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Show Mode Charging Dock for Fire HD 10 (Compatible with 7th Generation...
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Customer reviews
- Show Mode Charging Dock for Fire HD 10 (Compatible with 7th Generation...
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- Customer reviews
Top positive review
Excellent dock - 5 stars. Case works as advertised, but missed the target - 1 star
July 13, 2018
Pros: Great example of how to make a docking station. It's heavy enough and has rubber pads to keep in position if someone snags the cable. The embedded magnets in the case and dock do an excellent job of centering the case in the dock so the charging contacts line up.
Cons:How not to make a case. The back is completely smooth.It will slide away on smooth and/or polished surfaces that have more than 10-15 degrees of slope. It doesn't have a cover It's also a little more challenging to hold onto with one hand. The Amazon tablet case doesn't slide away, AND HAS A COVER!
Amazon, it actually hurts me to ask this question. Why didn't you add the power circuit and magnets to the existing case, as an upgraded tablet case? You could leave the cover closed, or flip it over the back of the dock.
Update 8/13: I will change back to the tablet case and cover when it leaves the house with me. It's annoying, but I like having the cover.
Update 11/9/2018: I got tired of switching cases. This is now sitting in a corner gathering dust. I'm hanging on to it for now, just in case Amazon releases a charging case with a cover.
Cons:How not to make a case. The back is completely smooth.It will slide away on smooth and/or polished surfaces that have more than 10-15 degrees of slope. It doesn't have a cover It's also a little more challenging to hold onto with one hand. The Amazon tablet case doesn't slide away, AND HAS A COVER!
Amazon, it actually hurts me to ask this question. Why didn't you add the power circuit and magnets to the existing case, as an upgraded tablet case? You could leave the cover closed, or flip it over the back of the dock.
Update 8/13: I will change back to the tablet case and cover when it leaves the house with me. It's annoying, but I like having the cover.
Update 11/9/2018: I got tired of switching cases. This is now sitting in a corner gathering dust. I'm hanging on to it for now, just in case Amazon releases a charging case with a cover.
636 people found this helpful
Top critical review
Upgraded review after using for a longer period of time.
July 20, 2018
Pros: easy to assemble and gives some protection to the Fire HD - Great value when on sale even for the No-Nag version.
Cons: You CAN'T dock the Fire and leave the screen on full time. 30min is the limit. This is really stupid because the charging station is supposed to charge while using the unit. There is NO reasonable explanation from Amazon support staff as to why this option was REMOVED on the newest units.
- The display is very dim even on the highest settings
- Amz support is clueless and keeps bouncing me around their group to answer even the simplest questions - they even had the FIRE TV support group call me then transfer me to a dead line! REALLY? Then, they even quoted old and outdated support information that is not associated with the product I purchased from them!
Cons: You CAN'T dock the Fire and leave the screen on full time. 30min is the limit. This is really stupid because the charging station is supposed to charge while using the unit. There is NO reasonable explanation from Amazon support staff as to why this option was REMOVED on the newest units.
- The display is very dim even on the highest settings
- Amz support is clueless and keeps bouncing me around their group to answer even the simplest questions - they even had the FIRE TV support group call me then transfer me to a dead line! REALLY? Then, they even quoted old and outdated support information that is not associated with the product I purchased from them!
480 people found this helpful
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July 20, 2018
Pros: easy to assemble and gives some protection to the Fire HD - Great value when on sale even for the No-Nag version.
Cons: You CAN'T dock the Fire and leave the screen on full time. 30min is the limit. This is really stupid because the charging station is supposed to charge while using the unit. There is NO reasonable explanation from Amazon support staff as to why this option was REMOVED on the newest units.
- The display is very dim even on the highest settings
- Amz support is clueless and keeps bouncing me around their group to answer even the simplest questions - they even had the FIRE TV support group call me then transfer me to a dead line! REALLY? Then, they even quoted old and outdated support information that is not associated with the product I purchased from them!
Cons: You CAN'T dock the Fire and leave the screen on full time. 30min is the limit. This is really stupid because the charging station is supposed to charge while using the unit. There is NO reasonable explanation from Amazon support staff as to why this option was REMOVED on the newest units.
