Amazon’s Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10 tablets are back on sale today

Today’s Dealmaster is headlined by a trio of discounts on Amazon’s Fire HD tablets. The deals drop the Fire HD 8 to $60, the Fire HD 8 Plus to $80, and the Fire HD 10 to $100. Though we’ve seen these tablets discounted a handful of times already this year, each offer matches the lowest price we’ve seen for each device to date.

The thrust of the Fire HD line is getting good enough hardware and performance for significantly lower prices than Apple’s iPads or a premium Android tablet. The three slates here don’t change that value proposition: even Apple’s entry-level iPad offers a more premium design, a better display, and a more comprehensive app library to those willing to pay for it. But if you’re determined to pay $100 or less for a tablet, the Fire HD slates are generally good buys.

At its current price, the 8-inch Fire HD 8 might be the best value of the bunch: it offers a moderately sharp 1280×800 display in a comfortable design, its battery can last a few days on a charge, and while it’s never outright fast, it performs competently for the basic media consumption for which it’s intended. Just don’t expect much in the way of gaming.

The new Fire HD 8 Plus adds wireless charging support, a USB-C port, and an extra gigabyte of RAM (3GB in total); the latter isn’t as big of a deal as it might sound given that Amazon’s Fire OS doesn’t emphasize multitasking, but it’s there if you want to stress performance a bit more. The Fire HD 10, meanwhile, comes with a 10-inch 1080p display for users who prefer a bigger screen for Web browsing, reading, and video viewing. It comes with a USB-C port as well. Each slate has a microSD slot for expanding storage, too.

The usual trade-offs with Amazon’s tablets are still here. You still have to pay extra to avoid seeing ads on the tablets’ lock screens, and the heavily skinned Fire OS is still engineered to push you toward Amazon content and services. You still can’t access the standard Android app store or install official Google apps—Gmail, YouTube, etc.—without hacky workarounds. But if you think those annoyances are worth the money saved, Fire HD tablets remain good value, particularly as a secondary display or a shared tablet for the family.

If you’re all set on the tablet front, though, we also have deals on PS4-exclusive games like Death Stranding and Dreams, Fitbit’s Inspire HR fitness tracker, Sony noise-canceling headphones, and more. Have a look for yourself below.

Note: Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Top 10 deals of the day

Amazon Fire HD 8 (32GB, ads) tablet for $59.99 at Amazon (normally $90).
Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus (32GB, ads) tablet for $79.99 at Amazon (normally $110).
Amazon Fire HD 10 (64GB, ads) tablet for $99.99 at Amazon (normally $150).
Apple Leather Case for iPhone 11 Pro for $14.99 at Amazon (normally $36).
Death Stranding (PS4) for $19.99 at GameStop (normally $35).
Fitbit Inspire HR fitness tracker for $69.95 at Amazon and B&H (normally $90).
Aukey PB-Y13 USB-C portable battery – 18W total, 10,000mAh, 18W USB-C PD, 2x USB-A for $18.09 at Amazon (clip $5 coupon and use code: ND4Y3IP8 – normally $30).
Aukey PA-D1 USB-C wall charger – 30W total, 30W USB-C PD, USB-A for $12.99 at Amazon (clip $7 coupon – normally $21).
Jabra Elite 75t true wireless earphones for $149.99 at Amazon (normally $180).
Sony WH-1000XM3 (2018 model) Bluetooth noise-cancelling headphones for $248 at Amazon (normally $315).

CalDigit's TS3 Plus is a recommended Thunderbolt 3 dock. — Enlarge / CalDigit’s TS3 Plus is a recommended Thunderbolt 3 dock.

Valentina Palladino

Laptop and desktop PC deals

Lenovo ThinkPad T490 laptop – Intel Core i5-8265U, 14-inch 1080p, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD for $749 at Lenovo (use code: THINKDEAL – normally $1,050).
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (7th gen) laptop – Intel Core i5-10210U, 14-inch 1080p, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $1,089.50 at Lenovo (use code: THINK50 – normally $1,350).
Apple MacBook Pro (2020) laptop – Intel Core i5-1038NG7, 13.3-inch 2560×1600, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Magic Keyboard for $1,799.99 at Amazon (normally $1,950).
CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 dock – 2x Thunderbolt 3, 5x USB-A, USB-C 3.1 Gen 1, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, DisplayPort 1.2, Ethernet, SD for $209.99 at Amazon and B&H (normally $250).
WD Blue SN550 (1TB) NVMe internal SSD for $104.99 at Amazon (normally $125).
Samsung T7 (500GB) portable external SSD for $79.99 at Amazon (normally $105).
Samsung 970 Evo Plus (2TB) NVMe internal SSD for $349.99 at Amazon (normally $435).

