Amazon’s Fire HD 8 tablet is back down to its lowest price ever today

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Today's Dealmaster is led by a one-day discount on Amazon's Fire HD 8 tablet, bringing it down to $50. While we've seen it hit this price multiple times before, it's still a $30 drop and tied for the lowest price we've seen to date. Amazon says the offer will last through March 17 only.

This version of the Fire HD 8 has been on sale since late 2018, so it is getting somewhat long in the tooth. Viewed strictly as a cheap outlet for casual Web browsing and video viewing, though, it remains a decent, if not spectacular, value at this $50 price point. Its 1.3Ghz Mediatek chip and 1.5GB of RAM aren't really great at anything beyond lighter tasks and games, its all-plastic design makes it feel like a budget tablet, and Amazon's default lock-screen ads are an annoyance. Amazon's Fire OS still can't run Google apps or the Play Store without some legwork. Still, the 16GB of storage here can be expanded with a microSD card, the 1200x800 resolution display is sharp enough for an 8-inch slate, and the roughly 10-hour battery life is fine.

We'd recommend paying up for an iPad or at least a Fire HD 10 if you need a tablet for more than the basics; the more vibrant displays and faster internals on those will make a difference over time. For small children who'll chuck whatever they get their hands on, Amazon's Fire Kids Edition slates are better equipped to withstand wanton abuse. But most of those devices come at a higher cost. For $50, the Fire HD 8 is still a decent buy for older kids or those who just want to keep a tablet around for tinkering purposes.

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