The new Fire HD 10 (2021) is one of the most affordable tablets money can buy, but there’s nothing cheap about its features. For one thing, you’ll get a huge display that’s perfect for media consumption, a USB Type-C port, and even hands-free Alexa. Amazon also introduced a new productivity bundle that consists of the slate itself, a Bluetooth keyboard case, and a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Personal.
In this Fire HD 10 (2021) review, we take a look at how it performs and holds up in day-to-day life, as well as how it compares to its Fire HD 10 Plus variant, its predecessor the 9th-generation Fire HD 10, and the new Fire HD 8. That way, we might be able to help you figure out which Amazon tablet is the best for you.
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New Fire HD 10 2021 Tablet Review Comparison Chart
| Model | Fire HD 10 (2021) | Fire HD 10 Plus (2021) |
 |  | |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price |
| Display | 10.1-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS LCD (224 ppi) | 10.1-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS LCD (224 ppi) |
| Processor | Octa-core MediaTek MT8183 | Octa-core MediaTek MT8183 |
| RAM | 3GB | 4GB |
| Storage | 32GB or 64GB, expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card | 32GB or 64GB, expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card |
| Software | Android 9 Pie, Fire OS 7 | Android 9 Pie, Fire OS 7 |
| Camera | Rear: 5MP Front: 2MP | Rear: 5MP Front: 2MP |
| Battery Life | Up to 12 hours | Up to 12 hours |
| Wireless Charging | No | Yes |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Dimensions | 9.73″ x 6.53″ x 0.36″ | 9.73″ x 6.53″ x 0.36″ |
| Weight | 1.03 lbs | 1.03 lbs |
| Colors | Black, Denim, Lavender, Olive | Slate |
Fire HD 10 (2021) Review
The new Fire HD 10 ticks all the right boxes.
Right off the bat, the new Fire HD 10 sports a 10.1-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200. Under the hood, there’s a MediaTek MT8183 with eight cores in total paired with 3 GB of RAM. On a single charge, it lasts up to 12 hours with typical usage, and it features either 32 or 64 GB of storage and supports up to 1 TB of additional storage via a microSD card. Also, it has a USB Type-C port and Bluetooth 5.0 LE connectivity. In short, there’s a lot to love about it, and it’s definitely better than the previous iteration.
As an entertainment tablet, it’s hard to find anything that can compare to it in its price range. The screen is large enough so you won’t miss any detail, and it’s packing enough pixels for a sharp, defined picture quality. Performance-wise, it offers a solid experience in that it’s responsive and snappy, loading apps fast and smoothly running simple games like Angry Birds. Moreover, it has hands-free Alexa, as mentioned earlier. Its microphones are sensitive enough that they can even pick up your voice from a decent distance, and it also has a Show Mode that basically converts it into a more functional Echo Show.
But there’s a caveat that practically everyone knows by now: you can’t access the Google Play Store on it—by official means, that is. Instead, you’ll be limited to the Amazon Appstore, and its selection isn’t exactly as wide. Just to be clear, that also means there’s no YouTube and things like that, but there’s Prime Video, Netflix, and HBO Max, to name a few streaming apps.
Again, it’s an exceptional slate for consuming media, but as a productivity machine, it’s a different story. As noted, there’s a Fire HD 10 Productivity bundle available, and while Amazon does a good job at equipping it with all the right hardware to become a full-fledged laptop replacement, the same can’t be said about its apps. For starters, there’s no Slack or Signal (there’s Zoom and Skype, though), and even worse, there aren’t any Google apps. To sum it up in this regard, it’s a tablet built for productivity with a lot of potential that’s held back by a lack of apps.
Click here for our Echo Show 10 vs Echo Show 8 comparison.
New Fire HD 10 (2021) vs Fire HD 10 (2019, 9th Gen)
The 11th-generation Fire HD 10 has clear advantages over the 9th-generation Fire HD 10.
If you put the 11th-generation Fire HD 10 and the 9th-generation Fire HD 10 side by side, the first thing that’ll probably jump out at you is the former has slimmer top and bottom bezels. That’s made possible in part by moving its front camera to the side, so that the snapper is at the top when in landscape orientation.
