Should you go for the Amazon Fire HD 8 vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0"

Bringing the heat

Amazon Fire HD 8

$90 at Amazon

Pros

• Great price
• Optional 64GB built-in storage
• Expandable storage up to 1TB
• Dolby Atmos-enabled dual speakers
• Modern USB C charging

Cons

• Only has 2MP front and rear cameras
• No Google Play store access

The Amazon Fire HD 8 is packed with great internal specifications to create an excellent software experience. Whether you are reading books via Kindle or watching a movie immersed with the Dolby Atmos speakers, the Fire HD 8 can be your go-to for entertainment.

Explore the Galaxy

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0"

$120 at Amazon

Pros

• Slightly smaller form factor with the same screen size
• Higher-resolution rear camera at 8MP
• Access to Google Play Store
• Longer battery life

Cons

• More expensive
• Only 32GB built-in and expandable up to 512GB
• No Dolby Atmos support for the speakers

Samsung is known for creating great products, and the Galaxy Tab A 8" is another example. With quality tech squeezed into a thin and light device, you'll be able to spend hours enjoying your content on it.

When looking at the Amazon Fire HD 8 vs Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0", it is easy to see all of the elements they have in common. They are both thin and light tablets with an 8-inch HD display and access to familiar apps, but there are plenty of differences to explore. Let's see which of these capable tablets is the one to take the title.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020) vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0" (2019): Tale of the tape

Samsung and Amazon have both been making great, affordable tablets for years now. Each of them offers a tablet with an 8-inch screen that has HD resolution. Though they look very similar at first glance, they start to differentiate themselves in everyday use.

	Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0"	Amazon Fire HD 8
Weight	12.2 oz	12.5 oz
Display	8" HD	8" HD
Dimensions	8.27" x 4.90" x 0.31"	8.0" x 5.4" x 0.4"
Storage	32GB	32 or 64 GB
Operating System	Android 9	Fire OS 7 (based on Android 9)
Expandable Storage	Up to 512MB	Up to 1TB
Screen Resolution	1280 x 800	1280 x 800
Battery life	Up to 13 hours of multimedia	Up to 12 hours of multimedia
Camera	2MP front and 8MP rear-facing cameras with 1080p video recording	2MP front and rear-facing cameras with 720p video recording
Voice Assistant	Google Assistant	Alexa
Colors	Black and Silver	Black, Twilight Blue, Plum, White
Audio	Dual speakers	Dual speakers with Dolby Atmos
Case	Kid-safe case included	No case included
Ports	micro-USB, 3.5mm headphone jack	USB C, 3.5mm headphone jack
Warranty	12-month limited warranty	90-day limited warranty

Amazon has taken affordable, high-quality tablet to another level with the Fire HD 8. While Samsung's Galaxy Tab A 8" is no slouch for the price and feature differences, Amazon still has a leg up.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020) vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0" (2019): Differences abound

The Fire HD 8 is slightly wider and thicker than Samsung's offering here, but Amazon makes fair use of that space. Tablets are great devices for content consumption like movies, reading, and playing games, so having a good amount of space to differentiate it from your phone is helpful.

When watching a movie, you want to be immersed in it, and with the Fire HD 8, it's much more possible with its fantastic dual-speaker setup with Dolby Atmos support. It brings a significantly improved audio experience to your music, games, and movies. For the times you can't use the external speakers, you can plug in a pair of headphones. While Samsung's tablet also has a headphone jack and dual-speakers, they aren't at the same level as the Fire HD 8.

The Fire HD 8 pulls you in when you're watching your favorite movie or shows with its Dolby Atmos dual-speaker set up.

On the subject of entertainment content, each of these tablets offers 32GB of built-in storage, but Amazon has a 64GB option too. The Fire HD 8 also wins in the expandable storage category as well with a maximum of 1TB extra space, whereas the Galaxy Tab A 8" only goes up to 512GB. This means you can download movies for offline viewing and not have to worry about storage as much on the Fire HD 8.

Samsung does have an edge in battery life, eeking out an extra hour of usability at 13 hours rather than the 12 hours of the Fire HD 8. Another area that the Galaxy Tab A 8" has over Amazon is with its rear camera. While taking photos with the rear camera may not be an everyday activity, the improved 8MP sensor on the Samsung tablet will be a welcome option.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020) vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0" (2019): How to do you operate?

While there are differences noted above, the most significant difference is in the tablets' operating systems. Both technically use Android, but Amazon uses a custom version known as Fire OS. Currently, each device is using software based on Android 9 Pie.

The Galaxy Tab A 8" uses the Android you are most familiar with. The way you navigate the device, the apps, and Google Play Store, and settings menu all have a familiar feel.

Using an Amazon Fire tablet comes with learning a new operating system, that's not bad, but it does have a learning curve.

When you pick up the Fire HD 8 and begin using it, you immediately notice that it doesn't look your typical Android. Fire OS is based around Android, but it uses an entirely different interface and app store. The tablet software's look is designed for finding content, whether that is books, movies, shows, or games.

Fire OS isn't necessarily bad, but if you haven't used it before, it takes some getting used to. One drawback to it is that you won't have full access to all of the apps the Google Play Store offers. Most of the apps you would want on a tablet will be available like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, but don't expect the entire catalog of Android apps to be there.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020) vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0" (2019): Which way to go?

Both the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8" and Amazon Fire HD 8 are solid tablets that will make for great entertainment devices. Each has an app store full of choices to get you all of the content you could think of. You'll have a vibrant display for enjoying your movies, games, books, and more.

However, for a device that is squarely focused on content with the capability to do more, the Fire HD 8 should be your top hoice. The modern USB-C port, the superior dual-speakers featuring Dolby Atmos, and the higher storage capacity all make for a better overall experience. Pair that up with a case to prop it up while enjoying your shows, and you can't go wrong.

If you need to have the full breadth of the Android apps in the Google Play Store and want a thinner, lighter option, then the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8" is a fine choice. It has a slightly longer battery life, and an improved rear camera should those be important features for your needs. Keep in mind it uses older Micro-USB for charging and is limited to 512GB expandable memory. As light and thin as this tablet is, be sure to protect the more expensive device with a case.

Movie machine

Amazon Fire HD 8

Fill it up

$90 at Amazon $90 at Best Buy

The Amazon Fire HD 8 offers an expansive catalog of entertainment options from books to movies and games to shows. All of it can be enjoyed with Dolby Atmos supported dual-speakers and loaded up with up to a 1TB microSD card.

Thin and light

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0"

Ready to roll

$140 at Amazon $150 at Best Buy $140 at Walmart

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0" is a lightweight device that pulls no punches in performance. You'll enjoy all of your content on its HD display with up to 13 hours of runtime. Plus, there will be no shortage of apps with all of the Google Play Store at your fingertips.