At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Attractive, slim design
- Decent display
- Good child-friendly features
- Affordable price
Cons
- Poor performance
- Not the easiest tablet to use
Our Verdict
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While it was never going to benchmark against the likes of an iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab, it often felt sluggish, with a dull display that sacrificed just about everything to hit a low price. It was, in many ways, a toy, so when I got the opportunity to put the latest Fire HD 8 Kids Pro through its paces, I was intrigued.
Design & Build
- Slim yet durable design
- Fun design options
- No water or dust resistance rating
One of the most noticeable changes when you take the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro out of the box is just how slim it is compared to its non-Pro predecessors.
It’s a drastically more svelte package, giving the feeling of being a more impressive product for more ‘grown-up’ kids, which my five-and-a-half-year-old son instantly recognised.
Lloyd Coombes / Foundry
On the outside, you’ll find some easy-to-press volume and sleep/wake buttons, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C charging port.
However, it’s worth noting that there’s no IP rating for water or dust resistance, so you’ll have to be careful in the bathroom or at the beach.
My review unit includes the ‘Hello Teal’ case, but there’s also a pink alternative with a Jungle Cat rear print and a Marvel’s Avengers offering that my son has taken a shine to. You can pick up a whole host of third-party options, too, and each of the built-in options has a solid kickstand that’s ideal for playing games at a table.
Screen & Speakers
- 8-inch IPS display
- 1280 x 800 resolution
- Single speaker
As you might expect from the name, the front of the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro features an 8-inch screen. However, it feels much bigger than 8 inches because of the sizeable bezel around the display, plus the additional edges of the included case.
Coming from the Fire 7 Kids, I’m pleased to see a sharper, brighter screen here, but only just – the resolution of 1280 x 800 is the same as a Steam Deck, but pales in comparison to the 10-inch screen found on the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro , which hits 1920 x 1200.
Lloyd Coombes / Foundry
Essentially, you’ll be able to watch videos in 720p HD, but not Full HD or anything higher. It is an IPS panel, though, so colours are fairly accurate. However, the display attracts a fair amount of glare, so visibility in bright outdoor environments can be a struggle.
But overall it’s a pretty solid display that is ideal for just about any TV show your little one wants to watch.
It’s not the same as you’d get from a more premium tablet, but enough that you’ll need to reach for those volume buttons when you’ve had quite enough of Peppa Pig for the umpteenth time.
Specs & Performance
- Unnamed 2GHz Hexa-core processor
- 3GB RAM
- 32GB of storage, expandable via Micro-SD
These are modest specs, but they represent a big upgrade compared to the Fire 7 Kids. That device would routinely stutter when switching between apps, downloading new ones, and even flicking between home screens.
Lloyd Coombes / Foundry
On a device like this, benchmark figures don’t really matter. If you’re considering getting this for a child, it’s probably fast enough. I’ve tested Sonic Dash on the tablet, sprinting across maps with no discernible slowdown, even in a multiplayer setting, while the likes of Disney Coloring World are nice and responsive.
Things only really tend to get sluggish when you open a handful of apps at once, but so long as your kid isn’t trying to write an email or something, everything works nicely.
The only model available offers 32GB of storage, of which around 25GB is available to the user. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro supports expansion via Micro-SD card all the way up to 1TB.
Cameras
- 5Mp rear camera
- 2Mp front-facing camera
- Both support Full HD (1080p) video recording
You’re probably not buying the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro for its photographic abilities. If you are, I wouldn’t bother.
The device puts almost all of its eggs in the single rear-facing 5Mp sensor, and it’s not great.
It’s fine for quick snaps of pictures and friends, but even my son was reaching for my phone instead when we were taking pictures of things out and about. As you’d expect, there’s little to no image processing here – photos are shadowy, dark areas lack detail, and any movement contributes to significant blur.
Selfies from the 2Mp front-facing lens are basic at best, but they do the job for any apps that call upon them, like doodling games and the like.
It can be used for video chats, but only with parental authorisation. Even then, the lens isn’t good enough to see the benefit of Full HD 1080p video.
Battery Life & Charging
- No battery capacity quoted
- Up to 13 hours of battery life claimed
- Supports wired charging up to 15W
Thankfully, the better battery life than older models means it’s more likely to be ready to go when your child needs it – I was pleasantly surprised to find it with charge more often than not, whereas the older Fire 7 tablet would seemingly run dry while it was on standby.
Software & Apps
- Amazon Fire OS
- At least four years of security updates
- Good parental controls
Lloyd Coombes / Foundry
I don’t find the software to be nearly as easy to use as Android or iOS. Everything feels a tad clunky, so expect to spend some time getting used to things – even if you’re relatively tech-savvy.
Elsewhere, parental controls are really impressive. Parents can set time limits and bedtimes on the tablet, and lock off certain apps between users. This can cause some confusion for little ones looking to jump into an app on their profile only to find out they need parental advice, but the 30 seconds it takes to move between profiles and authorise something is better than the alternative.
Price & Availability
This includes 32GB of storage and the aforementioned year of Kids Plus. After that, plans start at £4.99 / $5.99 per month if you’re a Prime member and £6.99/$7.99 per month if not.
It’s very much a budget tablet , and will only appeal to young children who don’t mind its limitations.
It won’t dazzle tech aficionados, but for young children, the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro is a great portable tablet that will do everything they need it to.
Compared to the Fire HD 7, the screen is brighter and sharper, the performance is slightly better, and the battery is very solid for a device in this price range.
Provided you’re aware of its limitations, the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro is a good buy – especially if you know a Marvel fan.
Specs
- Processor: UNISOC SC9863A (reported)
- Security: Passcode
- Internal storage: 32GB built-in
- Expandable storage: Up to 1TB via Micro-SD card
- Memory (RAM): 3GB
- Battery: ‘Up to 13 hours’, non-removable
- Display: 8-inch HD display – IPS
- Resolution: HD (1280×800) | 189 ppi
- Aspect ratio: 16:10
- Rear camera: 5Mp
- Front camera: 2Mp
- Dimensions: 212 mm x 162 mm x 17 mm (8.3” x 6.4” x 0.7“)
- Weight: 506g (with case attached)
- Ports: USB-C port
Author: Lloyd Coombes, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Lloyd is a freelance contributor with over five years of experience writing for Tech Advisor, Macworld, TechRadar, iMore and plenty more, specialising in wearables, fitness products and mobile. When he’s not being the Editor in Chief at GGRecon, you’ll probably find him at the gym.
Recent stories by Lloyd Coombes:
- Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus review: Work and play on a single device
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