Welcome to my in-depth review of the brand-new Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet, fresh for 2025 and now in its thirteenth generation. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly tablet that can handle everyday tasks, entertain the kids, and integrate seamlessly with Amazon’s ecosystem, this might just be the device for you. Priced at well under £200 in the UK, the Fire HD 10 offers a solid mix of features and performance for its price point, but it also comes with some compromises. In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about this latest Fire HD 10, from design and display to performance, battery life, and more.
📱 Design and Build: Chunky but Comfortable
Let’s start with the design. Amazon hasn’t really shaken things up much over the years with the Fire HD 10, and that’s both a blessing and a curse. The tablet sports chunky bezels around its 10.1-inch display, which might not win it any awards for sleekness or “sexiest tablet” status, but there’s a practical side to this design choice. Those thick bezels add to the overall bulk, but they also make the tablet comfortable to hold one-handed, giving your thumbs plenty of room to rest without accidentally triggering the touchscreen.
The Fire HD 10 weighs just 433 grams, which is light enough for extended one-handed use and also kid-friendly. In fact, I’ve had previous generations of Fire HD 10 tablets last for years with all kinds of rough treatment — from kids to clumsy adults — making it an excellent option for families. You can even get the tablet in three colours: classic black, purple, or blue, so there’s a bit of choice to suit your style.
🔐 Fire OS and User Experience: Amazon at the Core
Once you power on the Fire HD 10, you’re greeted by Amazon’s Fire OS, the same familiar interface found on previous Fire tablets. If you’ve used an Amazon tablet before, you’ll know exactly what to expect. For newcomers, here’s the gist: the experience revolves heavily around Amazon’s apps and services.
The home screen is split into three main sections:
- Home: This is where you find all your apps and a handy “continue” bar at the top, letting you jump straight back into whatever book, video, or app you were using last.
- For You: This section shows your recent apps, reading progress, and news snippets, but it also pushes recommendations and ads, which can get a bit much.
- Library: Here you’ll find your Kindle books, apps, games, and media all neatly divided into sections.
One tip I highly recommend is disabling the “Discover” widget on the home screen if you want to cut down on ads and pointless recommendations. This can be done easily in the settings by searching for “Discover” and switching off recommendations. It makes the Fire HD 10’s interface much cleaner and less cluttered.
📲 Apps and App Store: Amazon’s Ecosystem with Some Flexibility
The Fire HD 10 comes preloaded with several Amazon apps like Kindle, Audible, and Prime Video. You can download more apps from Amazon’s Appstore, which has grown considerably over the years. In the UK, you’ll find popular streaming services such as Channel 4, ITVX, Netflix, Disney Plus, and BBC iPlayer available, making it a versatile device for media consumption.
Gaming options are decent too, with titles like Minecraft, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and Sonic the Hedgehog available to keep kids (and nostalgic adults) entertained. However, keep in mind that the Fire HD 10’s hardware is budget-oriented, so demanding games might not run smoothly.
Storage-wise, the base model comes with 32GB of internal storage, but only about 25GB is usable. You can upgrade to 64GB, but that costs extra. Thankfully, the tablet supports microSD cards up to 1TB, so you can easily expand your storage for movies, music, and more. Just be cautious, as some users have reported glitches when using certain microSD cards.
🗣️ Alexa and Show Mode: Smart Features Built-In
As expected from an Amazon device, the Fire HD 10 has full Alexa integration. While I won’t mention her name directly here to avoid any accidental device activations, you can use voice control to manage your smart home devices, check your calendar, play music, and much more.
One of my favourite features is the Show Mode, which you can activate via voice or through settings. This mode turns the tablet into a versatile smart display, perfect for propping up on your kitchen counter or bedside table. You can customize the screen to show useful info like your next calendar event, display digital photo frames with your favourite pictures, or even use arty backgrounds to jazz up the look.
Swiping from the right edge gives you quick access to music controls and smart home devices, making it a handy hub for your connected home setup.
🖥️ Display and Audio: Solid but Budget-Friendly
The Fire HD 10 sports a 10.1-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1920×1200 pixels. While it’s not OLED or anything fancy, the screen holds up well for the price. Colours are decent, and contrast is respectable, so visuals don’t look washed out or lifeless.
This screen is perfect for casual browsing, reading eBooks, or streaming your favourite shows on Netflix, Disney Plus, or iPlayer. For reading, the Fire HD 10 includes a Blue Shade mode that warms the display to reduce eye strain, especially handy for bedtime reading sessions.
Brightness can reach levels high enough to combat moderate sunlight glare, so you can enjoy your tablet outdoors, although watching darker scenes on streaming apps might be a bit challenging in bright light.
