Travel test

WHAT: All-new Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus tablet with Alexa, from amazon.co.uk

WHERE Essex lockdown.

EXPERIENCE: The latest and most high-spec version of the retailer’s popular tablet has been ramped up to be 30% faster with a 2.0 GHZ quad-core processor and 3 GB RAM.

There’s up to 12 hours of battery life, 32 or 64 GB of internal storage (expandable up to 1 TB with a microsd card for all your digital memories) and USB-C or wireless charging.

There’s access to a wide selection of Amazon entertainment and Kindle e-books, and you can browse the web and use Android-style apps.

The 8in screen is pin sharp and did enough justice to the latest Jurassic Park movie on Netflix.

It’s a bit plasticky and for its size it’s not especially light at 355g – but that’s not a deal breaker. And the battery life seemed a little better than the billed 12 hours.

The front and rear 2MP cameras are fine for social media posts and videos, and worked satisfactorily on Skype.

It’s Alexa hands-free capable (though I did not use it) and if this is your thing the Wireless

Charging Dock also acts as a portrait or landscape stand for room-wide Alexa usage.

QUIBBLES: I could not for the life of me get rid of the unwanted start up/shut down tones.

VERDICT: If you’re an extensive user of Amazon’s Kindle, Prime TV and shopping it’s ready to rock from the box and a good choice.

If you’re not, it’s still a perfectly serviceable and competitively priced small tablet, though you may find all the Amazonisation a bit much. 8/10