The Fire HD 8 fared similarly on the 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited test, posting 5,815, which is below the 20,120 tablet average. MORE: Google vs Amazon Goes Nuclear: YouTube Yanked From Fire TV The tablet average is a higher 3,819, and the iPad (Apple A10 Fusion chip with 2GB of RAM) notched an even-higher 5,983. The Geekbench 4 general-performance test gave the Fire HD 8 a score of 1,678, which is similar to the 1,847 earned by the Tab 4 (Qualcomm MSM8917 Snapdragon 425 with 2GB of RAM). I saw slight pauses while moving between tabs and longer, significant ones when moving between apps, such as from Netflix to the Camera app. The Fire HD 8 (powered by a quad-core, 1.3-GHz processor and 1.5GB of RAM) isn't exactly speedy, but it has enough kick for casual productivity. Set Drop In to On for permitted contacts and/or 'My Household' and turn select Announcements and toggle that option to Enabled. Then, select Communications and turn Calling and Messaging on. To enable this, pull down the settings menu from the top of the screen, open settings, select Alexa and turn both Alexa and Hands-Free Mode to on. 5, Amazon added Drop in and Announcements (its calling and messaging) to the Show Mode in the Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10.

While Amazon doesn't get all the blame for this - it's shared with Google - this is still a dent in the Fire OS platform. That means you can't watch videos in the background and you can't save clips for offline play. Those who pay for YouTube Premium will be annoyed to find that the popular video platform is limited to the tablet's browser, as there's still no YouTube app for Fire OS. MORE: The One Alexa Feature You Need to Turn OffĪlso, let's talk about YouTube, or at least the limited version of it that comes on the Fire HD 8. One reason to enable this option is if you want Alexa to play music on a better-sounding device in your home, such as the Echo Plus, Echo Dot or Echo Show. Turning this setting on means Alexa triggers will activate the nearest Alexa device that isn't the Fire HD 8. In Settings, under Alexa, you'll notice an option called Tablet ESP Behavior, which is followed by a lengthy, slightly confusing explanation. If you're using the Fire HD 8 while you're in the same room as another Alexa-enabled device, there's one setting you'll need to understand. I noticed a slight pause, though, between when it received questions and when it answered them. I'm still surprised that the 2017 Fire HD 8 shipped with tap-to-trigger Alexa, making that device more like an Echo Tap than a traditional Echo speaker.Īlexa worked well on the Fire HD 8, clearly interpreting (and correctly answering) questions about my local forecasts, suggesting nearby pizza restaurants and setting timers. If you're wondering how Alexa wasn't voice-activated before, you're not alone. Also, it means Amazon gets to bake in its own tricks, such as its digital assistant, Alexa, which is now voice-activated. That means the operating system looks slightly similar to what you find on most Android phones, but with a different coat of paint - and no Google Play app store. The Fire HD 8, like all Amazon tablets, runs Fire OS, the company's forked version of Android. Scrolling through web pages in the Silk browser in the Fire OS app switcher and swiping between home screens, I noted that the Fire HD 8's screen was plenty responsive, though its animations felt a little slow. MORE: Amazon Fire TV Cube vs Fire TV vs Fire TV Stick The Fire's 8-inch screen is not bright enough for group viewing, though, as I saw images get cloudy and dark when I viewed the HD 8 from 30 degrees to the left or right. The 489-nit iPad is brighter, as is the 427-nit Tab 4. The Fire HD 8 produces up to 307 nits of brightness, which is less than the 411-nit tablet average. In short, this screen is pretty good for $80, especially since consuming content is one of the most important things you do with a tablet.Īccording to our colorimeter, the Fire HD 8 produces 80 percent of the sRGB tablet, a score that's less than the 106 percent tablet average, as well as the ratings from the iPad (119 percent) and Tab 4 8 (90 percent). Also, that image - as well as interviews performed by famous chef/restaurateur David Chang - appeared slightly washed out.

As tomatoes danced in a stop-motion animation circle on a blue background, I admired the strong reds and blues, as well as the yellows of tortilla shells.

Amazon fire 8th generation