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Fire Tablet HD8Plus

Started Oct 3, 2020 | Discussions
TacoTruck Forum Member • Posts: 69
Fire Tablet HD8Plus
1

For $100 it's not a bad tablet, even better when it is on sale for less. The 3Gb ram, 32Gb storage, and new processor seems to help with the sluggish behavior of the older models. Add a microSD card to expand the storage and it's good for what we need it to do. It probably shouldn't be used for more than casual games, if that's your thing.

The new more squarish shape is nicer to hold and the wireless charging is nice to have. The USB-C port is really not that important to me. it's still USB 2.0 behind the port. The placement of the power button, moving it to the other side, needs getting used to.

I can use the tablet in all of our stand type wireless phone chargers in landscape mode, so I don't need to purchase the $40 Amazon wireless charging stand for it. Portrait orientation doesn't work for charging as the coils don't align. Flat chargers work fine.

I'm using Fire Toolbox to load Google play store, kill the ads on the lock screen, and install a more tradition launcher. This mostly works fine. I'm not a fan of the Amazon launcher so I can live with having to restart the new launcher the few times it has died in use.

Although the Fire tablets use old Android releases, 7.1, Amazon seems to keeps them patched, and are some of the only cheap Android tablets that seem to get regular updates. I don't think I will have any qualms about using this tablet for a number of years.

CAcreeks
CAcreeks Forum Pro • Posts: 18,924
Re: Fire Tablet HD8Plus

TacoTruck wrote:

I'm using Fire Toolbox to load Google play store, kill the ads on the lock screen, and install a more traditional launcher. This mostly works fine. I'm not a fan of the Amazon launcher so I can live with having to restart the new launcher the few times it has died in use.

Thanks very much for the link to Fire Toolbox.

Although the Fire tablets use old Android releases, 7.1, Amazon seems to keeps them patched, and are some of the only cheap Android tablets that seem to get regular updates. I don't think I will have any qualms about using this tablet for a number of years.

Good to know.

My 3rd glue job on the Samsung 10.1" 2012 tablet (WQXGA) seems to have worked for now to postpone delamination. Brave browser improves the experience of very old Android. Not sure if I would buy another tablet, but Amazon's pricing sure is attractive.

OP TacoTruck Forum Member • Posts: 69
Re: Fire Tablet HD8Plus

CAcreeks wrote:

Not sure if I would buy another tablet, but Amazon's pricing sure is attractive.

We have had a single tablet in the house since the iPad 3, so seven or eight years. When I bought a Harmony hub two years ago, I added a couple of HD8 tablets to use as remotes to the hub or to cast other video apps to the TV. I picked the HD8 tablets up for $25 and $35 through a couple of promotions I saw on SlickDeals and the hub was from a slickdeal as well

Having a single remote for everything is simply great. Having a graphical interface instead of having to remember channel numbers is even better. The only thing missing with the Harmony hub is a TV schedule. Mostly though, with most all TV/cable stations having apps and on demand programing, we don't really use the TV for much channel surfing any more.

I bought a Fire Tablet HD10 after that to use mostly as a second TV and kindle reader. Pre pandemic, I would download videos from Netflixs, or Prime Videos, plus a long playlist on Spotify, to watch/listen to at the gym while on an elliptical machine. Now I use the tablet on my bike at home which is now on a stationary bike stand. I cook as well and use the tablet in the kitchen for recipes.

The new more squarish shape of the HD8plus is more like holding an iPad mini, which has always seemed the perfect tablet shape and size for reading. The longer 8 inch Android tablets have more torque when holding them in portrait mode. The ipad mini and now HD8plus just sit in the hand easily.

The wireless charging of the HD8plus has also been something I have wanted. It's not the plugging in and out, it the wires that aggravate me. It seems like I am always having to fish out a charging cable from behind some big chuck of furniture that it has fallen behind. Being able to throw the tablet in the wireless charging stands we already have. is a large plus.

I think Prime Day has Fire Tablets at 45% off. I will check the first day to see if the HD8plus is on sale and buy a second one to replace our second older HD8. After I get the HD8plus I will trade in the older tablet.

Normally I would send the older tablets to someone I know, instead of trading them in, but the older HD8 tablet isn't really good enough for general use. It was fine for what we used it for, just not willing to pass it on to family. The HD8plus I will give out when the time comes.

