New Fire HD 8 Tablets Are Faster, Have Longer Battery Life, Says Amazon

Amazon is taking preorders for next-generation Fire HD 8 tablets, starting at $99, it said Wednesday. The four-unit series, with a processor that’s said to be 30% faster, has 13-hour battery life and a lighter design, Amazon said. The faster hexa-core processor allows customers to multitask -- watching videos and sending email or browsing the web simultaneously, for instance, the company said. The tablet charges in five hours; a USB-C charging cable and 5-watt power adapter are included. The HD 8's new display size feature lets users magnify on-screen elements for easier viewing or reduce their size so they can do more on the display at once, the company said. The HD 8 Plus ($119) adds 3 GB RAM to allow users to “switch seamlessly” between apps, has a three-hour faster charging time and offers Qi wireless charging, the company said. The step-up tablet also has a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera. The Fire HD 8 Kids (ages 3-7, $149) and Fire HD Kids Pro (ages 6-12, $149) tablets come with one-year subscriptions to Amazon Kids+ content. Availability is Oct. 19, Amazon said.