Advertisement

Every Amazon Fire tablet is on sale right now — here's the one I think you should get

We may receive commission from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change.

The Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet is on sale for $60 right now. Apple's same-size iPad Mini starts at $399. I don't know whether to cheer for Amazon or waggle a finger at Apple. (Photo: Amazon)
The Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet is on sale for $60 right now. Apple's same-size iPad Mini starts at $399. I don't know whether to cheer for Amazon or waggle a finger at Apple. (Photo: Amazon)

Shopping for a tablet? If that brought on iPad sticker-shock, here's good news: Every model in Amazon's tablet lineup is on sale right now, including some first-ever discounts on a couple newer releases.

Let me share a few highlights, then explain why I think that, for many users, Amazon Fire tablets are a much smarter buy than iPads. (Spoiler alert: Price. But also features. But also price.)

Amazon's tablets are great at slinging entertainment your way: books, movies, games, music and so on. But they can also run nearly every popular app, from Facebook to Spotify to Zoom. They're hands-free Alexa devices too, able to respond to all manner of voice commands.

The Fire 7 is an amazingly capable basic model and an unbelievably good deal at $40. (That said, it has occasionally been priced as low as $35, and even down to $30 during Black Friday 2020.) My only reservation is the screen, which has a lower resolution than other models. If you want super-sharp text for reading, I'd consider taking a step up.

Indeed, for just $20 more, the Fire HD 8 offers faster performance, a larger and sharper display, USB-C charging (instead of micro-USB, which is more of a hassle) and twice as much storage space: 32GB versus 16GB on the Fire 7.

Speaking of storage, though, all Amazon Fire tablets have a feature all iPads lack: an expansion slot. That means you can pop in an microSD card to greatly — and cheaply — expand the available space.

To my thinking, the real winner in today's sale is the Fire HD 10, which was released this year and is the most advanced of the lot. Selling now for just $100 (the lowest price on record), it's $229 less than the least-expensive iPad, yet offers the same screen size and the aforementioned expandable storage.

I will note that iPads have better rear cameras, so if photography is something you want to do with your tablet, the Fires might not be the top choice. I should also mention that Fire tablets work best when paired with an Amazon Prime subscription, which adds to the overall cost. (On the other hand, even if you bought a year of Amazon Prime, your total would still be far below the price of an iPad.)

Honestly, it's hard to make a bad selection here — mostly it just depends on what size screen you want. Still on the fence? If I can paraphrase Battlestar Galactica for a moment, all this has happened before, and all this will happen again. Amazon devices go on sale all the time, so if you happen to miss this sale, have no fear: It'll be back.

Let's not forget, every Amazon Fire tablet is also a Kindle e-reader, one that affords full access to your e-book library. (Photo: Amazon)
Let's not forget, every Amazon Fire tablet is also a Kindle e-reader, one that affords full access to your e-book library. (Photo: Amazon)

By the way, all these tablets qualify for 5 percent cash back when you pay with Amazon's Prime Rewards Visa card. So in the case of something like the Fire HD 10, your post cash-back price is really $95.

Also, if you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping on any of these devices. Not yet a member? No problem: You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)

What do you think? Which tablet here appeals to you most? Or do you think an iPad is still a better pick? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.

Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Life's newsletter.