Amazon Fire HD 10

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Editors' Note: This is the most recent version of the Fire HD 10. Read our review from November 14, 2023 below.

Amazon’s 2023 edition of the Fire HD 10 ($139.99) combines a premium design with good performance while costing slightly less than its predecessor, making it the best tablet you can buy for under $150. Like all Amazon tablets, the Fire HD 10 is limited by its focus on the company's own software, services, and app store, though it's still an excellent way to browse the internet or stream music, movies, and TV shows. If you want a tablet for productivity or content creation, you’ll have to pay significantly more for a model like the $259 Lenovo Tab P11 Plus or the $329 Apple iPad. But if you simply want an affordable slate for consuming media, the Fire HD 10 earns our Editors' Choice award for cheap tablets.

The Goldilocks Fire Tablet

The Fire HD 10 has historically received the most capable processor and largest screen of Amazon’s tablets, but this dynamic was changed with the introduction of the bigger and more powerful Fire Max 11 ($229.99) earlier this year. The Fire HD 10 may no longer be Amazon's flagship tablet, but it's still the most versatile. It comes in various bundles and configurations—including kid-friendly versions—that aren't available for the Fire Max 11.

The tablet comes in Black, Lilac, or Ocean and starts at $139.99 with ads on the lock screen and 32GB of storage. If you want more onboard storage, you need to shell out an extra $40 to get 64GB, though you can add up to 1TB of storage to any configuration with a microSD card. You can choose to remove the lock screen ads for an additional $15.

The two models for children include the Fire HD 10 Kids, which is intended for ages 3 to 7 and features an extra-large protective case, and the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro, which is meant for ages 6 to 12 and includes a slimmer case. Both versions cost $189.99 and come with a two-year, no-questions-asked warranty and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids Plus programming (normally $5 per month for Prime members or $8 per month for non-Prime customers).

The tablet is thin and light, with rounded corners and a colorful matte plastic back. It measures 9.7 by 6.5 by 0.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 0.96 pounds. By comparison, the smaller Kindle Fire HD 8 ($99.99) measures 7.9 by 5.4 by 0.37 inches and is lighter at 0.74 pounds. The Fire Max 11, meanwhile, is larger at 10.2 by 6.4 by 0.3 inches and heavier at 1.08 pounds.

As its name suggests, the Fire HD 10 features a 10.1-inch display with 1,920 by 1,200 pixels in a 16:10 aspect ratio, for a pixel density of 224ppi. It looks good when watching movies and TV shows, though the viewing angles aren’t great; you’ll want to make sure you’re looking at the screen straight on. Text on Kindle books appears clear and sharp, even when set to smaller font sizes. The Fire HD 8 compresses the screen to 8 inches with 1,280 by 800 pixels for a density of 189ppi, while the 7-inch Fire 7 drops to 1,024 by 600 pixels at a density of just 171ppi. The large Fire Max 11 expands the screen to 11 inches with 2,000 by 1,200 pixels at 213ppi.

There are two speakers along the left side of the tablet that produce stereo sound. They reached 91.6dB in testing. That’s certainly loud enough to fill a small room, but not much more. The quality of the sound is fine for dialogue in movies and TV shows, but its narrow soundstage means you won’t be able to hear many details in music. You’ll definitely want to connect a pair of headphones if you want the best audio experience, and while you can always use a wireless pair, you’re also able to plug in directly via the 3.5mm headphone jack on the upper right corner.

The USB-C port for charging and transferring files sits next to the headphone jack, while the raised volume rocker and power button are situated in the upper left corner. This is also where you’ll find the slot for a microSD card.

Capable Performance

The Fire HD 10 has an eight-core CPU with two Arm Cortex-A76 cores at 2.05GHz and six Arm Cortex-A55 cores at 2.0GHz. Both the 32GB and 64GB models come with the same 3GB of RAM, which is just enough to enable light multitasking without causing an issue. I didn't experience any lag while I had multiple tabs open in Amazon’s Silk browser nor when I was running multiple apps at a time in the background.

The processor is more than capable of handling streaming services, Zoom video conferencing, Kindle applications, and browsing the internet. I was even able to play basic games like Hungry Shark and other less-intensive fare. I encountered some playability problems in NHL Blast on Roblox, where I faced stuttering and slowdowns when performing basic maneuvers like attempting to move my player across the ice. This tablet isn't made for even moderate gaming, so those looking for top gaming performance should check out more powerful alternatives outside of the Amazon ecosystem. The Fire HD 8 and 7 are even more sluggish, while the Fire Max 11, though more robust in general, still lacks the power needed for stutter-free gaming.

On Geekbench 5, the Fire HD 10 scored 515 on the single-core test and 1,516 on the multi-core test. The Fire HD 8 couldn’t run Geekbench 5 without crashing, while the Fire Max 11 bested the Fire HD 10 with scores of 691 and 1,914. By comparison, the $479 OnePlus Pad, a midrange Android tablet, scored 810 and 2,123 on the same tests.

Battery life on the Fire HD 10 is good. Amazon doesn’t specify the size of its battery, but it performed well in our tests, lasting 10 hours and 18 minutes while streaming HD video over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness set to the maximum. This is about the same result we got from the Fire HD 8 (10 hours and 3 minutes) but is significantly longer than the Fire Max 11 (7 hours and 55 minutes). Even the entry-level iPad (5 hours and 59 minutes) doesn’t hold a candle to the enduring juice of the Fire HD 10.

