# Anyone Pick Up a New Fire HD 8 or HD 8 Plus? They Ship Today...



## quadtronix (Nov 7, 2013)

Anybody order a Fire HD 8 or Plus from Amazon? The new model is supposed to ship today...

I personally have not pulled the trigger on the Plus version that I have my eye on... yet... but am strongly considering it in the 64GB configuration. I will want to add a micro SD card as well and use it for reading my Kindle library as well as storing Netflix and Amazon Prime Video shows and movies. What appeals to me about it is the 3GB of RAM and wireless charging not to mention the bumped up processor from the older 2018 model (from 1.3 GHz quadcore to 2.0 GHz quadcore). However, the screen resolution being the same HD (not even Full HD), is a big potential disappointment and mainly why I'm hesitating. 

Has anyone ordered the new HD 8 or Plus and if so any thoughts? Has yours arrived yet? Impressions? And even if you are passing on this one, any reasons you'd like to share as to why? 

I'm still on the fence on this one but will update this thread with my final decision and/or impressions soon...

I hope everyone is well! Stay safe! 

Thanks!!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Oh. Was there a new Fire announced? I guess I'm completely out of the loop! 

Not in the market for a tablet, and haven't been thrilled in general with the Fire line. But I got nothin' better to do, so maybe I'll take a look. 

The Fire HD 8 seems to start at $90, but add another $30 for the Amazon case/cover (or $35 if you want a Disney or NatGeo branded one). You can add a memory card.

The Fire HD 8 Plus starts at $110, covers are same, memory card the same (though the product page offers a bigger card as an add on than on the HD 8 page). Has wireless charging and if you want to buy it with the dock included, it's $140. The dock doubles as a display stand. You can buy it later for $40 so you save $10 buy getting it when you buy the Fire. Reference to "ANGREAT" as the manufacturer -- no idea if that's compatible with Qi, though it says it should charge other devices that have wireless charging capability IF the coils line up.

They have the same processor, though the existing Fire 10 seems to have a better one. The Plus has more Ram than the HD 8. Oh, and they're also both USB-C -- so existing Fire adapters will NOT work.


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## LDB (Oct 28, 2008)

I've got an iPad Pro 10.5" that is good so far although no longer current. I'd like to have a bit larger screen although that may not work out. I don't think I'll spend this kind of money next time and will look seriously at the Fire options. Hopefully one will hit the spot.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

LDB said:


> I've got an iPad Pro 10.5" that is good so far although no longer current. I'd like to have a bit larger screen although that may not work out. I don't think I'll spend this kind of money next time and will look seriously at the Fire options. Hopefully one will hit the spot.


Keep in mind that moving from an iPad to a Fire means you have to download new apps as the operating systems are different. That's probably not a huge deal for most but I know some people actually spend money on apps o)* and they'll have to spend it again if they switch from one to the other.  Not an issue at all, I'd think, if you're mainly using it for media consumption.

* I kid. I have spent a bit of money on some apps.


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## quadtronix (Nov 7, 2013)

Well... I was checking different configurations on Amazon.com to see what's available and unfortunately the Fire HD 8 Plus I had my eye on seems to be out of stock in both 32GB and 64GB configurations until at least the 19th so I guess I have some time to think about if I really want it. Alternatively the regular HD 8 is still available so there's always that as an option.

The HD 8 2020 is supposed to have 2 GB of RAM compared to 3 for the Plus model yet it's still an upgrade from the 1.5 in the Fire HD 8 2018 edition. This is important to me as my HD 8 2018 is sluggish. I usually use my Oasis 2019 for Kindle Books because of that.

The HD 8 2020 also has the bumped up SOC from 1.3 to 2GHz according to some articles I read, so that should help. It also has the USB C port instead of Micro USB however I read somewhere that the HD 8 Plus has a faster charger in the box which should equate to much faster charge times. Of course if I go the HD 8 route I suppose I could always get a faster USB C charger after the fact. Also it's my understanding that the Plus only comes in Slate while the HD 8 comes in all colors (except Slate) and I'm kind of liking Plum.

I found a youtube video of a guy who got his Plus model already earlier today...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plaEJ-I6lu0

I like the look of it but the screen resolution still worries me.

It's my understanding that the Plus model works with any Qi wireless charger but like Ann said, it has to fit and line up. Also the regular HD 8 does not have wireless charging... 

