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Kindle Fire Guide

Fire HD 10 Plus vs Fire HD 10 2021 vs Fire HD 10 2019

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Fire HD 10 Plus vs Fire HD 10 2021 vs Fire HD 10 2019As 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.

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 features and specs (and the price) still keep unchanged.

Chipset (CPU/GPU)

The tablet is still powered by the same MediaTek MT8183 (64-bit octa-core).

It is a decent entry-level mobile chip and is probably still the fastest processor for a tablet under $150.

Anyway, for most Fire HD 10 tablet owners, the chipset should be sufficient.  You may get a bit frustrated if you play heavy games or render videos on the tablet.

Fire OS 7

Both Fire HD 2021 (11th Gen) and  Fire HD 10 2019 (9th Gen) were released with Fire OS 7, which is based on Android Pie (Android 9).

Most Android devices released in 2021 are on Android 11.… Read the rest

The ultimate guide of USB-C fast charging on Fire HD 10 2019, Fire HD 8 2020, and Fire HD 8 Plus

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USB-C fast charging on Fire HD 10 2019, Fire HD 8 2020, and Fire HD 8 PlusThe addition of a USB-C port on Fire HD 2021 (11th  Gen), Fire HD 10 Plus, Fire HD10 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 guide explains what USB-C fast charging  (PD) is, how to use it to charge your Fire HD tablets faster, and known problem and caveats of using fast charging on Fire HD tablets.

Please note, this guide only applies to Fire HD tablet 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 have the USB-C Port. Older generations and Fire 7 only have a micro USB port.

What is USB-C fast charging (USB PD)?

For the 10th gen Fire HD 8 (Fire HD 2020), Amazon stated:

Fully charge in under 5 hours using the USB-C cable and 5W power adapter included in the box. Fully charge in under 4 hours with 9W adapter (sold separately), and under 3 hours with 15W adapter and USB type C to C cable (adapter and cable sold separately).

Essentially, you can fully charge Fire HD 8 2020 or Fire HD 8 Plus (and Fire HD 10 2019 and Fire HD 10 2021) within 3 hours with the fast charging. It shortens the charging time by 40%.

So,  what is the USB-C fast charging on Fire HD 8 2020 and Fire HD10 2019?

Actually, it is not “fast” charging. It is a standard USB-C charging.

The technology, or the standard, behind it is USB Power Delivery  (PD) 2.0.… Read the rest

Fire HD 8 Plus (2020) vs Fire HD 8 2020 (10th Gen) vs Fire HD 8 2018 (8th Gen)

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Fire HD 8 Plus (2020) vs Fire HD 8 2020 (10th Gen) vs Fire HD 8 2018 (8th Gen)Amazon announced two models for the 10th generation of Fire HD 8: Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 8 Plus, instead of traditionally 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.

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 the 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 card as internal storage on both devices as well.

There are two major differences between Fire HD 8 Plus (2020) and Fire HD 8 2020.

Difference 1. Fire HD 8 Plus has a 3GB RAM

Amazon increased the RAM in Fire HD 8 (10 gen)to 2GB (from 1.5GB in previous generations). And Fire HD 8 Plus further increases the RAM to 3GB.

So, Fire HD 8 Plus is the Fire HD tablet with the largest RAM, currently. Remember, the latest Fire HD  10 (Fire HD 10 2019) only has 2GB RAM.

More RAM is good news for heavy users. … Read the rest

Fire HD 10 2019 (9th Gen): everything you need to know

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Fire HD 10 2019 (9th Gen): everything you need to knowFire HD10 2019 (Fire HD 9th Gen) is an updated model for Fire HD 10 2017 (7th Gen). It is a significant update with some new features and improvements and at the same affordable price.

As Amazon stopped the Fire HDX series of tablets, Fire HD 10 is the “flagship” tablet from Amazon. And Amazon now refreshes the tablet every two years.  Fire HD 10 and Fire 7 were updated from 7th Gen to the 9th Gen in 2019.

