Amazon has announced an updated 10in tablet alongside an all-new Fire HD 10 Plus model and bundles that include – for the first time ever – a keyboard and subscription to Microsoft 365.
Yep, this isn’t your regular annual update where the changes are few and far between. It appears Amazon is deviating a bit from its usual entertainment focus to try and attract those who want to use their tablet for a bit of work, but are still on a tight budget.
The new Fire HD 10 Productivity Bundle costs £209.99/US$209.99 and includes a 12-month subscription to Microsoft 365 and custom-designed keyboard.
Amazon has also updated Fire OS to support split-screen so you can now run two apps side-by-side, such as Facebook Messenger and Amazon Prime Video.
There are actually four new 10in tablets being announced, all of which can be pre-ordered immediately and which will be on sale from 26 May at Amazon, Argos, Currys PC World, John Lewis and Very.co.uk with Fire HD 10 also available from Tesco.
- Fire HD 10: £149.99/US$149.99, has a brighter screen and 50% more RAM (3GB) than previous model, thinner, lighter and uniform screen bezel.
- Fire HD 10 Plus: £179.99/US$179.99, with 4GB RAM, soft-touch, slate-coloured finish, wireless charging.
- Fire HD 10 Productivity Bundle: from £209.99/US$209.99, choose between Fire HD 10 or HD 10 Plus (£239.99/$239.99), includes Fintie Bluetooth keyboard (available separately for £49.99/US$49.99), and 1-year subscription to Microsoft 365.
- Fire HD 10 Kids: £199.99/$199.99: The Fire HD 10 tablet, plus a bumper case, a 12-month subscription to Kids+ and a 2-year worry-free guarantee.
The new Fire HD 10 comes in 32GB or 64GB models and a choice of Black, Denim, Lavender or Olive.
The Fire HD 10 Plus has the same choice of 32GB or 64GB storage and comes only in Slate. We first saw a Plus model added to the range in 2020 when Amazon announced the Fire HD 8 Plus, and the new 10-inch version has the same upgrades: more RAM and wireless charging.
There’s a new wireless charger dock available for the Plus model. It’s made by Anker and costs £49.99/$49.99.
Show Mode is available on both tablets, but the Plus – just as with the 2020 Fire HD 8 Plus – will charge wirelessly and automatically switch to Show Mode when placed on the charger. It will charge wirelessly on any compatible Qi charger though.
It remains to be see how productive you can be using Microsoft 365 on Fire OS on a 10in screen, but we’ll be testing it out shortly and will bring you a full review. It’ll certainly be one of the cheapest options for work and play when it launches.
For more on the new kids’ tablet, read about the range of Fire Kids Pro tablets.
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Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.