Skilled’s Score
Professionals
- Enticing, slim design
- First rate show
- Good child-friendly options
- Reasonably priced value
Cons
- Poor efficiency
- Not the best pill to make use of
Our Verdict
Amazon is getting extra critical about its kid-friendly tablets, and the Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional is a superb all-rounder for youthful youngsters – however older customers will seemingly need one thing with extra energy. It’s very reasonably priced, although, and has a strong set of parental controls that make it ideally suited for monitoring exercise and making certain your little one stays on-task with academic initiatives.
Worth When Reviewed
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Finest Pricing Right this moment
As with many mother and father, my spouse and I picked up an Amazon Fireplace pill a while in the past for our baby forward of a giant street journey. These six hours within the automotive flew by as he watched exhibits, performed video games, and extra, but it surely at all times felt like a pill struggling below the load of comparatively menial duties.
Whereas it was by no means going to benchmark towards the likes of an iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab, it typically felt sluggish, with a uninteresting show that sacrificed nearly all the things to hit a low value. It was, in some ways, a toy, so once I acquired the chance to place the newest Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional via its paces, I used to be intrigued.
Proper from the unboxing, it’s clear that it is a extra critical machine for tech-curious little ones. And whereas it’s laborious to advocate to anybody over the age of 12, it’s a way more usable machine than Amazon’s prior small tablets, regardless of some caveats.
Design & Construct
- Slim but sturdy design
- Enjoyable design choices
- No water or mud resistance ranking
One of the vital noticeable adjustments once you take the Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional out of the field is simply how slim it’s in comparison with its non-Professional predecessors.
It’s a drastically extra svelte bundle, giving the sensation of being a extra spectacular product for extra ‘grown-up’ youngsters, which my five-and-a-half-year-old son immediately recognised.
Lloyd Coombes / Foundry
On the surface, you’ll discover some easy-to-press quantity and sleep/wake buttons, in addition to a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C charging port.
Amazon is continuous its two-year guarantee that permits you to swap a busted machine for a contemporary one with little to no friction, so I didn’t really feel as cautious as I may need been in any other case handing a £150/$150 pill to my little one.
Nonetheless, it’s value noting that there’s no IP ranking for water or mud resistance, so that you’ll should watch out within the lavatory or on the seaside.
There’s no IP ranking for water or mud resistance, so that you’ll should watch out within the lavatory or on the seaside
My evaluation unit consists of the ‘Good day Teal’ case, however there’s additionally a pink various with a Jungle Cat rear print and a Marvel’s Avengers providing that my son has taken a shine to. You possibly can decide up an entire host of third-party choices, too, and every of the built-in choices has a strong kickstand that’s ideally suited for taking part in video games at a desk.
Whichever case you go for, the Amazon Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional doesn’t creak like a few of its predecessors, and feels comfy to carry in each panorama and portrait orientations.
Display & Audio system
- 8-inch IPS show
- 1280 x 800 decision
- Single speaker
As you would possibly anticipate from the identify, the entrance of the Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional options an 8-inch display. Nonetheless, it feels a lot larger than 8 inches due to the sizeable bezel across the show, plus the extra edges of the included case.
Coming from the Fireplace 7 Youngsters, I’m happy to see a sharper, brighter display right here, however solely simply – the decision of 1280 x 800 is similar as a Steam Deck, however pales compared to the 10-inch display discovered on the Fireplace HD 10 Youngsters Professional, which hits 1920 x 1200.
Lloyd Coombes / Foundry
Primarily, you’ll be capable of watch movies in 720p HD, however not Full HD or something larger. It’s an IPS panel, although, so colors are pretty correct. Nonetheless, the show attracts a good quantity of glare, so visibility in vibrant out of doors environments generally is a battle.
However total it’s a reasonably strong show that’s ideally suited for nearly any TV present your baby desires to look at.
It’s a reasonably strong show that’s ideally suited for nearly any TV present your baby desires to look at
I’m additionally impressed by how punchy the audio system can get, too. When watching a film, the Amazon Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional can hit some spectacular quantity with out changing into noticeably distorted.
It’s not the identical as you’d get from a extra premium pill, however sufficient that you simply’ll want to succeed in for these quantity buttons once you’ve had fairly sufficient of Peppa Pig for the umpteenth time.
Specs & Efficiency
- Unnamed 2GHz Hexa-core processor
- 3GB RAM
- 32GB of storage, expandable through Micro-SD
Regardless of the ‘Professional’ affixed to the identify, there’s no actual efficiency bounce in comparison with the bottom Fireplace HD 8. The Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional nonetheless makes use of the identical Hexa-core 2GHz processor (Amazon doesn’t specify the mannequin), pairing it with 3GB of RAM.
These are modest specs, however they symbolize a giant improve in comparison with the Fireplace 7 Youngsters. That machine would typically stutter when switching between apps, downloading new ones, and even flicking between dwelling screens.
Lloyd Coombes / Foundry
Whereas the Amazon Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional doesn’t supply something rivalling flagship efficiency, lots of these wrinkles have been ironed out, resulting in a extra responsive pill that handles the number of apps obtainable on the Amazon Appstore or Youngsters Plus membership with out challenge.
On a tool like this, benchmark figures don’t actually matter. If you happen to’re contemplating getting this for a kid, it’s most likely quick sufficient. I’ve examined Sonic Sprint on the pill, sprinting throughout maps with no discernible slowdown, even in a multiplayer setting, whereas the likes of Disney Coloring World are good and responsive.