- The display is very dim even on the highest settings
- Amz support is clueless and keeps bouncing me around their group to answer even the simplest questions - they even had the FIRE TV support group call me then transfer me to a dead line! REALLY? Then, they even quoted old and outdated support information that is not associated with the product I purchased from them!
July 13, 2018
Pros: Great example of how to make a docking station. It's heavy enough and has rubber pads to keep in position if someone snags the cable. The embedded magnets in the case and dock do an excellent job of centering the case in the dock so the charging contacts line up.
Cons:How not to make a case. The back is completely smooth.It will slide away on smooth and/or polished surfaces that have more than 10-15 degrees of slope. It doesn't have a cover It's also a little more challenging to hold onto with one hand. The Amazon tablet case doesn't slide away, AND HAS A COVER!
Amazon, it actually hurts me to ask this question. Why didn't you add the power circuit and magnets to the existing case, as an upgraded tablet case? You could leave the cover closed, or flip it over the back of the dock.
Update 8/13: I will change back to the tablet case and cover when it leaves the house with me. It's annoying, but I like having the cover.
Update 11/9/2018: I got tired of switching cases. This is now sitting in a corner gathering dust. I'm hanging on to it for now, just in case Amazon releases a charging case with a cover.
Cons:How not to make a case. The back is completely smooth.It will slide away on smooth and/or polished surfaces that have more than 10-15 degrees of slope. It doesn't have a cover It's also a little more challenging to hold onto with one hand. The Amazon tablet case doesn't slide away, AND HAS A COVER!
Amazon, it actually hurts me to ask this question. Why didn't you add the power circuit and magnets to the existing case, as an upgraded tablet case? You could leave the cover closed, or flip it over the back of the dock.
Update 8/13: I will change back to the tablet case and cover when it leaves the house with me. It's annoying, but I like having the cover.
Update 11/9/2018: I got tired of switching cases. This is now sitting in a corner gathering dust. I'm hanging on to it for now, just in case Amazon releases a charging case with a cover.
July 13, 2018
This product is very misleading. It gives one the impression of converting the Fire HD 10 tablet into an Echo Show when docked with it. The best term I can come up with at the moment is that it "simulates" some Echo Show functions without full integration with any dedicated Echo devices. If this is the only Amazon product with Alexa capabilities that you own, then you will probably be happy for the most part with this device.
But, if you are like me and own several Echo devices that you use in an integrated fashion, I dare say you will not be pleased. My Echo devices can't see, much less interact with the Fire HD tablet in show mode. The developers have set it up so that it can see and interact with my Echo devices as part of the illusion, but my Echo devices cannot see or interact with it. I regularly use the multi-room audio function for whole house music listening. The drop-in feature is also one that I use often. This bundle (Fire HD 10 + Show Mode Dock) was purchased to be an integral part of my Alexa ecosystem. It cannot function in that capacity because it never really transitions from a tablet to an Echo device. Again, it's all an illusion. I am very disappointed with this product, not because of some technical failure. But because Amazon should have done a better job of telling us what this product's limitations were. Full disclosure would have helped me make a better purchasing decision. Had I known, I would not have purchased this product or the tablet.
Let me add however, that the bundle(Fire Hd + Dock) has tremendous potential for Echo users if Amazon wishes it so. This hybrid solution can work if a software fix is developed to bridge the integration gap between Echo devices and this unit. The video images from the device are outstanding and the form factor (aesthetic design) is exactly what I want my Echo Show to look like. I have until about the first week in August to return this product. If Amazon has the ability and will to make what I think are appropriate adjustments to this product in that time frame, I for one will enthusiastically embrace it (I'll keep it). If not, I will return this product along with the tablet and wait until a fix is developed or Amazon releases a dedicated 10 inch hopefully flat panel Echo Show.
But, if you are like me and own several Echo devices that you use in an integrated fashion, I dare say you will not be pleased. My Echo devices can't see, much less interact with the Fire HD tablet in show mode. The developers have set it up so that it can see and interact with my Echo devices as part of the illusion, but my Echo devices cannot see or interact with it. I regularly use the multi-room audio function for whole house music listening. The drop-in feature is also one that I use often. This bundle (Fire HD 10 + Show Mode Dock) was purchased to be an integral part of my Alexa ecosystem. It cannot function in that capacity because it never really transitions from a tablet to an Echo device. Again, it's all an illusion. I am very disappointed with this product, not because of some technical failure. But because Amazon should have done a better job of telling us what this product's limitations were. Full disclosure would have helped me make a better purchasing decision. Had I known, I would not have purchased this product or the tablet.
