iPad mini (2021) VS Amazon Fire HD 8 (2022): specs, differences and price

The market for tablets under 10 inches is no longer what it used to be; smartphones have increasingly large screens and have gradually taken their place. However, there are brands that continue to bet on them. Perhaps the most representative example is Apple with its 6th generation iPad mini, but there is also Amazon with its Fire HD 8, which tends to go unnoticed. We put the two tablets face to face to find out their features, differences and prices.

Features iPad mini (2021) and Amazon Fire HD 8 (2022)

• Design: The iPad mini (2021) has the same design as the rest of Apple’s tablets, which translates into thin, straight edges, a minimalist bezel-less front and aluminum as one of the main construction materials . The Fire HD 8 (2022) also doesn’t have any physical buttons on the front, but it doesn’t look as flashy as Apple’s proposal: it is plastic and the edges are noticeably thicker. Inherits the concept seen in previous generations.

• Screen: There are many differences between the iPad mini (2021) and the Amazon Fire HD 8 (2022), and one of the biggest is the screen. Although both are eight inches tall, the quality of that of the iPad mini is much higher because of its resolution (1488 x 2266 pixels versus 1280 x 800 pixels), wide color gamut and True Tone technology.

• Processor, RAM and storage: there is also a big difference in power; performance is much better on the iPad mini (2021) with the A15 Bionic chip with 4 GB of RAM. Amazon doesn’t specify what the processor is, only that it’s a 2GHz six-core with 2GB of RAM. In internal storage, yes, there is a positive point for the Fire HD 8 (2022): the possibility of extending the storage by microSD up to 1 TB.

• cameras: the iPad mini (2021) also wins on this point, with its Front-facing 12 MP cameras and center framing for high-quality video calls. Those of the Fire HD 8 (2022) are 8 MP and the video recording resolution is 720p. They are designed for sporadic use or video calls.

• Drums: while the iPad mini, according to Apple, reaches up to 10 hours per charge, Amazon promises a duration of approximately up to 1 p.m. with basic use Internet browsing, reading and video playback.

• Operating system: Apple tablets use iPadOS 16, which is an adapted version of iOS with specific functions for them. Features of the Fire HD 8 (2022) Bone fire, a fork Android using Amazon services and not those of Google, so there is no access to the Play Store and its catalog of applications is not as extensive as that of the Google store.

• connectivity: The Amazon tablet can connect to the Internet by Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.2 for wireless accessories, plus USB-C 2.0 to recharge the battery and the microSD slot to expand storage. In the iPad mini (2021) we find Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 and USB-C 3.1, with which much faster transfer speeds and DisplayPort connectivity are achieved.

• Others: the iPad mini (2021) is compatible with Apple Pencil 2nd generationIt has a Touch ID fingerprint sensor and there’s a version with 5G connectivity (which you have to pay for). The Fire HD 8 (2022) does not offer these “add-ons”, but is a more basic tablet, designed for the consumption of multimedia content and web browsing.

• Price: and we end with another of the big differences. The iPad mini (2021) starts at 649 dollars, while the Fire HD 8 (2022) starts at 114.99 dollars if you agree to have advertising.

iPad mini (2021) VS Fire HD 8 (2022), which one to buy?

Two very different tablets in terms of screen quality, power, features… and price. As we’ve already mentioned, eight-inch tablets are rare, and there’s a huge gap between the iPad mini (2021) and Amazon’s Fire HD 8 (2022).

Amazon’s latest generation of eight-inch tablet has because I claim a 30% faster processor and it was designed for entertainment. But main for the consumption of multimedia content through platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney +. Since we must also take into account that it uses a customized version of Android with the name of Fire OS and it does not have Google services, therefore it does not have the Play Store and the range of applications is much more limited. In fact, it doesn’t have HBO Max, for example.

The iPad mini (2021) also has an eight-inch screen, and there the similarities end with the Amazon tablet, because the quality of the panel is much higher. Pero no solo eso, sino que su processor es muchísimo más potente, la calidad de sus cameras es muy buena tanto para videollamadas como para un uso más recreational, de autonomy está algo por detrás, pero no va nada mal, y las options de conectividad they are interesting.

The price of Apple’s proposal is its big downside, since it starts at 649 dollars, and is quite expensive compared to the Fire HD 8 (2022), which makes it 114.99 dollars. But we are faced with two very different ranges, and the price of 114.99 dollars is only accessible if we agree to have advertising on the screen saver and 32 GB of internal storage (although that they are expandable by microSD).

Apple’s small tablet is good for both consuming media and playing games, and even productivity for certain types of users thanks to the Apple Pencil. Who is the Fire HD 8 (2022) for? For users who do basic tablet use which is mainly based on video consumption, web browsing and reading, but it must be taken into account that the resolution is not Full HD. And if you want to use it to play games, it’s not the best option due to its processor, which could not be the case with titles like Call of Duty or Genshin Impact because they are very demanding, but it can be used for simpler titles like Candy Crush or Clash of Clans, although it is also announced with Minecraft and Roblox.

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