At first glance, the product looks attractive, but is it safe to buy? "The Judge" is a series of articles in which an expert who excels in product checks cuts down on good and bad. This time, we will examine the set model of the cheap tablet developed by Amazon.
* Reconstruction of the article in the July 2021 issue of Nikkei Trendy
Testing the tablet set model "Fire HD 10 Plus Essential Set" (Amazon) [Click image to enlarge]Apple's iPad is quite strong in the recent tablet market, while Android tablets are not selling well. The number of products has steadily decreased over the last few years. Among them, Amazon's "Fire tablet" is energetic.
It was originally a tablet for enjoying Amazon Prime Video for video distribution and Kindle for e-books, and it was characterized by being cheap to buy. The OS is equipped with "Fire OS", which is a uniquely customized version of Android. According to Fumiya Shimizu, General Manager of the Amazon Japan Kindle/Fire Tablet/Accessories Division, "The number of people who want to enjoy video content at home has increased due to the corona crisis, and the number of shipments is growing steadily."
The large screen model of the Fire tablet has undergone a major model change. There are two products, "Fire HD 10" (actual price, 15,980 yen including tax) and "Fire HD 10 Plus" (18,980 yen). Both have 10.1-inch screens, with different memory capacity, wireless charging support, and back color.
The reason why we focused on both products this time is that you can now choose the "Essential Set" that comes with a dedicated Bluetooth keyboard and a one-year license for "Microsoft 365" (formerly Office 365). The inexpensive Fire HD 10 series has the potential to be used at work.
The Fire HD 10 Essential Set is currently priced at 24,980 yen (including tax), while the Fire HD 10 Plus is 27,980 yen (same). It is significantly cheaper than the iPad, which costs 38,280 yen (same) as a single unit. If you can use this for work, it's a great bargain. This time, we will check its ability based on the premise of the top "Fire HD 10 Plus Essential Set".
Fire HD 10 Plus Essential Set (Amazon) Market price 27,980 yen (tax included)First, check the basic performance of the tablet itself. A few years ago, the Fire tablet series had poor processor performance, and it felt a little cheap and bad. According to Amazon, "The Fire tablet is a tablet that aims to be easy to use, including the price. We are not aiming for the highest performance product using the latest parts, just stable operation is enough." (Mr. Shimizu) That's the policy. In this model, the CPU is basically the same, but the memory capacity has increased, so it can be used with the impression that it is "a little slow".
In addition, when looking at images and videos, I feel that the display is quite beautiful. The image quality has improved considerably compared to the previous model, the brightness has increased from 350 nits to 400 nits, and the contrast ratio has also improved from 800:1 to 1300:1. The speaker has not changed from the previous model, but it supports "Dolby Atmos", which has a three-dimensional sound effect, and the sound quality and volume are excellent. As a terminal for viewing content such as movies, there is sufficient satisfaction.
In addition, the new model has a better design. In the previous model, the edge (bezel) around the liquid crystal was thick only on the short side, and the main body was elongated, giving an unsophisticated impression. The new model has thinner edges, giving it a more recent tablet-like appearance.
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