<em>Death Stranding</em> isn't for everyone, but there's really no other big-budget game like it. — Enlarge / *Death Stranding* isn’t for everyone, but there’s really no other big-budget game like it.

Video game deals

Death Stranding (PS4) for $19.99 at GameStop (normally $35).
Dreams (PS4) for $19.99 at Amazon (normally $30).
Nioh 2 (PS4) for $19.99 at Amazon (normally $37).
Days Gone (PS4) for $19.99 at GameStop (normally $25).
Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4) for $39.99 at Amazon, GameStop, and PlayStation Store (normally $60).
Doom Eternal (PS4, XB1) for $29.99 at GameStop (normally $55).
Catherine: Full Body (Switch) for $39.99 at Amazon (normally $50).
Dragon Quest Builders 2 (PS4) for $14.99 at Amazon (normally $20).
Persona 5 Royal (PS4) for $39.99 at Amazon (normally $50).
The Yakuza Remastered Collection (PS4) for $39.99 at Amazon (normally $55).
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered (Switch) for $24.54 at Amazon (normally $30).
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (Switch) for $25.57 at Amazon (normally $30).
Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition (PS4, XB1) for $14.95 at Amazon (normally $20).
Bayonetta and Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle (PS4, XB1) for $29.99 at Best Buy (normally $40).
Halo: The Master Chief Collection (XB1) for $19.99 at Amazon (normally $29).
Iconoclasts (Switch, digital) for $9.99 at Nintendo eShop (normally $20).
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (Switch, digital) for $29.99 at Nintendo eShop (normally $60).
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (PS4, digital) for $38.99 at PlayStation Store (normally $50).
Metal Gear Solid V: The Definitive Experience (PS4, digital) for $4.99 at PlayStation Store (normally $20).
Judgment (PS4, digital) for $23.99 at PlayStation Store (normally $45).
DOOM (PS4, digital) for $5.99 at PlayStation Store (normally $20).
Metro Exodus (PS4, digital) for $13.99 at PlayStation Store (normally $25).
Dirt 4 (PS4, digital) for $4.99 at PlayStation Store (normally $20).
Pre-order: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (PS4, XB1) for $49.94 at Amazon (normally $60).
Pre-order: Cyberpunk 2077 (PS4, XB1, PC) for $49.94 at Amazon (normally $60).

<em>Wingspan</em> is a board game worth checking out. — Enlarge / *Wingspan* is a board game worth checking out.

Aaron Zimmerman

Gaming deals

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus is one of Amazon's newest tablets. — Enlarge / The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus is one of Amazon’s newest tablets.

Ron Amadeo

Electronics deals

Sony's WH-1000XM3 noise-cancelling headphones. Note that this is now the previous-gen model; the recently launched XM4 add multipoint connections, wearing detection, and other new features, but the older model is still a good value at this price. — Enlarge / Sony’s WH-1000XM3 noise-cancelling headphones. Note that this is now the previous-gen model; the recently launched XM4 add multipoint connections, wearing detection, and other new features, but the older model is still a good value at this price.

Accessories and miscellaneous deals

Apple Leather Case for iPhone 11 Pro for $14.99 at Amazon (normally $36).
Aukey PB-Y13 USB-C portable battery – 18W total, 10,000mAh, 18W USB-C PD, 2x USB-A for $18.09 at Amazon (clip $5 coupon and use code: ND4Y3IP8 – normally $30).
Aukey PA-D1 USB-C wall charger – 30W total, 30W USB-C PD, USB-A for $12.99 at Amazon (clip $7 coupon – normally $21).
RavPower RP-PC120 USB-C wall charger – 30W USB-C PD, GaN for $12.99 at Amazon (clip $3 coupon and use code: SYMKOWX9 – normally $22).
RavPower RP-PC104 USB-C wall charger – 45W USB-C PD, GaN for $13.99 at RavPower (use code: PC50 – normally $26).
Samsung Bar Plus (128GB) USB 3.1 flash drive for $19.99 at Amazon (normally $23).
Brydge 10.2 Keyboard for 10.2-inch Apple iPad for $99.99 at Amazon (normally $130).

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