How to choose the right Fire Tablet for you
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When most people hear the word tablet, they almost immediately think of the iPad. Apple has dominated the tablet space, but Amazon's line of Fire tablets give the iPad a run for its money.
There are a few different models of Fire tablet, each one with some specific pros and cons.
Whether you're looking for a bigger or smaller screen, or value pixel density over stereo speakers, this guide breaks it down.
Fire tablets are the best values in the business, and for most people they're a great tablet option.
7" Fire Tablet
AmazonThe 7-inch Fire tablet is Amazon's base model, and while it's less powerful than its older siblings, it does share some common features with them.
It runs the same operating system (Fire OS 5 "Bellini"), has front- and rear-facing cameras, and access to Amazon's large library of content, be it Kindle books or Prime Video streaming. The Amazon app store was also pretty robust when I used it last month, with many popular apps like Netflix and Angry Birds available.
It only has one speaker, though, so don't expect to be kicking out the jams without connecting it to a Bluetooth speaker. In that same vein, this tablet's less-than-HD screen means it won't be the best for watching TV or movies, but at 7 inches, it's bigger than your phone.
When we reviewed this tablet last year, we said it was the new standard for a $50 tablet, and that's still the case. If you want to casually browse the web, stream Netflix, or play games on a flight, the standard Fire tablet is the perfect solution.
Fire Tablet, $49.99, available from Amazon
Fire HD 6
AmazonIf you're still looking for a good deal on a tablet, but want one that's a little more capable, the Fire HD 6 is a good compromise.
For an additional $20, you're getting a higher-resolution screen and the most pixel-dense tablet in Amazon's entire line. That means text will be more crisp, and the user interface in general will look cleaner on the HD 6 than any of Amazon's other tablets. It's one inch shorter than the base Kindle Fire, meaning if you're rocking a large phone like the Galaxy S7 Edge or iPhone 6S Plus, having a device with a screen this size might be redundant.
The Fire HD 6 shares the same camera system with the standard Fire tablet, but has Dolby audio built-in. It still only has one speaker, but the sound quality should be better. It also picks up an extra hour of battery life, taking it up to a respectable 8 hours. Because of its pixel-dense screen and small size, the Fire HD 6 is ideal for people who don't mind reading on a smaller tablet screen. It's also a good choice for those who want a small tablet that's under $100 with an HD screen.
Fire HD 6, $69.99, available at Amazon
Fire HD 8
AmazonThe Fire HD 8 might have the same screen resolution as the Fire HD 6, but its larger screen size and better internals make it a more capable tablet.
With a higher-resolution front- and back-facing camera, the Fire HD 8 is a better choice if you chose to be a tablet-wielding photographer. That also means your conversations over Skype, or any other video-messaging service, will also be cleaner. The Fire HD 8 also supports the wireless AC standard, currently the fastest form of WiFi out there. Finally, along with the bigger screen size comes duel stereo speakers, making this tablet much more multimedia friendly.
This is the tablet to buy if you're looking for a big-but-not-huge travel tablet. It's the iPad Mini's size, but at less than half the price; and even better, you can expand its internal storage with a MicroSD card.
Fire HD 8, $149.99, available on Amazon
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