Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Amazon chops the price of its Fire HD 8 tablet

Amazon refreshes its line of bargain tablets with a $10 price cut on its 8-inch model and a modest specs upgrade on its entry-level 7-inch model.

David Carnoy Executive Editor / Reviews

Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.

Expertise Mobile accessories and portable audio, including headphones, earbuds and speakers Credentials

Maggie Award for Best Regularly Featured Web Column/Consumer

See full bio

David Carnoy

May 17, 2017 6:00 a.m. PT

2 min read

Watch this: Amazon's $50 tablet gets a boost -- and new colors

01:23

Amazon 's Fire tablets are all about value. And that's why the company continues to court bargain hunters with a price cut to the Fire HD 8 and some modest improvements to its entry-level $50 (£50) Fire 7.

The Fire HD 8 just got a little cheaper.
Sarah Tew/CNET

Featuring a 1,280x800 (189 ppi) high-definition display, the HD 8's price drops from $90 to $80 (£80) for the 16 GB version and from $120 to $100 (£100) for the 32 GB version.

The 2017 version of the Fire HD 8 is effectively identical to its predecessor, except that its MicroSD expansion slot now accommodates cards up to 256 GB (that's up from 200 GB).

The new Fire 7 tablet gets a slightly slimmer design, an extra hour of battery life, better screen contrast and additional color options compared to the previous 7-inch Fire tablet.

Kevin Keith, Amazon's general manager for Fire Tablets, said that Amazon had seen "double-digit growth" in its tablet sales in 2016.

Keith added that the company had also seen double-digit growth for its Fire Kids Edition tablet in 2016 and with that in mind, Amazon was launching a Fire HD 8 Kids Edition for $130 (£130). That's a 32 GB model that comes with a protective case, a two-year replacement guarantee should the device get damaged and one year of Amazon's FreeTime Unlimited content subscription service.

Watch this: Amazon's new, improved Fire HD 8 tablet is a bona fide bargain at $90

02:08

(The video of the Fire HD 8 embedded above is from September 2016, when the product was originally released.)

In other Fire news, Amazon announced that Fire tablet owners in the UK would soon be getting a software update that will add Alexa voice-assistant support to their tablets. US customers got the Alexa update in October 2016. That update will be available to owners of the 2016 Fire HD 8, as well as 2015's entry-level Fire and Fire HD 10 and 8.

The Fire HD 8 will now come in a Kids Edition.
Amazon

Best TVs right now: The past year's best sets, all in one place.

Smart home compatibility tool: Find out what smart home platforms work with your existing kit and vice versa.

Computing Guides

Laptops

Desktops & Monitors

Computer Accessories

Photography

Tablets & E-Readers

3D Printers

Computing Coupons