We'll see.. I think the guy in the video said that he got his off Best Buy's site to avoid waiting till the end of the month so maybe I'll see if the Plus is in stock there... Still have to make up my mind though...


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

quadtronix said:


> We'll see.. I think the guy in the video said that he got his off Best Buy's site to avoid waiting till the end of the month so maybe I'll see if the Plus is in stock there... Still have to make up my mind though...


If your local Best Buy has them in stock, going to look at them in person may help you make a decision. FWIW I have one of the new 10" Fires that I got when it first came out. I really like the USB-C and it works well for what I need. It's mostly a media consumption device for me.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Having had e-ink Kindles for years, I wanted to stick with Amazon for a tablet so I bought the original Fire when they first came out and quite liked it. But it seemed to me that afterwards they reduced the specs in order to reduce the price point, so when I 'upgraded' to a newer model it actually wasn't as good. From what I've read that policy seems to have continued to some extent.

That and the fact that if I wanted the same paid apps on my phone as my tablet meant buying twice unless you could find and download the .apk file from somewhere because Amazon insists on having it's own separate appstore.

In the end I changed to a Samsung tablet that complemented my Samsung phone and I loved it. It wasn't the top of the line model even back when I bought it and it's since been superseded by new releases, but I still love it and I'm happy with my decision to move away from Amazon.

Choosing new expensive electronics is always a difficult decision but I think Amazon still have their 30 day return policy don't they? Couldn't you just get it and try it? Also, I don't know about in the US, but in the UK, the new Fire models are always on QVC as part of really good offers and you can send things back there too.


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

Well, I traded in one of my old 7" Fires to get the 20% off a new one and pulled the trigger on an HD 8 plus.  Of course they are out of stock with no estimated ship date yet, but I went ahead and did it anyway.  I don't have to send the old one in until the end of July.  I got the 64GB this time (my 10" is only 32GB), but I'll supplement it with a large SD card so I can download my entire music library and most of my movies.  That way I will always have something local to watch.  It worked well with the 10" - that one is just a little harder to fit in a normal purse.

Oh wow - just got the email from Amazon about delivery of the new Fire:
Order # 
Placed on  Saturday, June 6, 2020

        All-new Fire HD 8 Plus tablet, HD display, 64 GB, our best 8" tablet for portable entertainment, Slate
        Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC

            New estimated delivery date: Friday, July 31, 2020


It's almost like the earlier Kindles where the significantly underestimated demand and were out of stock for months.


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## quadtronix (Nov 7, 2013)

Cool!!! Enjoy your new tablet!!!

I'm still on the fence personally... I want the Plus model but that's the one that's out of stock. I dont want to wait till the end of July. But I guess I might have to. Or settle for the non-plus model, which is an option I'm considering. I'm very happy with my Oasis 3 and I use an ipad mini for nook books so theres no rush; I may just wait it out and order the Plus when it's back in stock.

I hope you'll update us with your impressions of the HD 8 Plus when it arrives!!



Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


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## jkingrph (Jun 10, 2012)

I have a fire hd10 and it's just too big so I put in an order for the HD8 plus this morning, cover and a new sd card.  The 10 may go to my grandson.  I know I will have to wait a few weeks, but no biggie.  I have a Ipad pro 10.5, but am hesitant to take it to work with me and have it banged around.  I can load the  pharmacy references I need on the Fire,
along with my books and that's all I need.


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## quadtronix (Nov 7, 2013)

jkingrph said:


> I have a fire hd10 and it's just too big so I put in an order for the HD8 plus this morning, cover and a new sd card. The 10 may go to my grandson. I know I will have to wait a few weeks, but no biggie. I have a Ipad pro 10.5, but am hesitant to take it to work with me and have it banged around. I can load the pharmacy references I need on the Fire,
> along with my books and that's all I need.


Nice!! The Fire tablets are supposed to be a lot more durable than iPads too so you should not have any problems in that regard...

Please let us all know your impressions when u get it! 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## quadtronix (Nov 7, 2013)

Hi all,

Just to update...

Just ordered the 32GB Twilight Blue regular HD 8 and the Twilight Blue case from Amazon... arriving Wed. next week...

I went for the 32GB option because I plan to just stream my media anyway so I will only be needing the internal storage for ebooks and I can always get an SD card if I need more storage.

All my decisions including color, case color, storage option and standard vs. plus were also effected by my trying to get it here as soon as possible... I hate to wait... so Wed. Isn't so bad.

I'll update next week with impressions. Hopefully Wednesday!



