Fire OS 8 is the latest (2022) Operating System (OS) for Fire tablets. It was announced on May 18, 2022. This Fire tablet how-to guide explains everything you need to know about Fire OS 8: relation to Android versions, new features (and how to use them), supported devices, and about sideloading Google Play Store. This guide applies to all models (standard, Kids, Kids Pro, Plus) of Fire 7 2022 (12th Gen), Fire HD 8 2022 (12th Gen), Fire HD 10 2023 (13th Gen), and Fire Max 11 (2023, 13th Gen). Relation to Android versions Fire OS is essentially a fork of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). And each version of Fire OS has parity with a specific version of Android. So, you can run most Android apps on Fire tablets even if they are not available in the Amazon App Store. Of course, Amazon removed almost all Google services, including Google Play Store, and replaced them with their own offering. Therefore, technically speaking, Google services are NOT supported on Fire tablets. Even worse, Amazon tightened the controls of the Fire OS. It is easy to make Google Play Store and other Google services work on Fire OS 8 (read… Read More
Amazon announced the Fire HD 8 2022, which is the 12th Gen of the Fire Tablet, on September 21, 2022. You can get your hands on it from October 19. Fire HD 8 2022 (12th Gen) shares a similar size and design, almost identical display, similar micro SD card support, and identical RAM, compared to the previous generation of Fire HD 8 (Fire HD 2020/10th Gen). So, what is new in Fire HD 8 2022 (12th Gen) vs Fire HD 8 2020 (10th Gen)? This Fire tablet buying guide explains the six changes or improvements in the Fire HD 8 2022 (12th Gen) vs Fire HD 8 2020 (10th Gen), including Fire OS 8, a Hexa-core processor, 13-hour battery life, swapped locations for the power and volume buttons, 5MP rear camera for the Plus model, and $10 price hike. 1. Fire OS 8 Fire HD 8 2022 (12th Gen) is the second Fire tablet with the latest Fire OS: Fire OS 8. As explained in this post, Fire 7 2022 (12th Gen) is the first Fire tablet shipped with Fire OS 8. You can use all new features and improvements in Fire OS 8 with the new Fire HD 8… Read More
Amazon Fire tablet (Fire 7, Fire HD 8, and Fire HD 10) is the most affordable Android tablet on the planet. Fire tablet buyer's guide 2022 help you decide: Is a Fire tablet right for me? Which Fire tablet is for me? How to get the best deal on a Fire tablet. In this Fire tablet buyer's guide 2022, I will first explain the difference between the Fire tablet and the Android tablet, when you may consider buying a Fire tablet, and when you should not consider the Fire tablet at all. The current (2022) models of Amazon Fire tablets are compared to explain the differences among these available models in 2022. You can then decide whether you should get the 7" Fire 7 or 8" and 10" HD tablet based on your budget usage, portability, and special needs. Fire tablet buyer's guide 2022 also explains what are the additional features or upgrades in the Plus version for Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10. Kids edition is also discussed in detail so that you may know whether you should consider it. This Fire tablet buyer's guide 2022 finally explains why you should not buy a Fire tablet of the… Read More
After about 3 years, Amazon finally refreshed the most affordable Android tablet on the planet, Fire 7. The 12th Gen Fire 7 (2022) was announced in May and released in June. Many Fire tablet owners wonder about the difference between Fire 7 2022 and Fire 7 2019. As a successor to the 9th Gen Fire 7 (2019), Fire 7 2022 offers some valuable upgrades and changes. This Fire tablet guide explains the top 10 new features and improvements of Fire 7 2022 vs Fire 7 2019, including. Fire OS 8 Faster CPU and GPU More (double) RAM USB-C WiFi 5 (802.11ac) Bluetooth 5.0 Longer battery life VP9 codecs Widevine DRM L1 support Inflation tax (just to make it 10) Some comparison was also extended to the current Fire HD 8 (10th Gen) and Fire HD 10 (11th Gen) to help you decide whether Fire 7 2022 is the right tablet for you. Fire OS 8 Fire 7 2022 is the first Amazon device that ships with Fire OS 8, which is based on Android 11. As a comparison, Fire 7 2019 (9th Gen) was updated to Fire OS 7, which is based on Android 9. The latest Fire HD 8… Read More
The official wireless keyboard for Amazon Fire HD 10 2021 (and Fire HD 10 Plus) is one of the most useful accessories if you need to type a lot on the Fire HD 10 tablet. But some owners are confused about the 15 special keys and are not aware of the keyboard shortcuts that can improve their productivity greatly. This Fire tablet how-to guide explains the meaning and usage of the 15 special keys on the official wireless keyboard for Amazon Fire HD 10 2021 (and Fire HD 10 Plus). The available keyboard shortcuts are also explained to help you improve your productivity. If you want to know how to pair or configure the keyboard, please check this guide. You may check Fire Tablet Buyers' Guide to see whether you should buy the Bluetooth keyboard as a productivity bundle. Fire HD 10 2023 (13th Gen) also has a similar official keyboard cover, which works identically to the one for Fire HD 10 2021. However, due to the differences in dimensions, you cannot fit the keyboard case for Fire HD 10 2021 with Fire HD 10 2023. And vice versa. So, this guide also works for Fire HD 10 2023 (13th… Read More
