Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023): Specifications

Display: 10.1-inch 1920x1200 LCD Touch

CPU: 2GHz octa-core

RAM: 3GB

Storage: 32GB, 64GB

Ports: 1 USB-C, 1 microSD slot, 1 Headphone port

Size: 9.69 x 6.49 x 0.34 inches

Weight: 15.29 ounces

The Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) doesn’t offer major upgrades over the 2021 model but remains a great value. It’s a well-built, lightweight tablet with a clear screen and excellent battery life, suitable for various apps and games. Despite some downsides, such as a limited app store, an outdated interface, and lock screen ads at the lowest price, it’s a solid and affordable option for a basic tablet.

Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023): Design

Amazon has stuck with the same basic design for the Fire HD 10, and the latest model doesn’t change that much. It has a simple look with a matte plastic back, so it doesn’t look as fancy as higher-end tablets from Apple or Samsung. But at this price, that’s not a big issue. It feels solid, though not premium.

The Fire HD 10 is easy to hold and use. It’s slim, well-sized (9.69 x 6.49 x 0.34 inches), and weighs just 15.29 ounces (about 434 grams). Amazon made the new model lighter by about 30 grams, making it just under a pound.

If you’re used to tablets like the Apple iPad, you might find the button placement unusual. The power button, volume controls, USB-C port, and headphone jack are all on the same edge, which is the top edge when holding the tablet in portrait mode. It feels strange at first but becomes familiar with use.

The tablet also has a microSD slot on the right side to add up to 1TB of extra storage, which is a nice feature for budget tablets. Unlike iPads, this expandable storage option is useful and affordable with cheap microSD cards.

The front-facing camera is designed for landscape use, so it’s positioned on the right side when the tablet is held in portrait mode. This setup might seem odd, but it’s just something to get used to.

Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023): Display

The 2023 Fire HD 10 has an octa-core 2.0 GHz processor and 3GB of RAM, making it almost twice as powerful as the older Fire HD 8. It scored 1,523 on Geekbench 5’s multi-core test, compared to 854 on the Fire HD 8 and just 540 on the Fire 7.

However, the Fire HD 10’s score is much lower than the 10th-gen iPad’s 4,400, which is expected since the iPad costs much more and performs better. The base iPad is faster and better for gaming, but you’re not paying for high performance with the Fire HD 10.

Even with this, some simple games like Candy Crush Friends Saga can still be slow. On the other hand, a 3D game like PUBG Mobile runs fairly well, though it can get fuzzy and crash if the tablet gets too warm. Asphalt 9: Legends gave error messages when trying to play. Most apps work fine, but you might encounter more issues compared to an iPad.

Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023): Audio

The Amazon Fire HD 10’s stereo speakers offer good sound quality for music and other audio. They’re clear but lack deep bass, and they get loud, although the sound can become unclear at the highest volume. For a more immersive experience, using headphones is better, but the speakers are surprisingly good for the price.

Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023): Battery Life

The Amazon Fire HD 10 offers impressive battery life for a slim tablet. Amazon claims up to 13 hours, and our test showed nearly that amount. With the screen at 150 nits brightness, it lasted 12 hours and 39 minutes.

This is better than the 10th-gen iPad, which lasted 10 hours and 57 minutes in the same test. However, the smaller and cheaper Fire HD 8 (2022) lasted even longer at 13 hours and 41 minutes.

Battery life varies depending on use. For web browsing and streaming videos, you can expect around nine to ten hours of use. However, playing 3D games will drain the battery much faster.

Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023): Cameras

The Amazon Fire HD 10 has two 5-megapixel cameras, one on the front and one on the back, and they perform similarly. In good lighting, especially outside, the photos can be decent with some detail, but they lack vibrancy. In poor lighting indoors, the pictures can be quite blurry.

The Fire HD 10 is good enough for video calls and basic photos, but it likely won’t outperform a recent smartphone in terms of camera quality.

Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023): Software

The app selection for the Amazon Fire HD 10 isn’t great. It doesn’t have Google’s Play Store, Chrome, Gmail, or even an official YouTube app, which feels odd. 

The Amazon Appstore has fewer apps compared to the Play Store or Apple’s App Store. While you can find popular streaming apps like Netflix and Disney+, along with Microsoft 365, Zoom, TikTok, Facebook, and Messenger, there are missing apps like NFL or New York Times, and many popular mobile games.

If you’re used to Apple or other Android devices, you might notice some of your favorite apps are missing. Fire tablets are not designed for heavy app users or those with specific app needs. There’s enough content to keep you entertained, but the app selection is limited.

Amazon’s own services, like streaming video and music, ebooks, and audiobooks, are well integrated. The Silk browser works fine for casual web browsing, and the OS design, while basic, is functional.

Tech-savvy users can try to install the Play Store via a microSD card for more app options, but most casual users might be okay with the limited selection as long as their favorite streaming services are available.

Final Thoughts

The Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) provides great value with its clear screen, sturdy build, long battery life, and decent performance at a lower price than many tablets. While it has fewer apps compared to Apple’s and Google’s stores and struggles with high-end games, it is a solid option for streaming media, casual browsing, and staying connected, making it a good choice for budget-conscious buyers.