iPad Pro vs. Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet – A 2018 Comparison

Both the iPad and the original Kindle Fire tablet were responsible for really changing the tablet and mobile game. While the iPad was the first real successful tablet, the Kindle Fire popularized the idea of a cheap, accessible Android tablet. As time went on, more respective models came out, and a clear line was drawn – the iPad was the “high-class” solution with the glossy Apple aesthetics, while the Kindle Fire would be one of the more popular tablets due to its low price and powerful specs.

In the scope of this review, both the Kindle Fire HD 10 tablet and the newly-launched iPad Pro will be covered and compared. Which tablet would be right for you, your budget, or for your daily use? Read on to find out more about these two titanic tablets…

Apple iPad Pro

The Apple iPad Pro is Apple’s latest release on the iPad, and really looks to do away with the old status of the iPad. While the old iPad was fun and more gimmicky than it was useful, the iPad pro is seeking to completely replace any computer Mac products you may have. The iPad is equipped with an extremely powerful processor and co-processor power, containing an A9X chip and an M9 coprocessor. These two working in sync should create a powerful visual display experience with little to no lag. In addition, the iPad Pro is even being advertised that it can edit 4k footage without any real latency or buffering issues. While both versions of the new iPad Pro contain the A9X and M9 processor/coproccessor package, the 12.9 inch iPad Pro has
The iPad Pro comes in a 12.9 inch version, and a 9.7 inch version – it goes without saying that the smaller version is obviously a little more expensive, but only by about $200. The iPad Pro does have the ability to come equipped with cellular data, but ordinarily will include just the standard Wi-Fi package. The storage for the iPad Pro comes in the form of a newly-added SSD, which ranges from 32GB all the way up to 256GB, giving the iPad Pro the biggest storage space of any iPad too date.

The iPad 9.7 inch has a 9.7 inch (diagonal) screen, and its dimensions measure 9.4 inches high by 6.6 inches wide by .24 inches deep. The iPad Pro 9.7 inch only weighs 0.96 pounds, while the bigger 12.9 inch iPad Pro weighs a full 1.57 pounds. However, the iPad Pro does come equipped with the Retina display that Apple is famous for with their screens, and does include an available multi-touch function. The screen resolutions for the 9.7 inch and 12.9 inch respectively are 2048×1536 pixels and 2732 by 2048 pixels; both of these are equipped with a 264 pixels per inch display. The smaller iPad Pro has a 12 megapixel camera, while the larger iPad has only an 8 megapixel camera. In addition, the smaller 9.7 inch iPad Pro is capable of capturing 4k video footage, while the larger iPad can only capture 1080p quality footage. However, both iPads can record at a slow-mo video of 720p at 120 fps.
Of course, the Apple iPad Pro is equipped with the latest iOS software, which is streamlined for the massive size of the iPad Pros. Each iPad Pro comes with a fingerprint identity sensor built into the home button, just like starting with the iPad mini 4. Siri does make a return, of course. While both iPad Pros are charged by Lightning, they have a new function for the Lightning port; the 9.7 and 12.7 inch iPad each have the option of allowing for an Apple Pencil to be used. The Apple Pencil is loaded with pressure points over the nub of the pencil, allowing for the pencil to detect which way it is being moved and appropriately create realistic-looking brush strokes on the surface of the iPad. Both of the new iPad Pros are equipped with “Palm rejection technology,” meaning you can comfortably rest your hand on the display without worry of it throwing off your lines. The Apple Pencil is meant to be a lightning-quick and reliable tool, and can be charged by any typical Lightning charge (must be a female, though!) or can connect to charge through the Lightning charger port of the iPads.