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## jkingrph (Jun 10, 2012)

I wanted the 8plus, 64gb in twilight, but when I tried to enter it, the amazon site kept switching to the standard 8, so I ended up ordering the slate color.  They originally sent an estimated ship of July 26, but this morning updated to July 9.


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## quadtronix (Nov 7, 2013)

jkingrph said:


> I wanted the 8plus, 64gb in twilight, but when I tried to enter it, the amazon site kept switching to the standard 8, so I ended up ordering the slate color. They originally sent an estimated ship of July 26, but this morning updated to July 9.


Nice!!

Yeah I think the Plus only comes in Slate, at least for right now. I know the other colors are listed on the Plus version's site but all colors besides Slate have been gray'd out since it was announced. I have read conflicting articles about whether the Plus model comes in all the colors or just Slate.

If you were planning on getting an Amazon case you could always get the Twilight case for the Plus though. I'm pretty sure they are all interchangeable...

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## jkingrph (Jun 10, 2012)

quadtronix said:


> Nice!!
> 
> Yeah I think the Plus only comes in Slate, at least for right now. I know the other colors are listed on the Plus version's site but all colors besides Slate have been gray'd out since it was announced. I have read conflicting articles about whether the Plus model comes in all the colors or just Slate.
> 
> ...


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

Well after a not very productive call with Amazon, I cancelled my order for the 64GB 8 Plus since it still didn't show the newer delivery date that I would have gotten if I ordered it again.  Then when it wouldn't give me the 20% off for my trade-in on a different order, I got mad and cancelled the trade-in also.  The local Best Buy had the 32GB version in stock for same day delivery so I just ordered from them.  It arrived Friday evening and my 128GB SD card arrived from Amazon on Saturday.  I may have to rethink the size of the SD card.  After downloading most of my movies and about a quarter of my music I am down to only 35GB free.  But I've got almost 22GB free on the built-in storage so I'm good for now.
I really like the USB-C for charging.  We have had phones that use USB-C for a while now so I have a variety of bricks and cables.  The brick in the box doesn't seem to charge very fast, but one of the Amazon ones that I bought for my Nintendo Switch will charge the Fire quickly.
The build feels pretty solid.  The screen is decent.  I do notice that it doesn't get quite as bright as the screen on my latest 10" Fire.  Trying to watch movies outside in the sun is not a good experience on this 8" Fire.  But that's OK - because I mostly use it to read anyway.
DH put the Google stuff on it for me so I could install the handful of apps that I use regularly.
The battery life seems pretty good.  I don't have to charge it every day and I've been reading on it for an hour or two in the evenings.  I'm made at my Oasis 2 at the moment since two hours of reading takes the battery down to 50%...  I'll deal with that later.
So anyway - I think the 32GB HD Plus was worth the $110-ish that I paid for it (plus $15 to remove ads).  We did make a tactical error - Best Buy was offering $20 off if you purchased two of them, just like Amazon.  But I didn't know he was ordering one and he didn't know I was ordering one.  We could have placed one order and saved a little...  Oh well.
I got an aftermarket case because I think Amazon's cases are overpriced.  I like them - I just won't pay full price for them.  So I have the Twilight Blue one, along with the turtle and parrot in my cart to watch prices.  At the very least, they will go on sale whenever they have Prime Day.


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## quadtronix (Nov 7, 2013)

Andra said:


> Well after a not very productive call with Amazon, I cancelled my order for the 64GB 8 Plus since it still didn't show the newer delivery date that I would have gotten if I ordered it again. Then when it wouldn't give me the 20% off for my trade-in on a different order, I got mad and cancelled the trade-in also. The local Best Buy had the 32GB version in stock for same day delivery so I just ordered from them. It arrived Friday evening and my 128GB SD card arrived from Amazon on Saturday. I may have to rethink the size of the SD card. After downloading most of my movies and about a quarter of my music I am down to only 35GB free. But I've got almost 22GB free on the built-in storage so I'm good for now.
> I really like the USB-C for charging. We have had phones that use USB-C for a while now so I have a variety of bricks and cables. The brick in the box doesn't seem to charge very fast, but one of the Amazon ones that I bought for my Nintendo Switch will charge the Fire quickly.
> The build feels pretty solid. The screen is decent. I do notice that it doesn't get quite as bright as the screen on my latest 10" Fire. Trying to watch movies outside in the sun is not a good experience on this 8" Fire. But that's OK - because I mostly use it to read anyway.
> DH put the Google stuff on it for me so I could install the handful of apps that I use regularly.
> ...