Let me add however, that the bundle(Fire Hd + Dock) has tremendous potential for Echo users if Amazon wishes it so. This hybrid solution can work if a software fix is developed to bridge the integration gap between Echo devices and this unit. The video images from the device are outstanding and the form factor (aesthetic design) is exactly what I want my Echo Show to look like. I have until about the first week in August to return this product. If Amazon has the ability and will to make what I think are appropriate adjustments to this product in that time frame, I for one will enthusiastically embrace it (I'll keep it). If not, I will return this product along with the tablet and wait until a fix is developed or Amazon releases a dedicated 10 inch hopefully flat panel Echo Show.
July 14, 2018
Pros:
- I will probably use the tablet more as I probably won't forget to charge it now.
- Magnets are used to help you slide the tablet into the correct position for charging.
- Since the tablet has its own battery, I may use it as an alarm clock now. Hopefully, the alarm works without an internet connection.
Cons:
- The dock is expensive.
- The dock is not required in order to use a compatible tablet as an Echo.
- Because the audio from the Fire HD 10 is so tiny, you probably should still consider the Echo Show over the tablet and dock.
- The charge case included with the dock doesn't protect the tablet screen.
Bottom Line:
If good audio is a part of your use case, don't buy the tablet and dock as an alternative to the Echo Show.
If you plan to use the tablet and dock as a big screen Echo, check the other reviews for all of the current limitations when using a tablet as an Echo.
If you already have a compatible Amazon tablet and want to enhance it with a slightly over-priced charging dock, then the dock works well for this use case.
- I will probably use the tablet more as I probably won't forget to charge it now.
- Magnets are used to help you slide the tablet into the correct position for charging.
- Since the tablet has its own battery, I may use it as an alarm clock now. Hopefully, the alarm works without an internet connection.
Cons:
- The dock is expensive.
- The dock is not required in order to use a compatible tablet as an Echo.
- Because the audio from the Fire HD 10 is so tiny, you probably should still consider the Echo Show over the tablet and dock.
- The charge case included with the dock doesn't protect the tablet screen.
Bottom Line:
If good audio is a part of your use case, don't buy the tablet and dock as an alternative to the Echo Show.
If you plan to use the tablet and dock as a big screen Echo, check the other reviews for all of the current limitations when using a tablet as an Echo.
If you already have a compatible Amazon tablet and want to enhance it with a slightly over-priced charging dock, then the dock works well for this use case.
September 15, 2018
My two kids each have a Kindle Fire HD 8. One has it in a child profile, very locked down. The other has it in a normal profile, but with Parental Controls turned on. I allow and block certain things, but the Alexa feature cannot be used when the parental controls are turned on.
I bought this dock thinking my youngest would love it, but with the parental controls turned on, it won't enter Show Mode. It charges wirelessly, but nothing else. I confirmed with Amazon that the Show Mode won't work with the parental controls turn on.
This deficiency isn't located in the description, Q&A, or any review. While I send mine back for a refund, I hope this review will help someone avoid my mistake.
I bought this dock thinking my youngest would love it, but with the parental controls turned on, it won't enter Show Mode. It charges wirelessly, but nothing else. I confirmed with Amazon that the Show Mode won't work with the parental controls turn on.
This deficiency isn't located in the description, Q&A, or any review. While I send mine back for a refund, I hope this review will help someone avoid my mistake.
July 21, 2018
I already own a Fire 10" tablet, but I wasn't using it as often as thought I would. It was usually dead when I wanted to use it but didn't feel like keeping it constantly charged. Problem solved -- with several very neat extras. The PROs: It costs less than a Show, duh! It's a whole lot larger than a show. (Download the Alexa skill - Aquarium screensaver without sound. It is just BEAUTIFUL!.) You can have Alexa report the weather. You can have Alexa turn on the lights. You can have Alexa tell you the formula for the volume of a sphere. (Really cool!) The CONs: It doesn't make or give reminders. Ouch! That's disappointing. Although you can play music, the sound is even worse than the Dot. BIG BUT -- you can hide a nice Bose portable speaker behind the unit and it's beautiful. I just installed a Blink video camera security system -- AN AMAZON COMPANY. I can see the Front Door on my SHOW, but not on this Show MODE. At least not yet. That would have been nice. I'm being picky now, but look at the picture. The temperature runs just slightly into the time. A slight adjustment from the Amazon engineers will take care of that - soon. Altogether, 4 stars.
