If you do get one, please post your experiences here!
I've given away my HD 10 and Fire 7 (no one I know wanted my HD 8). I've been spoiled by my 2019 Galaxy Tab A 10.1 so I doubt I'll pick up the new HD 10.
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Amazon Fire HD 10 - tips n tricks
- Thread starter sracer
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I've given away my HD 10 and Fire 7 (no one I know wanted my HD 8). I've been spoiled by my 2019 Galaxy Tab A 10.1 so I doubt I'll pick up the new HD 10.
I think I'd prefer the form factor of the HD 8, but the superior hardware of the HD 10 is the determining factor. I'll try to follow up once I upgrade my Fire.
I still have my HD 8. I mostly use my ipad pro or ipad mini but I still have a few use cases for the HD 8. Mainly as an echo show with the show mode dock. I also use it to access the odd android app. At one point it was quite laggy, however I wonder if there has been an update because its been snappy for the past few weeks.
Still very happy with my HD 10 7th gen as standalone or companion with laptop especially after unlocking bootloader with TWRP and installing stock Android LineageOS 12.1. Will be acquiring another one to replace someone's iPad since they watch a lot of YouTube and want an ad free experience with YouTubeVanced.
FYI, Amazon recently pushed out a firmware update to close the USB loophole requiring disassembly of tablet to access contact points on system board so don't update out of box.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/hd8-hd10/orig-development/rom-lineage-12-1-t3953677
FYI, Amazon recently pushed out a firmware update to close the USB loophole requiring disassembly of tablet to access contact points on system board so don't update out of box.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/hd8-hd10/orig-development/rom-lineage-12-1-t3953677
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Thanks for that reminder! The latest gen 7, HD 8, and HD 10 Fire tablets are now more locked down than previous versions. Google Play and Services can still be easily installed, but unlocking and installing alternative OSes is now more difficult.
The HD 10 and the Amazon case were on my front porch this morning. First impressions: The setup process is more like an iPad than it used to be. I checked for updates and installed the latest FireOS, then it was off to the races. This thing is way more powerful than my 2015 Fire 7. Apps load very quickly, and there's not a lag when exiting apps before the home screen appears. I didn't see a way to transfer my settings from my old Fire 7, so I had to copy bookmarks, etc., manually, which took a little while.
Just like my Fire 7, the case seems to be very durable, but having it installed makes the tablet significantly heavier and thicker. It weighs over 2 pounds with the case, making it a "hold in your lap" (or on the table) kind of tablet instead of a "hold in your hand" tablet.
I've discovered one annoyance about charging. The HD 10 includes a USB-A to USB-C cable and a 9 watt USB-A charger. It charges at about 1.66 amps using this cable and charger, so roughly the rated capacity. When I tried using any other USB-A charger, the HD 10 would only charge at 1 amp (5 watts). This includes an Apple 12 watt charger, an Aukey 12 watt charger, and a QuickCharge 3.0 compatible charger. Swapping the cable for another A to C cable did not improve this behavior. This isn't a huge concern for me, since I typically charge overnight, but I can see it being an issue for families if a kid is having a meltdown because their tablet's battery is dead. Other reviews note that it will charge at about 16 watts with a standard USB-C charger. Please disregard, I'm not an idiot but apparently my USB ammeter is. ?♂️ The HD 10 charges at 12-13 watts when I don't have a USB test device connected to its charge cable. Given that, I don't think a potential 16 watt USB-C charge rate is worth the trouble or expense of buying a USB-C adapter if, like most people, you have a bunch of 12 watt USB-A adapters lying around.
Overall, I think it's a great deal for $99. I think I will get used to the heft of the case, or just pop it out if I want to use it handheld.
Just like my Fire 7, the case seems to be very durable, but having it installed makes the tablet significantly heavier and thicker. It weighs over 2 pounds with the case, making it a "hold in your lap" (or on the table) kind of tablet instead of a "hold in your hand" tablet.
Overall, I think it's a great deal for $99. I think I will get used to the heft of the case, or just pop it out if I want to use it handheld.
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Here's an easy click tool to debloat and install Google Play Store on Amazon tablets.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/hd8-hd10/development/official-amazon-fire-toolbox-v1-0-t3889604
Now own both Fire HD 10 2019 and 2017 which I prefer more overall.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/hd8-hd10/development/official-amazon-fire-toolbox-v1-0-t3889604
Now own both Fire HD 10 2019 and 2017 which I prefer more overall.
I ran a little unscientific test with a 12w charger, charging the HD 10 from a completely discharged state:
0:36 23% 13w
1:00 38% 13w
1:18 48% 13w
2:07 78% 13w
2:40 96% 9w
2:52 100% 6w
3:25 100% 1w
So, essentially, with a standard high-wattage USB-A charger, you can get to about 75% charge in 2 hours, which is great for a tablet this large. The charge rate tapers off after that, and it looks like the tablet reads 100% for a while before it's actually fully charged. I'd guesstimate the included 9w USB-A charger would take closer to 3 hours to get to 75%.
Given reports that USB-C only bumps the charge rate to 16w, I don't see it being worthwhile to buy a USB-C charger just for this device.
0:36 23% 13w
1:00 38% 13w
1:18 48% 13w
2:07 78% 13w
2:40 96% 9w
2:52 100% 6w
3:25 100% 1w
So, essentially, with a standard high-wattage USB-A charger, you can get to about 75% charge in 2 hours, which is great for a tablet this large. The charge rate tapers off after that, and it looks like the tablet reads 100% for a while before it's actually fully charged. I'd guesstimate the included 9w USB-A charger would take closer to 3 hours to get to 75%.
Given reports that USB-C only bumps the charge rate to 16w, I don't see it being worthwhile to buy a USB-C charger just for this device.
Almost a year in, just wanted to update with one issue I've noticed, and apparently it's an issue common to a lot of the newer Fire tablets (HD8 and HD10, not sure about the 7). The lowest volume setting is quite loud. It seems that Netflix has "tuned" their app appropriately for this, but I find it deafeningly loud with some other apps like the Kanopy movie player. It's extremely annoying.
Also, I don't think I mentioned it before, but the display is not nearly as nice as the Retina display on my iPad mini 2. I'm sure the current iPads are even better. The automatic brightness level uses the built-in camera as the sensor, and the transitions are not as smooth as an iPad (which could be a software issue, as well).
Also, I don't think I mentioned it before, but the display is not nearly as nice as the Retina display on my iPad mini 2. I'm sure the current iPads are even better. The automatic brightness level uses the built-in camera as the sensor, and the transitions are not as smooth as an iPad (which could be a software issue, as well).
I'm selling my HD10 after slightly over a year. I installed the Google Play store, which allowed me to get newer versions of software like Kanopy (that resolved the volume issue reported above), and also allowed me to install Chrome. However, Chrome did not behave normally as of late. The final straw was when I attended a Zoom meeting yesterday afternoon. Other participants reported feedback whenever I didn't have the HD10 muted.
Amazon got the "big things" right in terms of processing power and display quality on this tablet. It's the lack of execution in numerous small things that make it highly irritating to use for me.
Amazon got the "big things" right in terms of processing power and display quality on this tablet. It's the lack of execution in numerous small things that make it highly irritating to use for me.