Changes include: price reduction to $139, processor speed upgraded to 1.5 GHz, firmware upgrade from the unnamed "Android based" OS to a compatible proprietary fork of Android named Fire OS 3, removal of the front camera, new shell form factor, and decreased available storage options.

All 4th and 5th generation Fire HD models use the same quad-core MediaTek System-on-a-Chip (SoC) with 1 GB of RAM.

In September 2016, Amazon announced the release of the updated Fire HD 8 which includes the virtual assistant Alexa,[13] priced at US$89.99.

Fortune reported that, "As with most of Amazon's devices, the aim isn't to make money off of the hardware but instead to sell digital content such as books, movies, and TV shows to users".

Some differences between the 6th and 7th Generation HD 8 models were the price, the gyroscope removal, the increase of maximum SD card expansion, and the better graphics chip.

The price remained the same as last year's model with minor upgrade on the hardware where the external storage is expandable to 400 GB and the front camera was updated to 2 MP.

On the software side, the 2018 model is preinstalled with Fire OS 6 that allows hands-free Alexa control.

In 2020, the Fire HD 8 was updated with a faster 64-bit quad-core SoC, more storage (from 16/32 GB to 32/64 GB), USB-C, brighter display, enhanced wifi fidelity, a new front camera location (for landscape video chats instead of portrait), and Fire OS 7 (based on Android 9).

The 3 GB RAM version, which enabled more memory-intensive apps, was available only in US, UK, DE, and JP marketplaces.

In 2021, the Fire HD 10 was refreshed with a new front camera location (for landscape video chats instead of portrait) and slimmer side bezels, leading to a more symmetrical design.

The device features a larger display at 11" with official USI2.0 stylus support, pogo pins for an external keyboard, and a fingerprint sensor.

[17] It also features newer hardware such as a faster and more efficient octa-core SoC, 4 GB RAM, 8 MP cameras, WiFi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3 BLE.

Despite the change of naming convention Amazon considers the Max 11 to be in the Fire HD series.

[20] The product descriptions show the new models as variants of the otherwise unannounced 2023 release for the 13th gen Fire HD 10.

Amazon did not release a Plus model in the 2024 refresh, and the 2024 HD 8 does not gain the wireless charging feature.

The Max 11 also included a fingerprint sensor on the power button, as well as a special connector for an external keyboard.

It was the first Fire model to ship without a 3.5 mm headphone socket, instead using USB audio over the USB-C connector.

In September 2016, Amazon released virtual assistant Alexa for the sixth generation Fire tablets.

The Model number consists of three parts: first the KF prefix for 'Kindle Fire', second one or two letters derived from the code name, third WI for Wi-Fi or WA for cellular interface.