There’s a 1.3 GHz Mediatek quad-core processor, along with the same 1.5 GB of RAM. The hardware in this year’s Fire HD 8 is nearly identical to the models Amazon released in 20. Performance can be frustrating, but battery life is great We should be clear though - it’s difficult to find another tablet in this price range, and if your budget is under $100, you’ll be satisfied with what you see here. The colors aren’t punchy and are a little muted, but on a more positive note, the screen did get bright enough to see in direct sunlight outdoors. It also has poor viewing angles, so you’ll need to look at the tablet directly to be able to see everything clearly. While Amazon bills the display as “crisp,” it’s anything but: Text on the home page looks fine, but you’ll notice pixels in many other scenarios, from the fuzzy text in books to low resolution movies in Prime Video. The Fire HD 8 maintains the same 1,280 x 800 resolution for its LCD screen. It will hardly fill a quiet room, so don’t expect them to replace your Bluetooth speakers. While they don’t pack a lot of bass and they can sound a little tinny, they’re sufficiently loud when the tablet is directly in front of you. The left side of the Fire HD 8 is home to stereo speakers that support Dolby Atmos. Most Android phones have a Type-C charging port, and it would make things simpler if you didn’t need an extra charger. If you want a premium tablet experience and are okay with Amazon's interface, then you'll definitely enjoy Amazon's best tablet ever.We’d have really liked to see USB Type-C implemented here.Ĭonsidering the tablet is $80 this isn’t much of an issue, but we’d have really liked to see USB Type-C implemented here. There are definitely some shortcomings, but it's tough to really knock off points when you consider the price. Both of these tablets can be used as smart displays, but I'm still surprised to see Amazon drift toward productivity while Google goes in the opposite direction.Īll of that being said, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Fire Max 11, something that I didn't expect to be able to say going into this review. Frankly, it feels like the Fire Max 11 should cost much more than $230 for the base configuration, but even if you ditch the ads, it's still only $245.Īs I noted before, I also think Amazon missed an opportunity by not including a dock for the Fire Max 11 in an effort to take on the Pixel Tablet directly. I could sit here and gripe about the Lockscreen Ads, but I really feel as though this is the best "premium" tablet you can get for under $300. You want to dock it similarly to the Fire HD 10 or Pixel Tablet.You want the Play Store without worrying about side-loading.You're firmly entrenched in the Amazon ecosystem.You want a solid tablet that doesn't break the bank.You want the best Amazon fire tablet that money can buy.Plus, the Fire Max 11, with 64GB of storage and Lockscreen Ads is still $100 cheaper than the base model iPad. However, Amazon's tablet has an advantage in that it features a more modern design, along with added functionality thanks to Show Mode and quick access to all of your Kindle books and Prime content. It's running stock Android, obviously includes the Play Store, and despite being priced at $499, includes the aforementioned Speaker Dock in the box.Īnother obvious competitor to the Fire Max 11 is Apple's 9th Gen iPad. This is slated to arrive in the coming weeks, and instead of leaning into productivity, the included Charging Speaker Dock definitely leans more into being a super-charged Nest Hub Max. But there are still a few competing options that are worth consideration, starting with the Pixel Tablet. Amazon also integrated a few magnets into its Stylus Pen and along the left side (when viewed horizontally) so you can just slap it on the side when you're not using it.Ĭompared to pretty much any of the best cheap Android tablets, the Fire Max 11 is well-positioned. There are also a series of magnets in the keyboard case to help keep it from accidentally opening, which is another big benefit.Īs someone who reviews his fair share of Chromebooks, I have to admit that I was surprised to see that Amazon is relying on the USI standard for its new stylus. The keys are nice and tactile, giving you good feedback without feeling too mushy, and the trackpad is actually much better than I expected it to be. Unlike previous keyboard cases, I have actually enjoyed using the keyboard offered by Amazon with the Fire Max 11. These range from a redesigned keyboard case to an all-new stylus and of course, a few basic cases. If you couldn't tell from the list of configurations above, Amazon is offering quite a few different first-party accessories to go with the Fire Max 11. (Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)
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