We may still be a week away from Prime Day deals proper, but Amazon's dropped early discounts on its range of Fire tablets that are well worth the leap. These slabs are already sitting at record-low prices on Bezos's digital shelves, beating the discounts I saw over July's Prime event earlier this year.
That means it's never been cheaper to pick up the latest roster of Fire devices, with models starting at just $54.99 (was $99.99) for the Fire HD 8. The best deal, however, sits on the Fire HD 10. This larger model has dropped below $70 for the first time ever this week, hitting $69.99 (was $139.99) with a record-breaking 50% discount. Considering I've only ever seen this model at $75 in the past (including summer's Prime Day tablet deals), that's a must-see.
All three Amazon Fire tablets are cheaper than ever right now, and considering we're already beating the retailer's first round of Prime sales I'm not expecting them to drop again next week. These are already listed as 'early Prime Day deals', and I rarely see Amazon double-dropping prices on its own gadgets in the same event.
Should you buy an Amazon Fire tablet?
I've had my hands on both the Amazon Fire HD 10 and Amazon Fire Max 11 for review purposes, and use an Amazon Fire HD 8 for smart lighting controls and the odd YouTube video on the daily. Are they the best gaming tablets? No. These aren't the high-performance, high-refresh rate slabs you'll find on Apple or Samsung's shelves.
They are, however, much cheaper than flagship productivity and media creation devices and, if you just want a simple screen for light mobile games, watching your favorite YouTubers, and streaming your shows they could be all you need.
You will have to make peace with the operating system, though.
In testing the Fire HD 10 and Fire Max 11, the restricted app library was my biggest hurdle. I'm used to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, but Amazon's tablets rely on the retailer's more limited selection. All the usual streaming and major apps are here, from Disney Plus to Minecraft, with support for Xbox streaming as well. You may, however, lose out on smaller lifestyle apps and larger game releases like GTA and Genshin Impact.
I'd recommend checking that all your usual apps are available on Fire OS first.
If so, you're off to the races. You won't find a tablet of this quality at this price all too often. The Fire Max 11 has a surprisingly impressive display while the Fire HD 10 has maintained its durability in the years its been in my roster. These are definitely simpler devices, but if you have simpler needs there's no need to pay for features you won't use.
- See all tablet deals at Amazon
- Amazon Fire HD 8 |
$99.99$54.99 at Amazon - Amazon Fire HD 10 |
$139.99$69.99 at Amazon - Amazon Fire Max 11 |
$229.99$139.99 at Amazon
We're also gearing up for plenty more discounts, with guides to the best Prime Day Kindle deals and all the Prime Day iPad deals we're expecting. Or, check out the best gaming phones for more mobile options.