The Point and Shoot Pro
The Point and Shoot Pro Veteran Member • Posts: 3,029
Re: Fire Tablet HD8Plus
1

We don't have the hd8 plus listing on Amazon in Canada that I could see.  That being said i own a 5th gen ipad and a Samsung galaxy tab a 8 lte and I use it 90 percent of the time over the iPad.  I like the size, weight and feel of the tablet more than the iPad.  Android has gotten. MUCH better with Android 10.  When it was on 9 it was a slow laggy mess.  The 10 update made it close to the speed of my iPhone 8 and iPad.

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CAcreeks
CAcreeks Forum Pro • Posts: 18,924
Re: Fire Tablet HD8Plus

kojack wrote:

We don't have the hd8 plus listing on Amazon in Canada that I could see. That being said i own a 5th gen ipad and a Samsung galaxy tab a 8 lte and I use it 90 percent of the time over the iPad. I like the size, weight and feel of the tablet more than the iPad. Android has gotten. MUCH better with Android 10. When it was on 9 it was a slow laggy mess. The 10 update made it close to the speed of my iPhone 8 and iPad.

Interesting, thanks for the comparison of Android 9 and 10. I did not notice the updates with my phone, though I do remember it started just as I was driving out of cell range.

The LG G Pad 5 (10.1" 1920x1200) is only $24 more than the Kindle Fire HD 10 (without ads), and has 4G connectivity for travel.

The Point and Shoot Pro
The Point and Shoot Pro Veteran Member • Posts: 3,029
Re: Fire Tablet HD8Plus

CAcreeks wrote:

kojack wrote:

We don't have the hd8 plus listing on Amazon in Canada that I could see. That being said i own a 5th gen ipad and a Samsung galaxy tab a 8 lte and I use it 90 percent of the time over the iPad. I like the size, weight and feel of the tablet more than the iPad. Android has gotten. MUCH better with Android 10. When it was on 9 it was a slow laggy mess. The 10 update made it close to the speed of my iPhone 8 and iPad.

Interesting, thanks for the comparison of Android 9 and 10. I did not notice the updates with my phone, though I do remember it started just as I was driving out of cell range.

The LG G Pad 5 (10.1" 1920x1200) is only $24 more than the Kindle Fire HD 10 (without ads), and has 4G connectivity for travel.

It might not be the same with different devices, but it may.  I am typing this from the Samsung tablet now.  I love this little thing.  I use the Microsoft launcher as my main launcher too.  It's awesome for a tablet

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OP TacoTruck Forum Member • Posts: 69
Re: Fire Tablet HD8Plus
1

I was wrong in my first post about the new Fire Tablets using a custom 7.1 Android. The newer 2019+ tablets are using Android 9.

OP TacoTruck Forum Member • Posts: 69
HD10 with be $80 on Prime Day 10/13
OP TacoTruck Forum Member • Posts: 69
Fire Tablet HD8Plus $75 for Prime Day
OP TacoTruck Forum Member • Posts: 69
They removed exfat support for the microSD card

Not happy with this.

CAcreeks
CAcreeks Forum Pro • Posts: 18,924
Re: They removed exfat support for the microSD card

TacoTruck wrote:

Not happy with this.

Probably a cost-cutting maneuver. I believe MSFT still collects royalties on exfat.

Just reformat as fat32. The only downside is that you can't have individual files (e.g. videos) larger than 4GB.

OP TacoTruck Forum Member • Posts: 69
Re: They removed exfat support for the microSD card

CAcreeks wrote:

TacoTruck wrote:

Not happy with this.

Probably a cost-cutting maneuver. I believe MSFT still collects royalties on exfat.

Just reformat as fat32. The only downside is that you can't have individual files (e.g. videos) larger than 4GB.

Paragon makes an app to add exfat support via the Play store, Cost is $6. I am doing the two day trial now, but I probably will purchase the app so that I can use a SD card reader with cards from my camera. Formatting won't work for this.

I bought a USB-C card reader that has a microSD, and SD, card slots where both can be active at the same time. A 1Tb microSD card isn't too expensive, and is what I'm thinking of using for backing up photos and videos while traveling. Copying the SDcard from camera to microSD card in second slot of the card reader for backup. I can do this with my phone, but I would like to have the second option to use the Fire tablet, as well as being able to use the larger display on the tablet for viewing photos and videos.

CAcreeks
CAcreeks Forum Pro • Posts: 18,924
Re: They removed exfat support for the microSD card

TacoTruck wrote:

Paragon makes an app to add exfat support via the Play store, Cost is $6. I am doing the two day trial now, but I probably will purchase the app so that I can use a SD card reader with cards from my camera. Formatting won't work for this.

Good to know.

I have an SDXC card in my phone, but reformatted it as FAT32 because my Motorola One does not support exFAT. No problem, except I can't put movies on it because they are > 4GB unless split.

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