The lowest prices ever, and they might not drop further
Twice a year, the marketplace offers a rare window where patience is rewarded and the cost of staying connected drops by half. Amazon's Prime Day, arriving June 21-22, has already brought Fire tablets to their lowest prices ever — the HD 8 at $45, the HD 10 at $80 — a moment that reminds us how artificial everyday pricing can feel. Competing retailers, unwilling to cede the moment, are countering with their own markdowns on Apple and other devices, turning a single company's sale into a broader reckoning with what we're willing to pay for the tools of modern life.
- Fire HD 8 and HD 10 have hit all-time low prices — $45 and $80 respectively — representing cuts of up to 50% that only materialize twice a year.
- The deals are already live before the official June 21-22 start, creating urgency for buyers who fear missing the window.
- Best Buy, Target, and Walmart are running counter-sales to compete, pulling Apple's iPad and other devices into the discount fray.
- The Fire HD 8 Plus and Kids Edition are also at record lows, broadening the appeal beyond individual buyers to families and power users.
- Analysts and deal-trackers are watching closely — prices could fall further once Prime Day officially opens, rewarding those who wait just a little longer.
Amazon Prime Day lands this week with tablet prices that make the rest of the year feel like a penalty. The Fire HD 8, normally $90, has fallen to $45 — its lowest price ever. The Fire HD 10 sits at $80, also a record low, down from its usual $150. These are 50 percent cuts, the kind that only appear during Prime Day and Black Friday. The sale officially runs June 21 and 22, but the deals are already live.
The Fire HD 8 earned a meaningful refresh in 2020 — faster processor, USB-C charging, and doubled RAM and storage. At $45, it's a difficult value to argue against. The Fire HD 8 Plus, with wireless charging and 3GB of RAM, is $65, beating last year's Black Friday price. The Fire HD 10, Amazon's most powerful tablet, launched just this April with a brighter screen and more RAM. Both run Fire OS, Amazon's Android-based system, with the option to sideload Google Play for those who want the full app ecosystem.
Families aren't left out — the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition, which bundles a protective case, parental controls, a two-year warranty, and a year of Kids Plus content, drops from $140 to $70 through Alexa ordering.
Apple's eighth-generation iPad is also discounted to $299, though last year Costco reached $279, leaving room for further movement once the sale fully opens. CNET is monitoring Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart, all running competing promotions. The entry-level Fire 7 remains a consideration at the right price, but at $45 the HD 8 is the smarter buy. The only real question is whether holding out another day or two yields something even better.
Amazon Prime Day arrives this week with the kind of tablet pricing that makes the rest of the year feel like you're overpaying. The Fire HD 8, normally $90, has dropped to $45—the lowest it has ever been. The Fire HD 10, Amazon's largest and most capable tablet, sits at $80, also a record low. These are not modest discounts. They represent cuts of up to 50 percent off the list price, the kind of markdown that happens maybe twice a year, if you're patient.
The timing matters. Prime Day runs June 21 and 22, but the deals are already live. Amazon's Fire tablets have a predictable rhythm: they get hammered with discounts during Prime Day and again during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you've been waiting for a reason to buy, this is it. The Fire HD 8 received a refresh in 2020 that brought a faster processor, USB-C charging, and more RAM—bumped from 1.5GB to 2GB in the base model. Storage increased too, from 16GB to 32GB. The screen is sharper than the entry-level Fire 7, though it won't match the crispness of an iPad. At $45, the value proposition is hard to argue with.
The Fire HD 8 Plus, a step up with wireless charging and 3GB of RAM, is priced at $65—a new all-time low and $10 cheaper than it was during last year's Black Friday. The Fire HD 10, which launched in April 2021 with more RAM and a 10 percent brighter screen, normally costs $150. At $80, you're looking at a substantial savings on Amazon's most powerful tablet. Both devices run Fire OS, Amazon's Android-based operating system, which pulls apps from the Amazon App Store. You can sideload Google Play if you want access to the full Android ecosystem, but it requires manual installation. For streaming and gaming, the Fire tablets deliver solid performance at these prices.
Amazon is also discounting the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition, a child-focused version that includes a padded case, parental controls, a two-year warranty, and a year of Kids Plus subscription service. Normally $140, it's available for $70 through Alexa voice ordering. The subscription alone, which provides access to kid-friendly content, costs $3 monthly, so the bundle makes sense for families.
Apple's tablets are also in play. The eighth-generation iPad, with its 10.2-inch display and A12 chip, is marked down to $299 from a list price of $329. Last year, Costco dropped it to $279, so there's a possibility it could fall further once Prime Day officially begins. The iPad Air, Apple's 10.9-inch middle ground between the base iPad and the Pro models, is also seeing attention from retailers running counter-sales to Prime Day.
CNET is tracking deals across Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart, all of which have announced competing sales to coincide with Prime Day. The Fire 7, the entry-level tablet at the lower end of Amazon's lineup, typically sells for $50 but hit $30 last November. At $40 or less, it becomes tempting, though the Fire HD 8 at $45 is the better device—faster, with a sharper screen. The calculus is simple: if you're in the market for a tablet and you can wait two days, these are the prices you've been hoping for. The question now is whether they'll drop further once the official sale period begins.
Citações Notáveis
Those two times of year are almost always the best time to buy—and this year's Prime Day is no exception.— CNET reporting
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Why does Prime Day matter so much for tablet pricing? Couldn't you just wait for a regular sale?
Prime Day and Black Friday are the only times these devices see cuts this deep. The rest of the year, prices barely move. A $45 Fire HD 8 versus its normal $90 price—that's not a small difference. It's the difference between impulse and regret.
So the Fire tablets are actually good devices, or are these deals good because they're cheap?
They're genuinely capable. The HD 8 got a real upgrade in 2020—faster processor, better RAM, USB-C. The screen isn't as sharp as an iPad, but for streaming, reading, and casual gaming, it's solid. At $45, you're not compromising much.
What about the iPad? Is it worth stretching the budget?
The iPad at $299 is a different category. It's more powerful, the screen is sharper, and it holds its value better. But if you just need something to watch shows on or read with, the Fire tablet does the job for a quarter of the price.
Are these prices going to drop even more during the official Prime Day?
It's possible. Last year the baseline iPad dipped to $279 at Costco. But these Fire tablet prices are already at all-time lows. You could wait and hope, but you could also just buy now and know you got the best deal available.
What's the catch with the Fire OS? Why not just get an Android tablet?
Fire OS is Android under the hood, but Amazon controls the app store. You can sideload Google Play, but it's an extra step. For most people, the Amazon App Store has what they need. It's a trade-off for the price.
If I have a kid, is the Kids Edition worth the extra money?
If you're buying a tablet for a child anyway, yes. You get the warranty, the case, and a year of the subscription service. It's a package deal that makes sense.