WIRELESS CHARGING
I’ve never been a big fan of wireless charging, but with
this device, I get it. The HD 8 Plus works with a
matching gray-plastic dock ($30 if sold with the tablet,
$40 alone), which can prop the tablet up in a
comfortable horizontal or vertical position. The dock
becomes a key part of the tablet’s life as a quasi-Echo
Show, sitting on your kitchen counter or by your
bedside to give you the news, show recipes, or control
your smart home throughout the day.
The dock’s wireless charging abilities mean that you can
quickly and easily pick up the tablet to take it with you
as backseat entertainment or toss it to a kid to use on
the couch. Then you can pop it back in the dock without
thinking, and as a result it’s almost always charged.
This is an easier habit to form than remembering to
plug your tablet in, and it’s a more aesthetically pleasing
approach than just propping the tablet up on your
kitchen counter and hoping for the best.
Amazon Fire
HD 8 Plus
PROS Inexpensive.
Long battery life.
Wireless charging.
Excellent Alexa
support.
CONS Limited app
compatibility.
BOTTOM LINE
Amazon’s Fire HD 8
Plus adds wireless
charging to the low-
cost tablet, likely
changing its usage
patterns.