Amazon includes a 9W charger in the box, which fully charges the tablet in about four hours, though you can shorten that to about three hours if you have a 15W charger.

The tablet connected seamlessly to the internet via Wi-Fi 5 and to Bluetooth devices via Bluetooth 5.3. It got similar download (26Mbps) and upload (16Mbps) speeds over the network as my laptop and iPad. I do wish the Fire HD 10 supported the newer and faster Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E protocols, but it didn't make for a noticeable downturn in real-world use.

Unexciting Cameras

Most people don’t use tablets for taking pictures, and you certainly won’t want to use the Fire HD 10 to take many, if any, of your photos. Snaps from the tablet’s 5MP rear camera look grainy, dull, and washed out, even in broad daylight. You could use it in an absolute pinch when you don’t have any other options but don’t expect to share your results on Instagram. All of your photos sync automatically to the Amazon Photos app, so you’ll easily be able to tell if any of your pics are worth saving.

Amazon upgraded the front camera from 2MP on the older Fire HD 10 to 5MP here, but more megapixels don’t do too much to help you look great on Zoom. It's certainly a functional camera and people will be able to see you on the other end of the call, but you’re still going to appear grainy and washed out, especially in low-light environments. The Fire HD 8 and Max 11 take images of similar quality.

Fire Tablet Accessories

Amazon sells a $49.99 keyboard case and a $34.99 stylus separately for the Fire HD 10 (the keyboard case for the 2021 Fire HD 10 isn't compatible with the 2023 tablet). Amazon introduced its stylus alongside the Fire Max 11 earlier this year and it works with both tablets.

The keyboard case is made by Fintie, a third-party keyboard maker. It has a small piece of leather that you pull up to act as a stylus holder or pull down to hide it if you don’t need it. The tablet fits securely into the book-shaped case and closes tightly via a magnetic connector that can also automatically wake the tablet or put it to sleep. You can adjust the keyboard positioning by flipping the bottom half of the tablet into the magnetic groove just above the keyboard, which locks the device into an upright, type-ready position.

Unfortunately, the keyboard doesn’t automatically connect to the tablet; you have to toggle it on and off through a small switch on the back of the case. It charges via USB-C and Amazon claims you’ll get up to 200 hours of use on a single charge. The keyboard is a little cramped, but I didn’t have any problems typing. Amazon doesn’t specify the travel distance of the keys, but typing does produce a satisfying click.

The black metallic stylus feels premium and comes with a programmable action button near the tip. It offers 4,096 points of pressure sensitivity and doesn't require pairing with the tablet. It's powered by a AAAA battery, which Amazon claims will last up to six months. Unfortunately, the stylus doesn't magnetically attach to the side of the Fire HD 10 like it does to the side of the Max 11. Instead, Fire HD 10 users will need to keep track of the pen on their own or use the leather stylus holder on the keyboard case.

The biggest drawback of the stylus is that Amazon doesn’t make a native note-taking app for it. When the tablet first registers the stylus, you’ll see a pop-up guide giving you a rundown of all its features, including pen gestures that allow you to cross out a word to erase it. At the tutorial’s conclusion, you’re taken to a selection of apps in the Amazon Appstore that support the stylus. These include some apps I’ve heard of, like Microsoft OneNote, but many are unfamiliar, such as Squid and MediBang Paint. I downloaded Squid and quickly found that Amazon’s pen gestures weren't actually supported. The pen worked well on its own and I didn’t notice any lag when writing, but I was disappointed that I couldn't use gestures the way Amazon described in the tutorial.

Software on Amazon's Terms

Amazon’s Fire OS may be based on Android, but it’s a heavily forked version tuned by Amazon and aimed squarely at its own software and services. Fire users do not have access to the Google Play Store and must rely on apps that are available in the Amazon Appstore instead. This is particularly difficult for productivity-minded folks or content creators, as all of Google's products (such as Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Calendar) are missing in action.

Luckily, you will find most of the streaming and reading apps you’ll need to be happy. Disney+, ESPN+, Netflix, Max, and Spectrum TV are all here, as is Libby from Overdrive so you can download books from your local library. Unfortunately, you aren't able to find Alto’s Odyssey, Apple TV+, or Marvel Unlimited.

Smart display fans will be happy to know that the Fire HD 10 supports Echo Show mode, which effectively turns the tablet into a smart display. You can talk to Alexa without using your hands and see the weather forecast, time, trending topics, and more. Those who enjoy smart displays will find this to be a nice extra.

Amazon doesn’t make any public commitments to software updates for the Fire HD 10 but does say that it will offer four years' worth of security updates.

A Good, Affordable Tablet for the Basics

The Amazon Fire HD 10 has a good build, a solid screen, and just enough power to browse the web, play casual games, read, and stream videos. You can connect your favorite headphones via Bluetooth or the standard headphone jack and get through most bus, car, plane, or train rides thanks to the long-lasting battery. The biggest downside is Amazon’s limited app selection. Even so, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better tablet for $139.99. The $99.99 Fire HD 8 is more portable, but also more sluggish. The $229.99 Fire Max 11 is faster and has a sharper screen, but suffers from shorter battery life. That makes the 2023 edition of the Fire HD 10 the top model in Amazon's tablet lineup, as well as the best tablet we've tested under $150, earning it our Editors' Choice award.