How much does the new Fire HD 10 cost?
The HD 10 costs £149.99. That’s £50 cheaper than last year’s 32GB model, despite notable hardware upgrades (see below).
So what’s new in the 2017 Fire HD 10?
The screen has been upgraded to a full HD resolution, which means 1920 x 1080 pixels instead of 1280×800. It makes a big difference, with a much sharper look. Alexa is now available on all current Fire tablets, but you have to tap the screen before you can talk. With this new model you can treat it like an Echo and make your requests simply by using the “Alexa” wake word.
If you don’t want Alexa to respond, muting the microphone is as simple as swiping down from the top of the screen and tapping to Alexa Hands-free shortcut which acts as an on-off toggle. As well as being able to ask all the usual questions, on a Fire tablet you can also get Alexa to launch apps, read audiobooks and search for videos. And when watching a video, Alexa can control playback and volume so you can say, “Alexa, jump back two minutes” or “Play the next episode”. And thanks to the screen she can show you a weather forecast for the next seven days, your calendar and sports scores (including football, cricket and NFL). These answer cards are now shown full screen, making them easier to see.
The updates don’t stop there: the stereo speakers have been tuned for Dolby Atmos and the battery is said to last for 10 hours of mixed use, two hours longer than the 2016 model. There’s one unwelcome change: both cameras have been downgraded. There’s a low-resolution 0.3Mp camera at the front and 2Mp at the rear. Design-wise little has changed, but that’s not a criticism: the Fire tablets are unashamedly plastic and this time around you’ve a choice of two vibrant colours or the traditional black. Official cases are available for £25.99 in matching hues (plus cobalt purple) and have a fold in the cover so they double as a stand.
Here’s a handy table so you can see how the 2017 and 2016 Fire HD 10 compare:
Software
Don’t forget that this isn’t an Android tablet. This means you’re not going to find Google apps such as YouTube, Chrome, Google Maps, Gmail and the Play Store.
We’ll bring you a full review of the new HD 10 as soon as we can. Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.
