Fire HD 10 Kids Edition price and availability
Fire HD 10 Kids Edition design
The appearance of the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition tablet is identical to that of the big-bezeled, 10.3 x 6.3 x 0.4-inch Fire HD 10. But the standard 17.7-ounce tablet is consumed by the Kids Edition’s primary design feature: its chunky, 11.5 x 8.1 x 1.0-inch protective case. Available in blue, purple and pink, the case essentially devours the tablet in a quirky, colorful rubbery material that swells around the corners, where drops could cause major damage. While the hexagonal, honeycomb-esque pattern on the back of the tablet begs to be touched, kids might reach first for the hinged kickstand unique to the 10-inch model of this tablet. The kickstand is useful for propping the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition on a desk or table, but it makes the device a hefty 27.4 ounces. Considering my arms tired after 10 minutes of testing the tablet, I’d imagine smaller arms would struggle. Along the top edge of the tablet is a volume rocker, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microphone, a USB-C port and a power button. On either side of the kickstand are two openings for the Dolby stereo speakers.
Fire HD 10 Kids Edition display
According to our colorimeter, the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition produces 103% of the sRGB spectrum, which isn’t far off from the 113% tablet average. It’s more colorful than the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition (79%) and is on a par with the 2019 iPad (105%).
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The Fire HD 10 Kids Edition has a max brightness of 411 nits, which is solid. It’s not quite as bright as the 423-nit tablet average, and much less bright than the 450-nit iPad. The Fire HD 8 Kids Edition (395 nits) is even less bright. When I tilted the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition around, the colors didn’t shift. The folks sitting at desks on either side of me could easily see what I was watching.
Fire HD 10 Kids Edition Audio
Audio seems like an afterthought with the Fire HD Kids Edition. Sure, kids aren’t using their tablets to DJ playtime, but it’d still be nice if it sounded louder. Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus’ Audible narrator sounded hollow, and it worsened as I turned the volume up. Watching Lost in Oz sounded better, but the suspenseful music still fell short.
Fire HD 10 Kids Edition camera
Fire HD 10 Kids Edition performance
For the most part, switching between programs on the tablet’s FreeTime OS felt smooth. Sometimes I had to tap twice to open or close apps, but not often enough that it worsened my experience with the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition. Only when I had to return to the home screen did the tablet truly hesitate. The FreeTime OS doesn’t pack demanding games. I played Sonic Dash, a Temple Run-like mobile game, and thought my character moved well as I swiped to protect him from Dr. Eggman’s explosives. Again, not a game with extensive controls, but I imagine kids will have no problem with the response rates of the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition.
Fire HD 10 Kids Edition kids interface and parental controls
With FreeTime, parents have control over what their children can and cannot access. It comes preset with an easy-to-navigate selection of PG games and shows, and parents can toss in additional websites and content at their discretion.
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Fire HD 10 Kids Edition battery life
The Fire HD 10 Kids Edition lasted an epic 13 hours and 29 minutes on the Laptop Mag Battery Test, which involves continuous surfing over Wi-Fi. That’s considerably longer than the tablet category average of 10 hours and 41 minutes, and more impressive than the 10 hours and 12 minutes you get on the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition. In anecdotal testing, the tablet’s battery dropped by 20% after 6 hours of light use, during which I took some photos and played a few rounds of the addictive crocodile game Where’s My Water? When I switched over to streaming a season of SpongeBob SquarePants, the battery dropped about 10% every hour of spongy comedy. On a full charge the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition will outlast long car rides and most flights, should you take it to go.
Bottom line
The Fire HD 10 Kids Edition is fun to use and feels more premium than the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition, shortening the quality gap between the iPad and other tablets for kids. While you’re relieved of iPad-style costs, $199 does seem pricey for a children’s device. But the included warranty, free year of FreeTime and cute protective case add to its value.
