Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThe tablet of my dreams? Mmmmm...could be...
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2021
All right. Another review on the Fire HD 10.
I can hear you sighing. But see, I take these things seriously. If you like, you could refer back to my review on the 7” Fire tablet I received as a Christmas gift many years ago. I sing its praises here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2E0EUZDHBMJTQ?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp
and the fact is, I am still crooning that tune. Why not? It’s still going strong and is getting a lot of use all these years later, mainly as an MP3 and podcast player…two things at which it is very, very good. It also logs my backyard bird sightings.
But. All these years later, perhaps it was high time that I get myself a larger tablet for entertainment use. The Fire had been replaced in that regard by an 8” Samsung Tab E I’d been given by my job, but each time my wife and son would see me using it, watching a movie or whatnot and squinting at it, they’d mutter, “Why don’t you just get yourself an iPad?” Well, the cost, mainly. That and the fact that I am rather thoroughly vested in the Amazon world. So…why not a Fire HD 10?
Why not indeed? It’s just been through a makeover, with a bigger, brighter screen and a faster processor. More colors, even. And of course the price is right, half that and then some of a similarly sized iPad…which can’t even expand its storage, something Fire has been able to do for many, many moons. So upon receiving our tax refund, I pushed the button, Max, and here’s my first week impressions.
IT’S FAST. Yup. Sure is. “Octacore” indeed! There’s no comparing it to its predecessors; it’s on a different level entirely. No, it doesn’t anticipate my every desire, but then it doesn’t hesitate when I ask it to do something…and it’s been able to handle everything I’ve asked of it. The upgraded wifi helps in this regard too.
IT HOLDS A WHOLE LOTTA STUFF. The storage space on even the lower end model…32 GB as opposed to 8 on my original 7” Fire is—(sigh)—wonderful, as is the ability to expand it to as much as 512 GB. Half a T! Whoa. I don’t anticipate ever needing that much space, but I guess you never know.
OH, THAT SCREEN! Bright. Vivid. I dare say, true HD on a tablet. No, it’s not the “retina” display one finds on an iPad, but it’s darned close. Morning cartoons on MeTV will never look the same. And the IndyCar season begins this weekend…
IT SOUNDS DANDY. Sure, the speakers are still tiny, but they’re not tinny anymore. The fact is, with the HD 10 the onboard sound is good enough that I don’t feel inclined to reach for a pair of headphones every time I want to play something. There’s real stereo at work here, and it sounds good.
THE OS WORKS. No, it’s not out-and-out Android, but it is based on a newer version of Android (Pie) than the Bellini Fire OS, and it just works. Sure, you do have to work a bit to get Google Play on it, but it took me less than ten minutes to get ‘r’ done, and I bet you could do it quicker. There’s instructions for this process available everywhere.
USB C? GEE! Yup. USB C is onboard, which means faster charging and transfer should you need to link it to your personal mothership. It’s also easier to connect in the dark, being as there is no “right side up” with C. It’s a welcome change. Also, the included 9 watt charger does its job that much quicker, and if that’s still not quick enough for you, why, there’s a 15 watt model available.
AND SPEAKING OF THE BATTERY…it lasts longer. A LOT longer. Go on, use it all day! Chances are you won’t fully deplete it. Amazon claims 12 hours, and while I can’t verify that yet, I don’t have any trouble believing it.
THE CAMERAS STILL SUCK. But…they serve their purpose. I figure I’ll use them for the occasional Zoom call. Yes, you CAN use Zoom…and you can even get it from Amazon’s own limited App Store. Oh, and yes, I do take pictures of my cat.
DO YOU NEED TO HAVE PRIME TO MAKE THIS WORTHWHILE? I actually asked this in my review of the Fire 7, and the answer is, you don’t HAVE to have it, but it sure is nice. Being as YouTube is readily available via Google Play there are countless hours of viewing options…but consider this: add the cost of a new HD 10 and a year of Prime and it’s still less than the cost of an iPad. In fact, you can probably tack on the cost of one of the sharp Amazon-branded covers and STILL come in cheaper than the Apple product!
SO…IS IT WORTH IT? After considering all the above, do you really need to ask? Plunk down the hard-earned and grab you one. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
