the specs for your perusal.
Both versions of the Fire HD 10 have the same size and resolution. Each one is equipped with a 10.1-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, giving them 224 pixels per inch. They’re both strengthened with aluminosilicate glass, as well. Traditionally, the displays on Amazon’s Fire HD 10 tablets have been good, but not great. If you’re accustomed to using an iPad or even a modern smartphone, the Fire HD 10 display will be a little jarring at first. The resolution isn’t quite as good, and the colours will feel a bit off.
However, this is to be expected from a budget device, and in my experience, you quickly get used to the display. The important thing here is that the resolution is high enough to provide some detail and once you fire up a movie to stream, these devices look good.
Hardware and performance
Powering the new Fire HD 10 is a new octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM. Amazon specifically lists the processor as a 2x Arm Cortex-A76 with speeds up to 2.05GHz and a 6x Arm Cortex A55 with speeds up to 2.0GHz. Amazon doesn’t break down the 2021 model’s processor, listing only that it’s an octa-core 2.0GHz chip. The 2021 Fire HD 10 also has 3GB of RAM.
Amazon touts the newest model as having a 25 per cent increase in performance over the previous model, but these models are closely positioned.
Another important upgrade Amazon made to the new Fire HD 10 is replacing the 2-megapixel front-facing camera used in the previous generation model with a 5-megapixel shooter. The upgraded front-facing camera should provide a better picture for your video calls, in theory at least.
Other notable upgrades to the hardware in the 2023 model include Bluetooth 5.3, 13 hours of battery life (up from 12 hours) and support for 15W charging - the 2021 model only supported 9W charging. Both models have a microSD card tray that supports up to 1TB of storage, adding to either the 32GB or 64GB of base storage, providing a easy route toexpanding the storage.
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Are you trying to device what Amazon Fire tablet is best for you? Follow along as we give a rundown of each tablet’s pros, cons, and recommended uses.
Which one is right for you?
Based on the pricing and the specs, the 2023 model of the Fire HD 10 is the only one that makes sense. It’s a little more refined than the previous version and while there aren’t huge changes, the newer model is cheaper when at full price.
The only reason not to buy the 2023 model and take the 2021 instead, would be because it was on sale. However, even with Black Friday discounts, these tablets are basically the same price.
