The 2018 edition of the tablet, as well as its Kids Edition counterpart, offer an improved front-facing camera, so friends and family can see you more clearly on video calls. Specifically, the new Fire HD 8 tablets offer a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, which is a significant upgrade over the 0.3-megapixel lenses in the 2017 model. In our review of the 2017 Fire HD 8, we noted that “the front lens is extremely zoomed in; you’ll have to extend your arm a bit to get a shot of your whole face,” and we hope this fixes that issue. The other new feature in the HD 8 is that Alexa can now be summoned in the traditional, voice-activated way, without requiring you to tap on the display. The rest of the HD 8’s specs and features have stayed the same. The 8-inch screen measures 1280 x 800 pixels, the device comes with 16 or 32GB of storage (the latter costs an extra $30), and the tablet is available in black, blue, red and yellow designs. The new Fire HD 8 will ship on October 4 and retains its $79.99 (opens in new tab) pricing, while the new Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet costs $129 (opens in new tab). We look forward to putting the Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 8 Kids Edition through the rigors of a full review soon.
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