If you happen to’re contemplating getting this for a kid, it’s most likely quick sufficient
Issues solely actually are likely to get sluggish once you open a handful of apps without delay, however as long as your child isn’t attempting to write down an electronic mail or one thing, all the things works properly.
The one mannequin obtainable presents 32GB of storage, of which round 25GB is on the market to the consumer. That doesn’t sound like rather a lot, however the Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional helps growth through Micro-SD card all the best way as much as 1TB.
Cameras
- 5Mp rear digicam
- 2Mp front-facing digicam
- Each help Full HD (1080p) video recording
You’re most likely not shopping for the Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional for its photographic skills. In case you are, I wouldn’t hassle.
You’re most likely not shopping for the Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional for its photographic skills. In case you are, I wouldn’t hassle
The machine places nearly all of its eggs within the single rear-facing 5Mp sensor, and it’s not nice.
It’s tremendous for fast snaps of images and pals, however even my son was reaching for my telephone as an alternative once we have been taking footage of issues out and about. As you’d anticipate, there’s little to no picture processing right here – photographs are shadowy, darkish areas lack element, and any motion contributes to vital blur.
Selfies from the 2Mp front-facing lens are primary at finest, however they do the job for any apps that decision upon them, like doodling video games and the like.
It may be used for video chats, however solely with parental authorisation. Even then, the lens isn’t ok to see the good thing about Full HD 1080p video.
Battery Life & Charging
- No battery capability quoted
- As much as 13 hours of battery life claimed
- Helps wired charging as much as 15W
Whereas it’s been a problem on older Amazon tablets, I’m happy to say that the Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional steps issues up a notch in relation to battery life.
Amazon received’t say what dimension the battery is, however its estimate of 13 hours of utilization holds as much as scrutiny in my testing. Gaming will naturally deliver issues down a bit extra, however you may anticipate round 10 hours of streaming motion pictures, or extra for those who obtain one thing for offline utilization relatively than streaming it.
The Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional steps issues up a notch in relation to battery life
Charging is gradual, although. The ability brick within the field is a 5W charger, and you may anticipate it to take upwards of 4.5 hours to cost absolutely. I’d advocate getting a suitable 15W charger, which Amazon claims will scale back that to below 2.5 hours.
Fortunately, the higher battery life than older fashions means it’s extra more likely to be able to go when your little one wants it – I used to be pleasantly shocked to seek out it with cost as a rule, whereas the older Fireplace 7 pill would seemingly run dry whereas it was on standby.
Software program & Apps
- Amazon Fireplace OS
- At the least 4 years of safety updates
- Good parental controls
Like all Amazon tablets, the Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional runs Amazon’s Fireplace OS software program. Whereas technically an Android pores and skin, it takes a really completely different method.
The principle factor you could know is that there’s no Google Play Retailer. As a substitute, you’ll should make do with the Amazon Appstore, which has a way more restricted choice of third-party apps.
Lloyd Coombes / Foundry
I don’t discover the software program to be almost as simple to make use of as Android or iOS. Every part feels a tad clunky, so anticipate to spend a while getting used to issues – even for those who’re comparatively tech-savvy.
Additionally, Amazon’s personal ‘Silk’ browser is the de facto browser right here, and it’s very primary. I’d have most popular the choice so as to add Chrome (particularly since that would sync between Google accounts so I may monitor what my baby was as much as), but it surely does the job.
Count on to spend a while getting used to issues – even for those who’re comparatively tech-savvy
Elsewhere, parental controls are actually spectacular. Mother and father can set closing dates and bedtimes on the pill, and lock off sure apps between customers. This could trigger some confusion for little ones seeking to bounce into an app on their profile solely to seek out out they want parental recommendation, however the 30 seconds it takes to maneuver between profiles and authorise one thing is best than the choice.
Amazon’s Youngsters Plus membership presents ad-free books and apps for a low month-to-month value, and also you get a yr included with the pill, too. Amazon has additionally dedicated to at the very least 4 years of safety updates, which is respectable for a tool that’s so reasonably priced.
Worth & Availability
The Amazon Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional is on the market from Amazon, beginning at £149.99/$149.99.
This consists of 32GB of storage and the aforementioned yr of Youngsters Plus. After that, plans begin at £4.99/$5.99 per 30 days for those who’re a Prime member and £6.99/$7.99 per 30 days if not.
It’s very a lot a price range pill, and can solely enchantment to younger youngsters who don’t thoughts its limitations.
Must you purchase the Amazon Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional?
It received’t dazzle tech aficionados, however for younger youngsters, the Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional is a superb moveable pill that may do all the things they want it to.
In comparison with the Fireplace HD 7, the display is brighter and sharper, the efficiency is barely higher, and the battery could be very strong for a tool on this value vary.
Supplied you’re conscious of its limitations, the Fireplace HD 8 Youngsters Professional is an effective purchase – particularly if you understand a Marvel fan.
Specs
- Processor: UNISOC SC9863A (reported)
- Safety: Passcode
- Inside storage: 32GB built-in
- Expandable storage: As much as 1TB through Micro-SD card
- Reminiscence (RAM): 3GB
- Battery: ‘As much as 13 hours’, non-removable
- Show: 8-inch HD show – IPS
- Decision: HD (1280×800) | 189 ppi
- Facet ratio: 16:10
- Rear digicam: 5Mp
- Entrance digicam: 2Mp
- Dimensions: 212 mm x 162 mm x 17 mm (8.3” x 6.4” x 0.7“)
- Weight: 506g (with case connected)
- Ports: USB-C port