Pros
- Robust design
- Enough performance for most
- Loud dual speakers
Cons
- Very slow charging speeds
- No Google apps
- Focused on selling Amazon services
If you’re looking for a no-frills tablet for under £150 then the Amazon Fire HD 10 is the perfect choice. Earning a 4-star rating, the Fire HD 10 is a well-rounded tablet with a decent display, performance and battery life.
The display of the Fire HD 10 doesn’t feel particularly premium, however it certainly does the job. A 10.1-inch touchscreen with 1920 x 1200 resolution, much like its predecessor, works perfectly well enough for streaming TV and films, but the colours are a tad washed out and dull. It won’t be a dealbreaker for most people, but it is worth pointing out.
Performance wise, the Fire HD 10 is not to be sniffed at. It’s paired with 3GB of RAM which is more than enough for general use, although isn’t enough to download heavier games, such as Fortnite.
While the Fire HD 10 is based on Android 11, it runs Amazon’s Fire OS which means there’s no access to the Google Play store. This doesn’t necessarily have to be an issue though, as you do get access to Amazon’s app store but there are a few apps that you’ll likely miss, such as YouTube.
The Fire HD 10’s design is what you would expect from a price point of £149.99. The tablet is plastic and dated by the centimetre thick bezels all around. Having said that, the Fire HD 10 comes in a choice of three colours, Lilac, Ocean and Black, and is 34g lighter than its predecessor which was released in 2021. So although it’s not the sleekest option, if you aren’t fussed about premium looking design then this shouldn’t be much of an issue.
During testing, we found that with video calls, light gaming, Prime video and streaming music over Bluetooth, the Fire HD 10 lasted from 7am to 10pm, ending the day with 17% battery left in the tank. Of course, battery life does depend on how you use the device, so while those who want to play heavier games or use bigger apps may find the battery life depletes faster, generally the Fire HD 10 will be able to see most people through a day.
In our benchmark tests, we found that 60 minutes of Netflix drained the battery by 17% and 30 minutes of light gaming drained the battery by 13%, which for a tablet of under £150, isn’t too bad.
Reviewer: Sean Cameron
Full review: Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023)
