Amazon has updated its Fire HD 10 lineup. The update includes all of the normal aspects we’ve come to expect from a generational bump. The Fire HD 10 shares the same design as the Fire HD 8 refresh we saw last year, a processor upgrade more memory, a brighter display, and 12 hours of battery life. All of those changes are welcome, especially with the last Fire HD 10 update occurring back in 2019.
But what’s most interesting to me about the new Fire HD 10 and Fire HD 10 Plus is that Amazon is offering a productivity bundle for those who want to use Amazon’s tablet to get work done.
For $219, the bundle includes a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Personal — which includes access to all Office apps and 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage — and a detachable keyboard case.
It’s the first time that I can recall where Amazon has positioned one of its tablets as a work device, and not an entertainment device that’s primary purpose is to envelop you in Amazon’s own stores, apps, and services.
Going even further, Amazon is debuting a split-screen mode on the Fire HD 10 that will allow you to use two apps at the same time.
The Fire HD 10 and HD Plus are available with 32GB or 64GB of storage, and both will accept a MicroSD card with up to 1TB of additional storage. The 10.1-inch display is 1080p and 10% brighter than the previous model. The 2-megapixel front-facing camera has been moved so that it’s centered when the tablet is in landscape mode.
The main differences between the Fire HD 10 and the HD 10 Plus come down to 3GB of memory in the standard model, and 4GB of memory in the Plus version. You’ll also get a “premium” finish and wireless charging on the Plus model, for a price of $179. The standard Fire HD 10 starts at $149.
You can preorder the new Fire HD 10 tablets today, with shipments starting on May 26.
A new approach to tablets for kids
In addition to announcing updates to the Fire HD 10 line, Amazon also unveiled a new approach to its Amazon Kids tablets based on age group. There’s now an Amazon Fire Kids version of each Fire tablet in Amazon’s lineup. For example, the Fire HD 10 Kids version includes a protective case, one-year of Amazon Kids+ for parental controls and kid-friendly content, plus a two-year worry-free guarantee where Amazon will replace a broken tablet, no questions asked. An Amazon Kids tablet is designed for kids ages 3 to 7 and includes the base model Fire HD 10 for $199. Alternatively, you can get the Fire 7 Kids for $99, or the Fire HD 8 Kids for $139.99
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There’s now a Kids Pro line of Amazon’s tablets designed for kids ages 6 to 12. All Kids Pro tablets come with a slim style protective case — one an older child won’t mind using — the same one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ and a two-year worry-free guarantee.
Pricing for the Kids Pro models is the same as the Amazon Kids models. The Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is $199, the Fire HD 7 Kids Pro is $99, and the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro is $139.
The Fire HD 10 Kids and HD 10 Kids Pro are both available to preorder, with shipping starting on May 26.
Getting a child a Kids or Kids Pro tablet from Amazon is an inexpensive way to keep them entertained while you work, be it reading books, watching videos, or playing games that are included with the Amazon Kids+ subscription. And you’re in total control over their use with the parental controls included in that subscription.