In terms of performance, it’s noticeably faster thanks to a RAM upgrade. The new Fire HD 10 now boasts 3 GB of RAM as opposed to 2 GB, making it better equipped to tackle the demands of today’s apps. However, the processor is still the same, as are the operating system and USB-C port.
Other improvements include a newer Bluetooth 5.0 as compared to Bluetooth 4.2, a jump to a 5-megapixel rear camera from a 2-megapixel counterpart, and a screen that’s 10 percent brighter.
New Fire HD 10 vs Fire HD 10 Plus
The Fire HD 10 Plus takes a step further than the Fire HD 10.
Amazon took the wraps off the new Fire HD 10 alongside a more robust Fire HD 10 Plus. In comparison, the latter has more features, slightly faster performance, and a better build than the former.
To begin with, the Fire HD 10 Plus is powered by the same chipset, but instead of 3 GB of RAM, it’s working with 4 GB. The biggest difference is, it has wireless charging support. Its wireless charging dock can even be used as a stand, allowing you to prop up the tablet for a clear viewing angle whether in landscape or portrait mode. But the most noticeable difference between the slates is the Plus version has a “soft-touch finish” for a more comfortable grip.
In the Fire HD 10’s defense, it does come in more colors, namely Black, Denim, Lavender, and Olive. Meanwhile, the Fire HD 10 Plus is only available in Slate.
New Fire HD 10 vs Fire HD 8
The Fire HD 8 is just the thing for those who think the Fire HD 10 is overkill.
First off, the obvious differences are that the Fire HD 10 has a bigger 10.1-inch display instead of 8 inches and larger dimensions than the Fire HD 8, and it’s heavier too. As for the not-so obvious differences, the Fire HD 10 has a higher resolution of 1920 x 1200, 3 GB of RAM, a speedier octa-core processor, and a 5-megapixel main camera, while the Fire HD 8 has a 1280 x 800 resolution, 2 GB of RAM, a quad-core chip, and a 2-megapixel primary snapper.
Elsewhere, the two are pretty similar. They run on Fire OS 7 based on Android 9 Pie, and they both feature Bluetooth 5.0, a USB-C port, and the same front camera placement.
Needless to say, the Fire HD 8 is easier to hold because of its smaller size and lighter weight, and it’s a lot cheaper to boot. The trade-off is a lower-resolution screen, but it’s enough for viewing media in some cases, delivering a total ppi of 189.
For the record, there’s also a Fire HD 8 Plus that levels the playing field with the Fire HD 10 a bit. Not only does it have wireless charging support like the Fire HD 10 Plus, but it also has 3 GB of RAM and charges faster than the standard Fire HD 8.
Click here to see our Fire HD 8 Kids Pro review.
Verdict
For an affordable tablet, the Fire HD 10 is reliable and packs plenty of features, and that goes double for the Fire HD 10 Plus.
Considering what you’ll be getting, the Fire HD 10 is a worthwhile buy, building on its predecessor with meaningful improvements across the board, save for the processor. Still, the Fire HD 10 Plus is the better bang for your buck. After all, you’ll get a soft-touch finish, 4 GB of RAM, and wireless charging, and the price difference is more or less negligible.
But at the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with either the new 2021 Fire HD 10 or Fire HD 10 Plus. They’re both excellent slates that don’t break the bank, and even non-Prime members can get a lot out of them as an entertainment tablet.
FAQs
Yes, the new Fire HD 10 is worth getting. It has an octa-core chipset and 3 GB of RAM, offering decent performance, as well as hands-free Alexa and a 10.1-inch 1080p display.
The new Fire HD 10 (2021) houses an octa-core MediaTek MT8183 processor and 3 GB of RAM. While it’s not the fastest device around, it’s certainly one of the best-performing Amazon tablets, second only to the Fire HD 10 Plus.
No, the Fire HD 10 doesn’t support wireless charging, but the Fire HD 10 Plus does.
The main differences are the Fire HD 10 Plus has 4 GB of RAM, wireless charging support, and a soft-touch finish. On the other hand, the standard Fire HD 10 only has 3 GB of RAM and isn’t compatible with wireless charging, but it’s slightly cheaper and has more color options.
Last update on 2021-07-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API