Amazon has introduced the new Fire HD 8 featuring always-ready, hands-free voice-activated access to Alexa.
The Fire HD 8, priced at $79.99 and shipping from October 4, now offers an 8-inch high-definition display with over a million pixels, a quad-core processor, up to 10 hours of battery life and 16Gb of internal storage with support for up to 400Gb more via microSD. The 32Gb version costs $104.99.
Amazon Devices Vice President Kenneth Keith says, ‘Fire HD 10 customers love having easy, hands-free access with Alexa and we’re excited to bring that same experience to the all-new Fire HD 8. Just ask Alexa to turn on the lights, play a movie, or make a video call — even when the tablet screen is on standby.’
In the UK the new Fire HD 8 is not quite such a good deal as the US as it’s a straight swap of the $ and £ signs, making the device £79.99 in the UK for the 16 Gb version— at current exchange rates that’s around $105. The 32 Gb version fares slightly better for UK buyers at £99.99 compared with $104.99 in the US. UK orders will also start shipping on October 4.
The new Fire HD 8 is top of the Amazon.com best sellers’ list for New Releases in Computers and Tablets, with the all-new Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet for $129.99 in second place.
The all-new Fire HD 8 includes:
- 8-inch widescreen 1280 x 800 high-definition display with over a million pixels and bright, vivid picture.
- Quad-core 1.3 GHz processor and 1.5Gb of RAM to quickly switch between apps, stream movies and browse the web.
- Battery life of up to 10 hours of reading, listening to music, watching TV shows or movies, browsing the web, etc.
- 16Gb or 32Gb of internal storage, plus support for up to 400Gb more with expandable storage. You can now install apps to the microSD card.
- Alexa hands-free — ask Alexa to play a song, pause a movie, video call a friend or family member, read an Audible book, answer a question, show your calendar, control your smart home, etc, using only your voice, even when your screen is on standby.
- Show Mode — A new, immersive hands-free experience for Fire tablets with full-screen visuals that complement voice responses from Alexa. Show Mode lets you ask Alexa to see trending news, weather, movies trailers, camera feeds, and more — all glanceable whether you’re up close or across the room.
- Front and rear-facing cameras — Video chat with friends and family with the HD 720p front-facing camera, take and share photos with the 2MP rear-facing camera, and save them with free, unlimited cloud storage for all photos taken on Fire tablets.
- Durability — As measured in tumble tests, Fire HD 8 is 2x as durable as the iPad mini 4.
- Dolby Atmos Audio — Dual stereo speakers optimized for Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos for enhanced realism and dynamic range.
- Fast Wi-Fi connectivity — Dual-band Wi-Fi support for seamless video streaming.
- Amazon-exclusive features–Alexa, ASAP, For You, X-Ray, Second Screen, Amazon FreeTime, Family Library, Blue Shade, On Deck, Prime Video downloads, and more.
- Access to millions of movies, TV shows, songs, books, magazines, apps, and games–with free, unlimited cloud storage for all Amazon content.
- Screen Sharing — An Amazon expert can guide you remotely through any feature on your screen, available 24×7, 365 days a year for free.
You can also pair your Fire HD 8 with the new Show Mode Charging Dock for an enhanced, always-ready Alexa experience. Place your Fire tablet into the Show Mode Charging Dock and it automatically switches into Show Mode. The stand holds your tablet at an adjustable angle for easy viewing while charging. Pick up your tablet to go back to portable tablet mode. The new Show Mode Charging Dock is $39.99, or you can buy the Fire HD 8 bundled with the dock at a special introductory discount starting at $94.99 ( saving $24.99).
The new Fire HD 8 comes in four color options: Black, Marine Blue, Punch Red, and Canary Yellow, and is available for pre-order starting at $79.99, with shipping beginning on October 4.
In the UK, the Fire HD 8 is priced at £79.99 for the 16Gb version and £99.99 for 32Gb.
Fire HD 8 tablet cases are available in matching colors at $29.99 and the cases can stand in landscape and portrait orientations. There are also several third-party cases available.