With the release of the 11th Gen of Amazon Fire HD 10 (and Fire HD 10 Plus), Amazon introduced the official wireless keyboard for Amazon Fire HD 10 2021 (and Fire HD 10 Plus). The wireless keyboard cover is also part of the productivity bundle for Fire HD 10 2021. This Fire tablet how-to guide explains the advantages (and disadvantages) of the official wireless keyboard for Amazon Fire HD 10 2021 (and Fire HD 10 Plus), how to attach and remove the wireless keyboard cover from Fire HD 10 2021, how to pair the wireless keyboard with Fire HD 10 2021, and how to use the official wireless keyboard on Fire HD 10 2021 and Fire HD Plus. Fire HD 10 2023 (13th Gen) also has a similar official keyboard cover, which works identically to the one for Fire HD 10 2021. However, due to the differences in dimensions, you cannot fit the keyboard case for Fire HD 10 2021 with Fire HD 10 2023. And vice versa. So, this guide also works for the corresponding keyboard for Fire HD 10 2023 (13th Gen). There is no trackpad on the keyboard for Fire HD 10 2021 and Fire HD 10… Read More
Split Screen is a new feature introduced in the 11th Gen of Fire HD 10 (2021) and Fire HD 10 Plus. It allows you to use two apps side by side concurrently. This Fire tablet guide explains what Split Screen on Fire HD 10 (2021) and Fire HD 10 Plus (2021) is, how to launch apps in the Split Screen mode, and how to manage and resize screen size for Split Screen on Fire HD 10 (2021) and Fire HD 10 Plus (2021). Please note, although 9th Gen Fire HD 10 (2019), 10th Gen Fire HD 8 (2020), and Fire HD 8 Plus (2021) are also on Fire OS 7.3, the split-screen feature currently is exclusive for the 11th Gen of Fire HD 10 (2021) and Fire HD 10 Plus (2021). It is unclear whether Amazon will port back this feature to these older devices. This feature is now available on all Fire HD devices (8" and 10") with Fire OS 7 or Fire OS 8. Fire 7 2022 (12th Gen), Fire HD 8 2022 (12th Gen), Fire HD 10 2023 (13th Gen), and Fire Max 11 are all shipped with Fire OS 8. But the split-screen is supported on Fire… Read More
As a refreshed version of the Fire HD 10 tablet, Fire HD 10 2021 (11th Gen) offers a moderate update over Fire HD 10 2019 (9th Gen). Fire HD 10 Plus is the first "Plus" version of the Fire HD 10 series, apparently inspired by the moderate success of the Fire HD 8 Plus. This Fire tablet guide explains the new features of Fire HD 10 2021 (11th gen) compared to Fire HD 10 2019 (9th Gen) and the difference between Fire HD 10 Plus vs. Fire HD 10 2021 to help you decide whether you should get the new Fire HD 10, or the new Fire HD10 Plus. The productivity bundle for the 11th Gen Fire HD 10, Fire HD 10 Kids, and Fire HD 10 Kids Pro are also explained. Update: Fire HD 10 2023 (13th Gen) was released. Please check this guide on the new features(e.g., Fire OS 8 and active stylus support) and improvements in the 13th-generation Fire HD 10. Fire HD 10 2021 (11th Gen) vs Fire HD 10 2019 (9th Gen): what's not changed? The 11th Gen of Fire HD 10 is not a significant upgrade to the 9th Gen. A lot of key… Read More
The addition of a USB-C port on Fire HD 10 2021 (11th Gen), Fire HD 10 Plus, Fire HD 10 2019 (9th Gen), Fire HD 8 2020 (10th Gen), and Fire HD 8 Plus makes these Fire tablets support 15W USB-C fast charging and be compatible with more USB accessories. This Fire tablet how-to guide explains what USB-C fast charging (PD) is, how to use it to charge your Fire HD tablets faster, and known problems and caveats of using fast charging on Fire HD tablets. Please note, that this guide only applies to Fire HD tablets with a USB-C port. Currently, Fire HD 10 2021 (11th Gen), Fire HD 10 Plus, Fire HD10 2019 (9th Gen), Fire HD 8 2020 (10th Gen), and Fire HD 8 Plus, Fire HD 8 2022 (12th Gen), Fire HD 8 Plus (2022), Fire HD 10 2023 (13th Gen), and Fire Max 11 (13th Gen) have the USB-C Port. Older generations and Fire 7 only have a micro USB port. Fire 7 2022 (12th Gen) has now also switched to the USB-C port, and therefore, this guide also applies to the 12th Gen Fire 7 (2022) What is USB-C fast charging (USB PD)? For… Read More
Amazon announced two models for the 10th generation of Fire HD 8: Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 8 Plus, instead of the traditional one, as the successor of Fire HD 8 2018 (8th Gen). So, what are the differences between Fire HD 8 Plus (2020) vs Fire HD 8 2020 (10th Gen) vs Fire HD 8 2018 (8th Gen)? This Fire tablet guide explains the significant differences among Fire HD 8 Plus (2020), Fire HD 8 2020 (10th gen), and Fire HD 2018 (8th Gen) to help you understand the benefits of the improvements. Update: there is a newer version of Fire HD 8: Fire HD 8 2022 (12th Gen). Fire HD 8 Plus (2020) vs Fire HD 8 2020 (10th Gen) Fire HD 8 Plus and Fire HD 8 2020 share identical dimensions and ports. So, the cases for these two tablets are interchangeable. The hardware inside these two tablets is almost identical, with two exceptions (read on). Both tablets also run identical software with almost identical Fire OS 7.3 (which is based on Android Pie/9.0). This also means it is very easy to add Google Play Store to both tablets. You can also use the micro SD… Read More