Amazon has updated its Fire HD 10 nearly three years after its launch, without much fanfare. Instead of a full-fledged successor, there is now a new storage variant with more RAM—though so far only in a limited configuration and exclusively in the U.S.
New model with 4 GB of RAM instead of 3 GB
As Notebookcheck reports, the 13th-generation Fire HD 10 was initially available only with 3 GB of RAM, paired with either 32 GB or 64 GB of storage. Now, Amazon has quietly added a third configuration with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. Like the previous models, this version also features a microSD card slot that allows storage to be expanded by up to 1 TB.
There is one catch, however: The new variant is available exclusively in black and with lock screen ads; Amazon does not offer an ad-free version. Those who still want to get rid of the ads can have them removed after purchase for an additional fee of $15. In the U.S., the upgraded Fire HD 10 costs around $155, which is roughly 135 euros. It remains to be seen whether and when this version will be released in Europe.
More Buffer for Multitasking
The additional RAM should be particularly noticeable during multitasking, as more apps can remain open simultaneously in the background without the system having to close them. The extra gigabyte of RAM could also have a positive effect on more demanding games. The rest of the specs remain unchanged: The 10.1-inch display still has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels at 60 Hz, and the tablet is powered by a MediaTek MT7176A with eight cores and a 2.0 GHz clock speed. Amazon still lists the battery life at up to 13 hours; charging is via USB-C at up to 15 watts.
An Update Instead of a True Successor
The fact that Amazon is updating its Fire HD 10 after nearly three years with just more RAM instead of a full-fledged successor shows just how slowly the manufacturer is developing its mid-range tablets. If you’re considering buying an Amazon tablet anyway, you’ll find alternatives from the Fire series as well as other manufacturers in our guide to the best tablets. To put this into perspective, it’s also worth taking a look at the smaller models: Amazon recently released a genuine new version of the Fire HD 8 tablets, while the larger Fire HD 10 has so far only received a quiet RAM upgrade.
Conclusion
As long as Amazon doesn’t announce an official successor to the Fire HD 10, the new 4-GB version remains the only noteworthy improvement for buyers. Anyone in Europe hoping for a Fire HD 10 with more RAM will have to be patient for now, as a launch outside the U.S. has not yet been confirmed.