Nice!!!

Congrats on the new HD Plus! I'm still waiting for my standard HD 8 but it should be on its way as the site says "out for delivery"...

I was going to put my 256 GB SD card from my phone into it when it arrives but I'm on vacation and don't have a paper clip thin enough to get the SD card out of the phone. I'm having the tablet delivered to me here where I am now but there are no available paperclips here... It's a shame cause I like to put the SD card in before I ever even boot up the tablet for the first time. I may just buy a new one if I can find one in a store around here. Or I may just stream my movies and shows... right now they are all downloaded on my iPad mini anyway, which is the 256GB version so not a big problem.

I can't wait for it to arrive though! Very excited... I got the 32GB Twilight Blue HD 8 and matching case with special offers. Like you said was true of yourself, I'll be using mostly for reading.

Thanks for updating with impressions! I will do the same as soon as I get mine in hand and have a chance to play around with it a bit...



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## LDB (Oct 28, 2008)

Wow, I can't imagine not talking and knowing about plans to order. That's a major topic here, not because it requires permission or anything but because of the excitement of anticipation. We've always talked beforehand on anything. Just seems natural and would be really weird not to.


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## quadtronix (Nov 7, 2013)

Got my HD 8 yesterday, set it up and have been putting it through it's paces...

So far so good. I read a few chapters in the kindle book I'm in the middle of, watched two episodes of Krypton season 2 that I had purchased on Amazon Prime Video, did some web browsing and I'm down to 83% battery. Everything works great. The screen is a little dark and reflective when playing video though, but I do have it on auto brightness. Sound is good...

I got the HD 8 standard edition in Twilight Blue, 32 GB with a Twilight Blue Case by Amazon. I'm liking the new design language of both the tablet and case although it's not much of a departure from the last generation.

I'll keep updating if I think of anything else or if issues come up. But so far I'm pleased with this purchase! Highly recommended!!



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## quadtronix (Nov 7, 2013)

Just to update my previous post...

Found an SD card (128GB) at Staples for $29.99 so picked it up for my Fire HD 8. Just downloaded all my Prime Videos to it. They didn't take nearly that much space. I guess it's time to start building up my library some more... 

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## Paperbackstash (Dec 15, 2017)

Not planning on it. I bought their new fire that was released in October. I was surprised they already released new ones. I don't need another upgrade so soon.


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## jkingrph (Jun 10, 2012)

When I placed the order for the Fire 8 plus, 64 gb without offers original shipping date was July 26, then quickly changed to July 9,  now I see it has been shipped with deliver to be Tue June 30.


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## quadtronix (Nov 7, 2013)

jkingrph said:


> When I placed the order for the Fire 8 plus, 64 gb without offers original shipping date was July 26, then quickly changed to July 9, now I see it has been shipped with deliver to be Tue June 30.


Nice!!! 

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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

The Fire 8 HD and Plus are on sale now. I do not now for how long though.  The plus with 32 GB is $80 and the regular 8 HD is $60. It is not a must-have for me, but I just found last night that my Fire HDX 8.9" not only won't hold a charge, but the glass has popped out on each side and I can't get it back in. It happened while it was just sitting there charging.  I had not used it for a long time. I wanted to look at pictures in a book I'm reading. I should trade in but am lazy about waiting for them to evaluate it after I ship. I would like to just send two of my three fires in for a gift card, but they don't do it that way. 

The 8HD Plus with 64 GB is still not available until August 5th.


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## LDB (Oct 28, 2008)

It's definitely tempting.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I got my new Fire HD 8 Plus (32GB) last Friday. I like it but had forgotten how awful the facebook app is, particularly when reading and responding to comments. Have to keep pushing the back arrow to go back afterwards. Also scrolls down slowly compared with my laptop or iphone. I am reading a book on it that has pictures (mostly text though). I hope to use it for Netflix and other streaming now and then in the bedroom where there is no TV. The Fintie cover is good, lightweight and less than half the price of the Amazon cover.


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## LDB (Oct 28, 2008)

Since this thread began I've discovered the Boox devices. Much more expensive but e-ink so they would read like a Kindle and Android so they'd do pretty much anything a Fire/iPad does except color. Plus a stylus so you can take notes etc. with them. Pretty interesting as a way to get a bigger screen Kindle with fringe benefits.


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