This guide explains everything you need to know about Fire HD 10 9th Gen: the new features, pros and cons (review) of Fire HD 10 2019, alternatives to this tablet, and answers to questions you may have about this tablet.

Please note, the successor of Fire HD 10 2019 is Fire HD 10 2021 (11th Gen). You can find the updated features here.

Top 9 new  features of Fire HD 10 2019 (9th Gen)

The 9th Gen of Fire HD 10 looks similar to the previous 7th gen Fire HD 10. Actually, the ports, buttons, cameras, and speakers are located almost in identical locations. The dimensions are also almost identical.

But don’t be fooled by the look. There are some excellent new features. Here are the top 9 new features (compared to Fire HD 10 2017).

USB-C port

Finally, Amazon ditched the vintage micro USB port with the future-proof  USB-C port on Fire HD 10 9th Gen.

The USB-C port offers numerous advantages. For example:

  • The connector is symmetric. You can easily insert the cable into the port without turning on the light.
  • More protocols can be supported.
  • You can use more USB accessories without needing USB-OTG.
  • You may charge the tablet faster (read on) with a standard charger with USB-C Power Delivery.
… Read the rest

How to enable and access developer options on Amazon Fire tablet (Fire HD, Fire HDX and Kindle Fire HDX), and how to hide developer options again?

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Android developer options give app developers a lot of options to test the app under various simulated conditions.

But for normal users, sometimes, you may also need some features that are under developer options. For example, when you need run an ADB (Android Debug Bridge) command to backup the phone, or take lots of screenshots of Amazon Fire tablet  from your PC (if you just want to take a few, you can do this on the tablet with Power and volume up button as illustrated in this guide), you need turn on USB Debugging (enable ADB).

By default, the developer options on Amazon Fire tablet is hidden with the recent Fire OS. This is consistent with other Android devices which hide developer options since Android Jelly Bean 4.2,

But it is very easy to enable and access developer options on Amazon Fire tablet. In this guide, Fire tablet refers to Fire HD, Kindle Fire HD, Fire HDX and Kindle Fire HDX.

This guide will show you how to enable and access developer options on Amazon Fire tablet, and how to disable and hide the developer options on Amazon Fire tablet (after you enabling them).

How to enable and access developer options on Amazon Fire tablet?

Step 1: Go to Settings–Device Options

In your Amazon Fire tablet, go to Settings by swiping down from the status bar (top of the screen) or tap Settings app in the app drawer.

Then tap Device Options as shown below.

enable_and_access_developer_options_on_amazon_fire_tablet_1_settings

Step 2: Tap Serial Number Field  7 times

In the Device Options page, tap the serial number field 7 times.

After tapping the serial number 2 times, it starts to pop out the message as shown below.:… Read the rest

How to sideload Android apps in Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HDX?

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Update (2018-12):

Please use this guide if you want to install Google Play store or use any Google services on your Amazon Fire tablet. It works on Fire tablet (HD 7, HD 8 and HD 10) from 4th gen, 5th gen, 6th gen, 7th gen and 8th gen.

Updated with video. Transcripts added at the end of this post.

Video guide: how to sideload Android apps in Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HDX?

sideload_android_apps_kindle_fireCan I run Android Apps on Kindle Fire tablets?

You may already know that Kindle Fire tablet (Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire HDX) actually is an Android tablet. The Fire OS 3 in the new Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire HDX 7 and Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 actually is based on Android Jelly Bean 4.2.

Of course, Amazon hacked Android so heavily that it is hard to find any traces of Jelly Bean in the UI. But this does not mean you cannot install Android apps, for example, from Google Play Store.

Amazon Appstore for Android has a decent collection of apps that are compatible with most Android devices. Similarly, most Android apps can work on Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HDX tablets without any modifications.

So, the answer is very clear. Yes, you can run almost all Android apps in Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HDX.

Why sideload Android apps in Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HDX?

Currently, Amazon Appstore for Android still has far fewer apps than Google Play store. Sometimes, you may need some apps that are available in Google Play, but are not available in Amazon Appstore.… Read the rest