Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus review: a small and portable tablet

With a mix of plus and minus points, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus doesn’t wow but it handles general tablet tasks reasonably well

Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus on a wooden surface
(Image: © James Abbott / Digital Camera World)

Digital Camera World Verdict

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus is a reasonable little tablet that works well for basic web browsing and entertainment, but it’s far from a high performer. The design feels a little dated, while the screen resolution and overall performance are just adequate. But with many tablets these days available with a 10- or 11-inch screen size, it’s refreshing to see a tablet offering an 8-inch screen which makes the HD 8 Plus comfortable to use in a range of situations.

Pros

  • +

    Comfortable size to hold

  • +

    Relatively inexpensive

  • +

    Easy to use

Cons

  • -

    Resolution could be higher

  • -

    No Google Play Store

  • -

    Basic for the price point

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Tablets seem to sit in a slightly strange place these days; they were once thought to be notebook replacements, but that’s long since been proven wrong. But they do provide a much more generous and inviting screen than a smartphone. The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus is an 8-inch tablet that falls within the entry-level end of the market, with a screen size not much greater than a large smartphone and with performance that doesn’t quite match that of a flagship smartphone, so it’s a curious option.

That said, I have to confess that I enjoyed the size and dimensions of the HD 8 Plus. It’s not massively larger than my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and performance is mediocre in comparison. But as a device for web browsing on the sofa, watching movies in the bath, and general tasks, the screen certainly does provide a more comfortable viewing experience than using a smartphone.

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Display1280x800px
ProcessorHexa-core 2.0Ghz
RAM3GB
Battery lifeUp to 13 hours
Charge time3 hours
Front camera2MP
Rear camera5MP
Dimensions7.94x5.4x0.38in / 201.9x137.3x9.6mm
Weight12.06oz / 342g
Amazon Fire Max 11

The Amazon Fire Max 11 is the best and most powerful Fire tablet today with great performance overall and a crisp and clear, high-resolution screen. It’s still limited to the Amazon App Store with a heavy lean toward Amazon services, but it’s a far superior Fire tablet if this is what you’re looking for.

OnePlus Pad

If you’d prefer an Android tablet that has the power to run apps including Lightroom Mobile and Photoshop Express, while offering a more impressive screen, the OnePlus Pad is a versatile option worth considering, although it does come with a much higher price tag than both the HD 8 Plus and the Fire Max 11.

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James Abbott

James Abbott is a landscape and portrait photographer based in Cambridge. He’s also an experienced photography journalist specializing in camera skills and Photoshop techniques. He is also a CAA-approved drone pilot and professional aerial photographer.