Forget an iPad for the kids, Amazon's tablet is under £40 – and it's selling fast

The Fire HD 8 tablet has 60% off in early Black Friday sale

Amazon Fire HD 8
(Image credit: Future / Chris Hall)

I was curating the best deals currently on at Argos and spotted this outlandishly good discount on a tablet that'll suit the kids right down to the ground – so you can forget about that expensive iPad!

It's not even Black Friday just yet, but the best Black Friday deals are well and truly here – retailers have gone big for the month of November, after a seemingly weak Amazon Prime Day period.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (with ads)
Save 60% (£60)
Amazon Fire HD 8 (with ads): was £99.99 now £39.99 at Argos

Amazon quietly sunk the price of its 8-inch tablet to record levels – it's never been this affordable by a full £10, according to independent tracker CamelCamelCamel. However, if you'd prefer to buy elsewhere then other retailers are price-matching, as below:

<p><strong>Price check: <a href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-8269714-15618761?sid=hawk-custom-tracking&url=https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4332183" target="_blank"><strong>Argos – £39.99 | <a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=1599&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.currys.co.uk%2Fproducts%2Famazon-fire-hd-8-tablet-2024-32-gb-black-10271552.html" target="_blank"><strong>Currys – £39.99 | <a href="https://john-lewis-and-partners.pxf.io/c/221109/871855/12148?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.johnlewis.com%2Famazon-fire-hd-8-tablet-2024-with-alexa-hands-free-hexa-core-fire-os-wi-fi-32-gb-8-inch-with-special-offers-emerald%2Fblack%2Fp112660954" target="_blank"><strong>John Lewis – £39.99
Amazon Fire HD 8 (without ads)
Save 57% (£65)
Amazon Fire HD 8 (without ads): was £114.98 now £49.98 at Amazon

While the above is the cheapest option, it's the 'with adverts' version, meaning you'll get some pop-ups during use. That's not for everyone, but those who are willing to pay an extra £9.99 in a one-off can buy the 'without adverts' variant – it's still under £50 and, again, has never been cheaper. This is only on Amazon's site, far as I can see, though.

Much as there are many reasons to consider a Fire HD 8 tablet, of course, there is one key bit of information as to why you might not want one.

While the base system is Google's Android, Amazon uses a specialised version to run its Fire OS operating system, which means you won't get full access to Google's Play Store.

Depending on how you see it, that's either a major hurdle, or a major benefit. Let me explain.

One the one hand, the lack of Play Store means you can't access some full-fat Android apps. Amazon has some of the big ones, so it's not a full lock out – you can get hold of Netflix on the Amazon Appstore, for example.

On the other hand, especially for those with kids, the Fire OS system is a great way to lock down the tablet. Knowing there aren't umpteen unverified sources for them to download is actually a benefit – and you can setup a simplistic tablet designed for that specific use.

Besides, at under £40 all-in, even if you (or your kids) get so frustrated you chuck it against a wall, it's still around eight times cheaper than an 11-inch iPad. Although, should you want a larger screen, Amazon does also sell a Fire HD 10 too – and that's also on offer.

Mike Lowe
Tech Editor

Mike is T3's Tech Editor. He's been writing about consumer technology for 15 years and his beat covers phones – of which he's seen hundreds of handsets over the years – laptops, gaming, TV & audio, and more. There's little consumer tech he's not had a hand at trying, and with extensive commissioning and editing experience, he knows the industry inside out. As the former Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint for 10 years where he furthered his knowledge and expertise, whilst writing about literally thousands of products, he's also provided work for publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Metro, and more.

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