The new iPad Pros also have a new keyboard peripheral, which seamlessly blends into the back of the iPad Pro. The keyboard can then also be folded up to cover the screen of the iPad Pro, making it double as an effective case for storage in your bags.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet

The Amazon Fire HD 10 is a 10 inch tablet, and seeks to improve on the formula that has been set for the affordable, yet powerful, Android series by Amazon. The Amazon Fire series runs a modified version of Android, which is tweaked to work better with Amazon devices and Amazon applications (Amazon does have some specific apps that can’t work on other devices, such as applications that aid in mirroring the display of the tablet on the television). In addition, the operating system has been totally updated to the new Fire OS 5.0, codenamed “Bellini.”
In addition to the Fire HD 10 are two cheaper models, which is the Fire HD 8 and the aptly-named Fire. Both of these have lesser specs than the Fire HD 10, but are just as powerful at the compensation of a smaller size. Fire OS 5.0 has been reworked to feel more like a native Android interface – things seem to be more condensed on the screen, and the layout is more similar to a typical Android launch screen than the trademark black screen that was divided up into panels and would have varying bits of applications, books, music, or websites saved in them. In addition, Fire OS 5 also has a new screen built in dedicated for shopping – while the shopping page is quick to link you Amazon for the first link, the shopping page is actually very helpful in estimating prices and finding price cuts.
The Fire HD 10 is not a hefty device, weighing in at only 15.2 oz (just under a pound of weight). Its dimensions are 10.3 inches long by 6.3 inches wide by .3 inches deep, making it the thinnest tablet to come out from Amazon yet. The Fire HD has a whopping 10.1 inch display, but only at a resolution of 1280 x 800 (which is 149 pixels per inch – not very good.) The Fire HD 10 makes up for the lack of an impressive screen with its power – the Fire HD 10 will have a quad core processor, capable of up to 1.5 Ghz, while the least impressive (the Fire) will have a quad core processor of up to only 1.3 Ghz. Still impressive – two of these cores are dedicated towards the operating system and really help to keep the screen moving smoothly with all the transitions. The Fire HD 8, Fire HD 10, and the regular old Fire all come with expandable storage up to 128GB with the use of a micro SD card, but Amazon also offers unlimited cloud storage for any Amazon content. Both the Fire HD 8 and Fire HD HD 10 has a 720p HD front-facing camera, and a 5 MP rear-facing camera that is capable of recording up to 1080p quality.
The Kindle Fire HD 10 has been loaded with features to make your life better, including the blue shade – blue light can be harmful to your eyes and cause it to be hard to sleep. Thus, the Blue Shade filter will remove any blue light, making your reading experience much more pleasant and making it easier for you to fall asleep (If you don’t already have an app that does this on every screen you own, get a program immediately and start saving your eyes.)
The Fire HD 10 also comes with its own host of peripherals, most of which are not required to be sanctioned by Amazon – a number of keyboards, styluses, cases, and bluetooth devices (game controllers, anyone?) are available and can be paired with the Fire HD 10.

For newcomers to the Amazon brand, Amazon will also offer a 30 day free trial of Prime with all of the benefits, including a free 30 day streaming trial.

Which One Should I Pick?

Let me tell you about the cost of each tablet, which will settle the matter almost immediately. The iPad Pro 12.9 inch starts at a whopping $799, and only includes a 32GB storage and no Wi-Fi connection. On the other hand, the Fire HD 10 only costs $229.99. The disparity in price is quite different, but the reality is, you know if you need the iPad Pro or not. The new iPad Pros are meant to replace your laptop, which is what the gimmick behind tablets are supposed to be about – I was already supposed to not have a laptop, but I still do. However, the iPad Pro is insanely powerful and resembles the Surface series of Windows tablets – certain applications that will work on the desktop version of OSX will work the same as they do on the iOS 9.
Unless you are doing heavy video editing on-the-go, are an artist reliant on a tablet, or just loaded with some disposable income, the Fire HD 10 will be the more logical choice. It’s cheaper, arguably easier to use, and comes in even cheaper varieties in the Fire HD 8, 6, and the regular Fire, for those who don’t want to break the bank on a tablet.