Unless you fancy slaloming though hordes of people in a trip to the high street in the days before Christmas, now's the time to buy online, before retailers call last orders. Amazon Prime subscribers - you have until 22 December.
There's are loads of Amazon Fire tablets to choose from at different sizes and prices (including a model under £50), so which is best for you (or the person you're buying for)? And which retailers have the cheapest prices?
- the best offers we've found for iPads, Samsung Galaxy Tabs, Microsoft Surface, Fire tablets and more.Amazon Fire tablets and how they differ
*Amazon is always putting its tablets on offer - these prices are accurate as of December 12. All prices are 'with ads' you can pay a £10 more to buy the tablet without ads. The ads can be seen on the home and lock screens, and you can pay to remove them after you've bought the tablet.
Amazon Fire tablets: What you need to know
All these tablets are at the cheaper end of the spectrum and more basic. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. iPads cost at least £450 and Samsung's high-end tablets, even the cheaper FE, cost around £500.
These pricy tablets have higher resolution screens, more powerful processors and usually have more Ram. That means they'll be slicker to use and bit more responsive. But a lot of the simple tasks people love having a tablet for aren't going to make the most of those high-end features.
Ultimately, Fire tablets aren't a great gift for someone who wants a dazzlingly bright, super-high resolution screen and needs something that can cope with demanding apps or graphically intensive games.
They can be good gifts for people who want to browse the internet, keep up with their calendar, read books and watch videos on a bigger screen. So which one should you buy for the lucky so and so in your life (or yourself - we all deserve a treat)?
Amazon Fire Max 11
The benefit of more cores is battery efficiency and better multitasking, since the tablet can save its more powerful cores for more intensive processes and not waste energy on simpler tasks. It also has the biggest storage option at 128GB - which is welcome, since apps and high-resolution media will fill a 32GB hard drive in no time.
The screen is slightly higher resolution than the HD 10 although this is largely down to the screen being a bit bigger.
Who is it for?
If you want the biggest screen possible then this is the best option. An inch doesn't sound like much, but it's almost a 10% increase over the HD 10.
The extra inch isn't the only incremental improvement over the HD 10. The slightly faster processor and extra gigabyte of Ram may not make much difference to the average user and the big difference in price could make the HD 10 a better option for the majority of people.
Amazon Fire HD 10
It has an eight-core processor, so it should be a good multitasker able to partition processing power to different tasks to react quicker if you like to flick between a lot of apps.
The screen is Full HD and the density of the pixels on the small display should help it look crisp. Resolution doesn't help you understand how the contrast and colours will look, though.
It has a 32 and 64GB option and we'd recommend 64GB - or add a micro SD card to your basket, since 32GB won't get you far.
Who is it for?
As with the Fire Max 11, it's a good pick if you want a bigger screen and noticeable increase over your phone. It's a bit weaker than the top-tier tablet, but that may not matter if you know you're not going to push it too hard.
The difference between the two bigger tablets isn't dramatic, but the price difference is. So make sure you're not paying for something you don't need when the HD 10 would do.
Head to our to see what you're missing out on versus the Max 11, how the battery life fared and whether that HD screen has the colours and contrast to impress.Looking for more present inspiration? See our pick of theAmazon Fire HD 8 Plus
Costing less than £100 (at the moment anyway) puts the HD 8 Plus in a more tempting bracket than the Fire Max 11 and HD 10. It's here that we start to see clearer differences in specs, too.
It has two fewer cores in the processor and the smaller screen isn't Full HD. Inevitably, the HD 8 Plus will be less sharp and slower, but that won't matter to everyone.
Who is it for?
If you're buying for someone with a big smartphone, then an 8-inch tablet might not cut it. But someone using a simple mobile phone with a keypad would appreciate a smart device with a sizeable screen.
What about the standard HD 8, though? On paper, you're only getting a higher megapixel rear camera and a bit more Ram, so if you're not planning on taking pictures with your tablet then the Plus may not be worth it.
Specs don't tell the whole story of course, so read our to see if this version has some tricks up its sleeve to make it a better option than the standard HD 8.Amazon Fire HD 8
It's the simpler cousin of the Fire HD 8 Plus, but not by much. The only obvious difference is the quality of the rear camera - if you've got a smartphone, you're probably using that to take pictures anyway.
You shouldn't expect too much in the way of processing power and the screen won't be as sharp. But since its smaller the pixels are denser, the drop in sharpness may not be as obvious.
Beautifully vivid pictures may be beyond the Fire HD 8, too, with its lowly 2MP cameras.
Who is it for?
Someone who doesn't have a decent-sized phone and would like something with a bigger screen for doing simple tasks.
Things like emails, YouTube and browsing the internet are in this tablet's wheelhouse, so consider it for anyone whose needs don't extend much beyond that.
Read our to see how it differs to the HD 8 Plus and if the screen is sharp enough for your needs.Choose well, buy better and save money using our expert tips Get our – it's free.Amazon Fire 7
It's the smallest, cheapest tablet from Amazon and almost any other brand for that matter. Less than £50 for any tablet is almost unbelievable and the Fire 7 is basic.
There's no HD screen, it only has a four-core processor and 2GB of Ram. So it's going to chug if you do much beyond emails, ebooks and YouTube.
There's a 16GB option here, too, which is ridiculously small for a tablet. So be sure to choose 32GB and a micro SD to make sure you don't run out of space.
Who is it for?
Anyone with a decent phone released in the last three years may be disappointed by this. There's a good chance it will be slower, and have a worse screen and cameras.
But as a first tablet for someone who's new to touchscreen devices, such as a child or an older member of the family, it's a better option.
Is it too basic to recommend? Read our to see if it's a good choice or if you should spend a bit more on a HD 8 or HD 10.Join Which? for unlimited expert 1-2-1 support by phone, email, remote fix and in print - now 25% off until 3 January 2024.You can also give the gift of a year’s worth of expert advice. Our membership includes the availability of unlimited 1-to-1 support and the bi-monthly Which? Tech magazine so your loved ones can get more out of their tech and use it with confidence.source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/best-amazon-fire-tablets-for-christmas-azEIV3V2vMpa