The Amazon Fire HD 10 has established itself as one of the most affordable and best-value 10-inch tablets available. It gives you access to almost every app and service, as well as a very powerful voice assistant and almost all of the content you could want. This 1080p tablet has held its own as one of the few genuine tech bargains available, at less than half the price of Apple’s cheapest iPad but with a screen that’s just as large. The Amazon Fire HD 10 in front of us is slightly smaller and lighter than its predecessor, but the screen remains 10.1 inches. Overall, it’s a case of evolution rather than revolution, but with so little competition at this level, that’s all that was required.
The Amazon Fire HD 10 received a minor redesign in comparison to the 2019 model, weighing slightly less (465g vs. 504g) and having a slightly smaller frame. Otherwise, the majority of the differences are internal; these Fire tablets aren’t going to win any beauty contests. The Fire HD 10 (2021) measures 247 x 166 x 9.2mm and has a 10.1-inch LCD display with thick bezels on the top and bottom, giving it a lower screen-to-body ratio than recent tablets with edge-to-edge displays.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]With a plastic back, the Fire tablet lacks the snazzy metal finish seen on other devices, but you don’t have to worry about scuffs or falls as much. However, keep an eye out for spills because the Amazon Fire HD 10 has no reported water resistance. You have a choice of four colours: black, denim (dark blue), lavender (pinkish), or olive (green). The Plus model is only available in slate grey, with a softer finish that may be more comfortable to hold.
Welcome to the era of low-cost 4K streaming. Not only do most 4K TVs now include app and streaming service support, but dedicated 4K media streamers are becoming increasingly affordable. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K joins them, but it completely replaces the 4K-capable Amazon Fire TV. The Fire TV Stick 4K is smaller, faster, and less expensive, and it also supports Dolby Vision and has a more advanced remote.
The Fire TV Stick 4K measures 3.9 by 1.2 by 0.6 inches, which is slightly larger than the standard Fire TV Stick (HWD). It’s a straightforward rectangular matte black plastic bar with a male HDMI connector at one end and a micro USB port on the other. If it’s just a tad too big to fit comfortably in a TV port, a short, flexible HDMI extender allows you to reposition it at a different angle.
Amazon has added some new features to its Alexa Voice Remote. The new remote is still a slim rectangular wand with a prominent circular navigation pad and a pinhole microphone near the top for using Alexa. It still has menu and playback controls, but now it also has power and volume buttons. The Fire TV Stick 4K can control the power and volume of your TV, allowing you to watch streaming media without having to use a second remote. It currently only adjusts volume and toggles power, so you can’t navigate your TV’s menus or change inputs, but it’s a very useful upgrade if your Fire TV Stick is your primary device.