Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021)
The 2021 Fire HD 10 features a crisp display, surprisingly good battery life, and works well with other services apps, like Disney+ and Netflix. It’s not very good at much else, though, and most people should probably upgrade to the Plus model with more RAM.
Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus
For only $30 more than the standard model, you should definitely pick up the Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus. The extra memory makes the software run a tad smoother and actually makes it possible to do a little more than the cheaper model.
When it comes to thebest cheap Android tablets, three companies often rule the market right now — Samsung, Lenovo, and Amazon. That’s right, the online bookstore turned worldwide mega-corporation has made a mark on the tech world by making pretty affordable products across tons of categories, and its series of Fire tablets offer a lot of value for people looking for a portable screen bigger than their phone.
TheAmazon Fire HD 10and Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus are two of thebest tabletsmade by the company behind Alexa. With both tablets being so similar, you may be wondering if the Plus model is actually worth the extra money. Here’s everything you need to know when considering the Amazon Fire HD 10 vs. Fire HD 10 Plus.
Price & availability
You’ll notice a theme as we break down these two Amazon tablets that show just how similar each model is to the other. And the price difference, while there, is pretty minimal. The MSRP of the Fire HD 10 is $150, and the Plus model is only $30 more at $180. Of course, with Amazon being the discount king in the world of online retailers, you’ll often find deals on both models, but that $30 buffer between both models is typically intact.
Being the source, Amazon is probably the best place to buy either model since they will usually have plenty of stock. you’re able to also find the tablets at other tech retail outlets like Best Buy.
Design and display
Put the Amazon Fire HD 10 right next to the 10 Plus face-up, and you’ll have a hard time telling the difference because the display is exactly the same. The 10.1-inch LCD has a 1920 x 1200 resolution and is perfect for watching content. It looks nice and sharp and has a wider screen than your standard 1080p screen, making it have smaller black bars when viewing movies and TV shows from your favorite streaming services.
When it comes to design, the main difference with the Fire HD 10 Plus is the inclusion of the soft touch finish, which makes the tablet feel a little nice in your hands compared to the standard model; however, the cheaper model has different colors. If you like the fancy hues of Olive, Denim, or Lavender, you’ll want the cheaper models.
Software and performance feel better with more RAM
Neither of these tablets is really designed to be hardcore working tablets capable of complicated tasks; however, while the Octa-core 2GHz processor in both models is the exact same, the extra RAM in the Plus model does make the tablet run smoother.
Four gigabytes is generally the minimum amount of memory you want in a device to run Android software, so anything less than that — like the 3GB in the standard Fire HD 10 — will really chug along at a slower pace. Don’t get me wrong, the Fire HD 10 Plus is not blazing fast and so smooth that you don’t feel the limitations of the hardware, but it will be a little less frustrating when it comes to doing even simple tasks like having a few tabs open while surfing the web.
Still, both tablets really excel at very basic tasks. If you’re just planning on using your tablet as a media consumption device — a great use for a cheap tablet — then the extra GB of RAM may not make as much of a difference to you.
Affordable tablets like this aren’t known for having good cameras, and both models of the Amazon Fire HD 10 continue that trend. The 5MP camera on the rear won’t net you very good results. You can take pictures in a pinch, but if you don’t have good lighting (almost perfect), you’ll likely get a pretty grainy and overblown shot. The 2MP front-facing camera won’t make you look terrific on video calls, but it’s there if you want to talk to friends and family online.
Being such a small and non-powerful tablet does have its advantages, though, mainly regarding battery life. Both tablets are rated for 12 hours with mixed-use, which is pretty good compared to tablets this size, but it also has some impressive standby time. In our review of the Amazon Fire HD 10, we could go 4–5 days without charging the battery when we only used it for a few hours a day. That’s handy if you don’t need to use the tablet all the time, but even if you do, you’ll get a solid amount of time watching content or surfing the web.
Which is right for you?
For most people, there’s no reason not to get the Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus over the standard model.
While both tablets are basically identical, the extra GB of RAM on the Plus model does make the tablet come to life a little more. It’s still not going to be the tablet you want to grab to get any serious work done, but if you want to surf the web with a few tabs open or try your hand at some very light gaming, then the extra RAM is worth the additional $30.
Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus (2021)
The Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus is well worth the extra $30 over the standard model for the extra RAM alone. Plus, you’ll also have a wireless charging option on the Fire HD 10 Plus.
The standard Amazon Fire HD 10 really is best suited as a media consumption device. So, if you’re going to stick to watching your favorite shows, YouTube videos, and streaming services, you should be okay just sticking with the standard model.
The Amazon Fire HD 10 still features a nice, crisp display and surprisingly good battery life, making it a great media consumption device. Unfortunately, due to hardware and software limitations, it can’t do much else.