Audio comes from stereo speakers located on the top edge when you hold the tablet in landscape mode. The sound is loud enough to cut through noisy environments, which is great if you have kids blasting cartoons or music. There’s also a headphone jack and full Bluetooth support for private listening.
📸 Cameras: Basic but Functional
Amazon has included a pair of cameras on the Fire HD 10, both five megapixels. The front-facing camera works fine for video calls on Skype or Zoom, which is handy for staying connected with family or remote work.
The rear camera is more of a novelty — it might keep kids entertained snapping photos for a few minutes, but don’t expect high-quality shots. It’s pretty basic and won’t replace your smartphone camera anytime soon.
⚙️ Performance: Budget Chipset with Some Limits
Under the hood, the Fire HD 10 runs on a MediaTek chipset paired with 3GB of RAM. This is an entry-level setup, so don’t expect blazing-fast speeds or flawless multitasking. The overall experience can feel a bit juddery at times, especially when opening apps or switching between tasks.
For everyday use like browsing, reading, and streaming, the performance is acceptable. But if you’re looking to play more demanding games or run heavy apps, you might run into some frustrating slowdowns and lag.
My advice? Stick to simpler games like match-3 puzzles or Minecraft and keep your expectations realistic on performance.
🔋 Battery Life: All-Day Use with Slow Charging
Amazon claims the Fire HD 10 can last up to 13 hours on a single charge, but in my testing, it hovered closer to 10 hours with mixed usage and video streaming. That’s still solid for a budget tablet and means it’ll easily last through a day of use or a long car journey with kids in tow.
The tablet charges via USB-C, and Amazon includes a charger in the box — a nice touch compared to some competitors who skimp on this. However, the included charger is a basic 9W unit, so charging from 0 to 100% takes around four hours.
If you have a faster charger lying around, like a 15W smartphone charger, you can speed things up a bit, but it’ll still take about three hours to fully charge. So it’s best to plug it in overnight or whenever you’re not using it.
💡 Verdict: Is the Amazon Fire HD 10 (2025) Worth It?
So, what’s the final word on the Amazon Fire HD 10 13th generation? For under £200, it’s a decent budget tablet with a solid 10.1-inch display, good battery life, Alexa integration, and access to a wide range of apps and streaming services. It’s especially well suited for families, casual users, and anyone deeply invested in Amazon’s ecosystem.
The compromises come in the form of a basic MediaTek processor, limited RAM, and modest storage, which means you’ll need some patience with app loading times and multitasking. The design is functional but uninspired, and the cameras are just there for convenience rather than quality.
Ultimately, the deciding factor is how much you use Amazon’s services like Prime Video and Alexa. If you’re a heavy Alexa user or want a tablet that doubles as a smart display, the Fire HD 10 is a strong contender.
If you’re interested in grabbing one, here’s a handy link to the Amazon Fire HD 10 (2025) on Amazon.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Does the Fire HD 10 support Google Play Store?
No, the Fire HD 10 uses Amazon’s own Appstore and does not support the Google Play Store natively. However, the Appstore has a good selection of popular apps and streaming services.
Q: Can I remove the ads from the lock screen?
Yes, the base model comes with ads on the lock screen, but you can pay extra (around £18 more) to get an ad-free experience. You can also upgrade to ad-free later if you’re unsure at the time of purchase.
Q: How much storage does the Fire HD 10 have?
The base model has 32GB of storage, with around 25GB usable. You can upgrade to 64GB for an additional cost or use a microSD card up to 1TB for expandable storage.
Q: Is the Fire HD 10 good for gaming?
The Fire HD 10 can handle casual games like match-3 puzzles and Minecraft, but more demanding games may experience lag and stuttering due to the basic MediaTek chipset and 3GB RAM.
Q: How long does the battery last?
Battery life is about 10 hours with mixed use or streaming, which is good for a budget tablet. Charging takes 3-4 hours with the included 9W charger.
Q: Does the Fire HD 10 have a fingerprint sensor?
No, there is no fingerprint sensor on this model. You’ll need to use a PIN or password for security.
Q: Can I use a keyboard or stylus with the Fire HD 10?
Yes, Amazon offers compatible keyboards and styluses for the Fire HD 10, but these accessories are sold separately.
Q: Is Alexa built into the Fire HD 10?
Yes, Alexa voice assistant is integrated and can control smart home devices, provide information, and activate Show Mode for smart display functionality.
Thanks for reading! If you’ve been using the Fire HD 10 or are thinking about it, feel free to share your thoughts or questions in the comments below. And don’t forget to 👉 Check out the Fire HD 10 Tablet on Amazon — Click here to see the latest features and reviews.
Credit image {https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izC9AMu2b2A}
