Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus tablet | 10.1", 1080p Full HD, 32 GB | Slate - with Ads

I'm used to an iPad for me and Amazon Tablets for the kids. My iPad tablet broke and I couldn't justify spending £400+ on another one. I decide to give the Amazon tablet a go, and have been really please: Pros: - Great price in their sale (they're always having sales so wait until it's on) - Easy to set up - Screen is really good quality - Easy setup - with the 4GB version it is really responsive - easily hooks up to my WiFi printer - it has all the common media APPs, even Youtube now - battery life is good - comes with a usb charger lead and a plug Cons: - sound quality is quite poor through the speakers - with this, and my kid's Amazon Fire tablets, hooking it up to my personal hotspot on my phone is a pain. It's always a case of restarting and forgetting the phone. It's just a hassle when you're trying to hook the tablet up to watch a program when they're in the car

I had the previous version of the Fire HD 10 (2019) and was impressed by the incredible bang per buck that it offers. It was and still is a great tablet and very responsive. I did not expect the new version to be much better quality as the technical specifications were fairly similar - same processor but increased RAM (double - I got the new Fire HD 10 Plus) and different shape (lighter and better) and wireless charging (not really something that particularly attracted me but I guess useful to have for some). However I was wrong. The new version is fantastic. It seems smoother, more responsive, lighter, snappier and no lag at all ever. Web pages render very fast and apps seem to work without any glitches at all. This really has to be the best value tablet ever when it comes to quality and value. Movies look amazing, the sound is good and despite some app store limitations this has most of the main apps that I use including all the usual social media apps and youtube etc. The mail client is good. The cameras are poor compared to up to date mobile phone cameras but fine for video conferencing etc. But this device is not really intended as a camera for taking snaps so not an issue in the slightest. I am very happy with this product and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good quality multimedia device.

As an android tablet user for many years, the Fire tablet feels familiar, but as you start to use it, the differences become apparent. That's not to say its not as good, just different, so it's really just a case of getting used to it. A bit like Apple products, the Fire tablet sits on its own bubble and doesn't really like to accommodate some of the apps available to android users. For example, it had its own app store and many of the apps I used to have, aren't available. However, there is a cheeky workaround that enables you to install the Google play store, which works great. Search for it online. Another flaw in my opinion, is that the home screen only scrolls vertically. You can swipe it, but only to reach a page called "For You," and your Kindle library. This means all your apps are on the home screen. Now I don't know about you, but I like to organise everything and I'm used to swiping across multiple screens to access my apps. You might find a single screen frustrating. However, I'm happy to put up with these niggles for the plus points. The screen quality is excellent with bright vibrant colours. Videos are crisp and clear and the two speakers do a good job. Battery life is very good indeed and charging is swift. There is no wireless charging but I'm sure it will be included in the future. The cameras are average but TBF, who uses a tablet for pics when phones are so much handier? WiFi connections are steady and reliable; all my android tabs randomly dropped WiFi, so this is a real bonus for me. The real test of this tablet is, would I buy one again? And the answer is, defenately.

As so often with Amazon, one has to buy at the right time to get the deals, and I bought this tablet just after Christmas, meaning a 33% discount. It represents exceptional value for a 10” tablet with these specs; I can’t fault the display, touchscreen, speed, smoothness of operation, and battery life, although the speakers and cameras could be a bit better. Seems pointless comparing it with a top range iPad which costs several times the price. I chose the Plus version for the extra RAM, which I feel is important. It also has wireless charging, but I doubt I will use that yet as the dock is quite expensive. I selected the add free version of course, and 32gig as I can fit an SD card if needed later, As for the OS, yes it is a modified Android version, but sufficiently close to the original to make adapting to it easy enough, and in some respects it’s easier to use. Another bonus point is the Amazon guarantee that updates will be available for at least 4 years after the product ceases to be available. In the past, I have bought far more expensive Android devices only for them to run out of updates after 3 years. A couple of downsides. It is true that, short of downloading extra files (don’t fancy that at all), one is limited to apps available in the Amazon store, which is OK for most things; e.g. I got Google Search, but can’t use my paid-for Norton 360 (Grrrr!), so had to find recommended free antivirus and VPN. I don’t play games. There is one serious failing for me that I have to mention: the built-in mail app is hopeless. I accidentally pressed the “see more messages” button, and it then downloaded every message on that account going back to 2015, all 13000 of them! The app was then so clogged up, the delete button disappeared, and even when I did get it back, I found that there is no bulk delete facility, so I can’t clear the in box. Solution was to force stop the app (can’t uninstall), and download Outlook (well established and reliable). Yes, I know I should have done that to start with! Because of this issue, I’m dropping a star from my review. In a nutshell, great device, great value, would recommend. But don’t even think about using their own mail app, get Outlook!