Winner: The Fire HD's battery lasts longer than the Paperwhite's when both devices are used as e-readers. The Fire HD offers a more typical tablet screen Battery Its biggest downside is the reflection from the glass, which can be rather off-putting. You can make it nice and bright, which makes up for some of the slight fuzziness. The Fire HD 8's screen is actually pretty good, despite its seemingly low resolution (1,280 x 800). After all, it's an e-reader, not a tablet. However, the Paperwhite is obviously limited in what it can do. The Paperwhite also has a far better resolution than the Fire HD 8, with crisper text as a result. The Kindle Paperwhite has a back light and high pixel count for crisp readingīecause the display doesn't need to be backlit, it reduces eye strain and makes reading for extended periods of time much easier.Īlthough the Paperwhite does have its own light, this is technically more of a side light than that found in LCD screens, which direct light into your eyes. The Paperwhite screen is created using e-ink as opposed to the LCD display found in the Fire HD 8. Winner: The Paperwhite's resolution of 300 ppi is much higher than the Fire HD 8's 189 ppi, and it's easier on the eye too. The extra weight makes the Fire HD 8 uncomfortable to use one-handed. The Paperwhite is also the lighter of the two devices - by 152g. The Kindle Paperwhite is thinner and lighter than the Fire HD The Fire HD 8 is larger and more slab-like than the Paperwhite, being 45mm taller and 11mm wider.Īlthough it's just a fraction of a millimetre thinner, the Paperwhite feels much more slender than the Fire HD 8 - largely thanks to its tapered edges. The Kindle Paperwhite is more shaped for comfortable holding Winner: The Paperwhite is the more aesthetically pleasing device - it's smaller, sleeker and weighs less in the hand.īoth devices are solidly built with the same textured, hard-wearing plastic. Side-by-side: Amazon's Fire HD 8 versus the Kindle Paperwhite Design and build

If you want to remove ads from the sleep screen on either device, you'll need to pay £10 more. The more expensive 3G version costs £170, but quite uniquely offers mobile Internet access without additional charges. The 32GB version of the Fire HD 8 is currently reduced to just under £85, making it great value considering the smaller 16GB version now costs £5 more.īy contrast, the Kindle Paperwhite can be purchased for just under £110. Winner: The Fire HD 8 is £20 cheaper than the Kindle Paperwhite. Compared with the Fire HD 8, the Paperwhite has a better screen resolution as well as being lighter, easier to hold, and much easier on the eyes during prolonged use. The Fire HD tablet can be used for watching videos, playing games, reading books, and even work or study tasks like word processing or budgeting, as we look at in our dedicated review of the Fire HD.īy contrast, the Kindle Paperwhite is very much a one-trick pony - focused solely on making the reading experience as pleasant as possible.įortunately, the Paperwhite does this very well. The camera isn't great, but for a tablet that costs as little as £85 - it's far from a deal breaker. Amazon's Fire HD 8 has a decent screen, great battery life, and impressive overall performance.

2018 amazon fire hd 8 review