TECHNOLOGY

Amazon Fire HD 10

The Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet earned lukewarm reviews when it debuted last fall.
30 June, 2016
With a few new upgrades – including the look of a sleek aluminium cover option – the Fire HD 10 is starting to get a second look.
The tablet's silvery sheen makes the HD 10 version look a much classier, but that is not the only change consumers will be glad to hear about. Tablet upgrades include a 64GB version for $290, but the basic 16GB holds at a starting price of $230. The HD 10 is the high-end model in the Fire family, which includes a basic model for just $50, along with the interim versions of the Fire 6 and the Fire 8. While the other tablets are available in cobalt and a few other vibrant colors, only HD 10 is available in the new aluminium.
Images: Androitguys
Apart from these changes, the HD 10 is the same machine Amazon released last fall. The tablet did get high marks for its 0.3 inch width, even if the negative reviews over the flimsy plastic cover came fast and furious. The company hopes the HD 10 design investment in aluminium will now make it as durable as it is slim and lightweight, since the device comes in at just under a pound (15.2 ounces or 0.43 kg).

Beyond that, the 10-inch screen size with 149 ppi resolution is the same (there are users who wish the display was better) and the 1.5GHz processor and other features stay. Battery life for the HD10 is good for up to 8 hours, depending on usage patterns. The HD 10 features standard camera and video capabilities, dual-band WiFi connectivity, and standard Dolby stereo speakers with built-in microphone.
Since its original release, the Fire HD 10 has been considered a little pricey for its value. That hasn't changed with the recent round of professional reviews. The company isn't charging extra for its aluminium cover option, however, and with 7,000 user-generated reviews on Amazon, customers who seem pleased overall with the product and performance will welcome a new option.

Amazon customers have access to what reviewer Kyle Wiggers, writing for Digital Trends, describes as "part of a bigger, bolder ecosystem" with each new Amazon device. At the end of the day, though, Amazon needed to fix both perception and reality with its plastic back-cover problems. To address the issue, company chose to go with the aluminium look that has been successful for mobile devices since Steve Jobs and Apple pioneered it.

(Image: The Verge)
ASUS, for example, just announced a next-generation ZenBook 3 that uses aerospace-grade aluminium alloy in its chassis. The new model looks to give the comparable MacBook, which has long boasted of its metal advantages, a good run for its money on overall durability and lightweight design.

The aluminium trend has been true of Apple products in general, including the iPhone 6. Apple got high marks for going to the 7000 series aluminium alloy to help eliminate consumer frustration over easily bent mobile devices and the complaints that came with them. The new material is 60 percent stronger than standard alloys. The iPhone 7 is expected to use the 7000 series technology too, and there are already a few rumors that an iPad mini 5 will use the smart, sleek and above all, strong 7000 series aluminium in its new design.
(Image: GadgetFlow)

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