Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus: Budget Tablet

Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus View

Amazon presented its new Fire HD 10 Plus at the end of April 2021. The tablet uses the SoC MediaTek MT8183, 4 GB of RAM and 32 or 64 GB of storage space, and an LC display with Full HD (1,920 x 1,200 pixels).

The Fire HD 10 Plus uses the same processor as the last generation. However, the doubled RAM is definitely noticeable. Fire OS still doesn’t run smoothly. However, switching apps is much faster.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus Box

Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus Rear

Specification

  • Display: 10 inches, LCD, 1,920 x 1,200 pixels
  • Operating system: Fire OS 7, based on Android 9.0
  • SoC: MediaTek MT8183 (Octa-Core, 4x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53)
  • GPU: Mali-G72 MP3
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Storage space: 32/64 GByte (expandable)
  • Main camera: 5 megapixels
  • Front camera: 2 megapixels
  • Interfaces: 3.5 mm audio, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C (2.0), microSD
  • Dimensions / weight: 247 x 166 x 9.2 mm / 468 g
  • Special features: stereo speakers
  • Price: from 220 USD

The Fire HD 10 Plus quality is similar in many respects to the previous models but has a soft-touch surface on the back that feels more valuable than the bare polycarbonate of the Fire HD 10. Compared to the model from 2019 also changed the position of the front camera. If it sat in the middle of the top in portrait format in the last generation, this is now the case in landscape format. Apparently, Amazon has discovered that this position is cheaper for video chats. This applies twice if a keyboard dock is also used.

Amazon has upgraded the main camera to 5 megapixels is nonsense. Here you increase the resolution from 2 to 5 megapixels, while the front camera is still at 2 megapixels. It would have made more sense to upgrade the front camera.

Features

Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus Specs

Incidentally, despite the identical screen diagonal, the dimensions differ from the previous model, probably due to the aforementioned shifting of the front camera. If we look at the tablet in portrait format, the frame has shrunk at the top and bottom. In return, the tablet has become wider at the sides. This is why protective covers from the previous model do not fit the new generation.

RELATED:  TCL Tab 10s Review: Budget Android Tablet

The buttons are also placed differently: the volume rocker and power button are now directly below each other, while the headphone jack has moved down – exactly where the power button was previously. Otherwise, the Fire HD 10 Plus is still a well-made tablet in price, which also adds a nice new feature with the ability to charge wirelessly.

Display

Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus

It’s a good 1080p screen, but it tends to be slightly outshone. The Fire HD 10 Plus is still ideally suited for streaming a few films and series on the go. In addition, the new soft-touch surface gives it noticeably more grip.

However, what bothers me about the Fire HD 10 Plus is that the “Blue Shade” (night/reading mode) is far too extreme and creates a color cast that makes the display inedible. You can readjust it, but it only shifts the color cast from yellow to red. This is a much better solution on common smartphones. So if you would like to consume content on your tablet in the evening and were hoping for an eye-friendly mode – you better leave it alone.

There are also two main restrictions: If you are not out and about in the Amazon cosmos or have not subscribed to Amazon Prime, then the Fire tablet will quickly point to you. Many areas remain completely or partially closed to you, as your library, for example, should now have a yawning emptiness. The second caveat is that it lacks the Google Play Store. You can install them with a few tricks, but the variety of apps is limited ex-works because you are dependent on Amazon’s App Store.

RELATED:  Tablet For Kids: Learn, Play & Have Fun

Multimedia

Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus Ports

Since you can also use a memory card to use the Fire HD 10 Plus with 32 GB of storage space without hesitation, you can criticize the cameras. The main camera is sufficient for a straightforward snapshot, but that’s all there is to it. The front camera is solid when there is a lot of ambient light, but otherwise, there is a lot of noise, and then it is not much fun during a video chat at dusk.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus Speaker

The speaker? It’s okay; headphones should usually be attached when you’re out and about. But even at home, it is enough to indulge in streaming or listen to a song for a moment. In combination with the integrated microphones and the charging dock for wireless charging, the Fire HD 10 Plus can also be operated very comfortably in show mode and, if desired, used hands-free with Alexa.

Performance

Since the processor is the same as in the previous model. The RAM, which has doubled from 2 GB (2019) to 4 GB (2021), is noticeable when you switch between different apps or play around in games for a long time, for example. However, the Fire HD 10 Plus does not turn out to be a performance cracker due to the old MT8183 SoC, which has been around for a few years. Here are some benchmarks for you:

The results are not groundbreaking but were expected as the RAM has just been doubled, but the processor has remained the same. This is already noticeable in normal use. The system interface runs more smoothly. Those who are used to an Apple iPad will laugh at it and are also on the move in other price regions.

Battery

The Fire HD 10 Plus is also convincing in terms of battery life. Amazon assigns the tablet about 12 hours of running time with continuous use, which is easily exceeded when the brightness is 50% or less. However, the tablet is difficult to read outdoors in low brightness. The runtimes you achieve also depend heavily on your usage scenarios. The tablet is charged via USB-C.

RELATED:  Top 2: Amazon Fire HD 8 vs Walmart Onn 8 Tablet

Conclusion!

The Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus is not intended to flush large amounts of money into Amazon’s coffers but serves as a portal into the company’s cosmos. Without a Prime subscription, you quickly have the feeling that something is missing when using it. Amazon should like to polish up its app store because it offers neither a wide range of apps nor a handsome surface. Those who like to do handicrafts can, therefore, subsequently push the Play Store onto the tablet.

At the announced price of 220 USD, you get a lot for the money: The display is good, the system is smoother thanks to the doubling of the RAM, and if you are in the mood for Amazon Alexa and the show mode in combination with the wireless charging dock, you get one here really nice solution. It depends on the requirement: The Fire HD 10 Plus is a pure consumer device that perfectly fulfills this purpose for many users.

There are deductions for the subtleties: the cameras are of little use, the night/reading mode is unusable, and Fire OS offers the flexible options that you are used to from other Android attachments (MIUI, OxygenOS, One UI, etc.) Not. If you are a Prime customer and are looking for a tablet with Alexa capabilities, streaming options, and good quality at a low price, you will still find a fine companion here. In the next generation, Amazon can now replace the SoC.

Pros and Cons

PROSCONS
Wireless chargingNo Google apps
Performance upliftSmall speaker
Easy Alexa access