We continue to review the landscape among entry-level 8-inch tablets with the renewal of the tablet from Amazon and now it is her turn to measure herself in a comparative to one of his toughest rivals, given the popularity of the Spanish bq: Fire 8 HD (2017) vs Aquaris M8, What is the most interesting option?
Designer
Compared with what we have seen in other comparisons, this is not one of the duels in which differences of greater depth are appreciated, at an aesthetic level at least, since they are two tablets with relatively similar lines and little else can be highlighted that the greater variety of colors in which the Fire 8HD. Nor can we give an advantage to either of the two in terms of materials, because plastic predominates in both. There is, however, a detail that is a plus point for the Aquaris M8 and it is the location of the speakers, since theirs are stereo and are on the front, which favors a better multimedia experience.
Dimensions
Although the optimization in the section of dimensions of the tablet of Amazon It is one of the sections where its rivals usually always get a clear advantage, in the case of the tablet of bq The truth is that the differences are quite small, at least in terms of size (21,4 x 12,8 cm against 21,5 x 12,5 cm) and weight (369 grams against 350 grams), because it is true that it is more evident in terms of thickness (9,7 mm against 8,35 mm).
Screen
Absolute tie, however, in the screen section: in both cases we have a tablet with a 8 inches and 16:10 aspect ratio (optimized for video playback) and HD resolution (1280 x 800). This is always one of the points we pay more attention to when choosing, but in this case it will not help us tip the balance.
Unlimited
In the performance section we also find that equality is maximum with regard to the processor (which in both cases is a Mediatek quad-core and 1,3 GHz frequency), but the bq tablet does have on its side arriving with a little more RAM (1.5 GB against 2 GB), besides that many will appreciate the one that leaves us with a more conventional customization of Android (Marshmallow), and not as strong as that of Fire OS. Although not by much (depending also on how much we care about the software), the advantage would be here for the Aquaris M8, therefore.
Storage capacity
Absolute equality returns in the storage capacity section, which is the section where the Fire 8HD more surprising, because it is quite rare to find a tablet of its price that leaves us 16 GB storage capacity plus card slot micro-SD, exactly the same technical specifications of the Aquaris M8 in this point.
Cameras
It is not that it is the issue that we should pay the most attention to, but for those who do use the camera with some frequency on their tablets, it will be interesting that the victory in this section of the tablet bq yes it is blunt, with 5 SM in the back and 2 SM in the front, while that of Amazon let us 2 and 0,3 MP, respectively, which is basically the bare minimum.
Autonomy
As has happened to us in the other comparisons dedicated to the Fire 8 HD (2017), we cannot really say anything substantial about which of the two will offer us better autonomy, because not only do we not have comparable data from tests of use, but we do not even have the official data of the battery capacity of the tablet of Amazon (and that could have been quite useful since they are two such similar tablets), which has only left us its own estimates for reference.
Fire 8 HD (2017) vs Aquaris M8: final balance of the comparison and price
As we have seen, we find ourselves in a duel in which the two facing tablets have proven to be really very similar. Taking into account that an average user will practically never use their tablet to take photos, practically the only thing left to us is to lean on the side of the tablet from bq it's some more RAM, the front stereo speakers, and lighter Android customization.
They are advantages that can be interesting, actually, but the point is that while the Fire 8HD sold for 110 Euros, and even for 90 Euros If we are premium customers of Amazon, the Aquaris M8 can be found below its official price, but very hardly for less than 150 Euros. If we were talking about high-end tablets, 60 euros difference might not be that significant but, unless we really oppose the idea of buying a tablet with Fire OS, it probably won't be very tempting to pay for them.