July 13, 2018
It’s good at what it does. The Alexa commands were responsive. I could call out on it as well asDrop In to other Echo devices. BUT I bought it to be able to use Drop In into it from my other Echos and it does not support that. That is a show stopper as my user story has not been met. So returning the show mode dock and the Fire HD tablet. Should not advertise that it can do what the Amazon Echo Show can do if it won’t support Drop In inbound. Wish it would have worked as I am a big Alexa fan and use it through out my house for lights, air conditioning, music, intercom, cameras, etc.
July 13, 2018
Update: the Amazon device team called me and provided a solution to my issue. I had to turn off the voice cast settings on the tablet. Making this change solved the issue. Rating changed to 4 stars
I don't have an Echo Show, but in my home I have multiple Echos and the Fire TV cube, which largely functions like an Echo. The problem with the "show mode" for the tablet, is that anytime I ask Alexa a question or any other request that results in a pop up appearing on the tablet screen, it kicks the tablet out of show mode, and I have to give the "alexa, switch to show mode" command to start it up again. It seems like the pop up screens should be disabled if you put the tablet in show mode. I hope this gets written into the next update for the tablet. This will always have limited functions compared to the other echos (most significantly the lack of the far field voice recognition), but overall I think it has a lot of potential. I'd give it 4 stars if not for the pop up problem.
I don't have an Echo Show, but in my home I have multiple Echos and the Fire TV cube, which largely functions like an Echo. The problem with the "show mode" for the tablet, is that anytime I ask Alexa a question or any other request that results in a pop up appearing on the tablet screen, it kicks the tablet out of show mode, and I have to give the "alexa, switch to show mode" command to start it up again. It seems like the pop up screens should be disabled if you put the tablet in show mode. I hope this gets written into the next update for the tablet. This will always have limited functions compared to the other echos (most significantly the lack of the far field voice recognition), but overall I think it has a lot of potential. I'd give it 4 stars if not for the pop up problem.
This dock is good if you don't need a case that covers the screen of the tablet,.and separate from the OS Show Mode upgrade
July 20, 2018 I preordered this Show Mode Charging Dock before it was available for shipping. So, there were no reviews and I had to depend on the product description page to make the decision to buy it. Currently, I have multiples of every Amazon device except the Show, and also own a number of other tablets of different brands. At the time, I was under the impression that this dock provided the 2017 Fire HD tablets with the capabilities and functionality of the Show. Since I don’t use the Fire HD8 much, I thought this dock would make it more useful on a daily basis.
When I received the dock, I was very disappointed – not with the dock, but with Amazon’s presentation of it. If you take time to read the many reviews, you will find that many of the negative reviews are based on the functionality of the Show Mode, but this is due to the fact that Amazon’s product page has linked the charging dock with the Show Mode even though they are two separate entities. Show mode on the Fire HD tablets is provided by an OS upgrade and has nothing to do with this charging dock. Once the OS upgrade is done, the Show mode will work if the tablet is plugged in to an electrical outlet. That being said, I will review the charging dock and the OS upgrade for Show Mode separately. I am including a review for Show Mode only because this has been the basis for many of the negative reviews.
SHOW MODE CHARGING DOCK
My video shows how to use the charging dock and some of how it works with Show Mode. First of all, the charging dock itself is not wireless, but must be kept plugged into an electrical outlet. It comes with a back cover for the tablet that includes two contacts on the back that must be positioned on the contacts of the charging station for charging. The stand on the dock can be moved into multiple positions depending on the slant you prefer for viewing. The tablet backing for this dock does not include anything to cover the face of the tablet.
If you don’t take your tablet with you outside of the house, and you want a nice stand to keep it on that also charges it, this would be a good charging stand for you. It is heavy and very well made. If you take your tablet outside of the house, you may want to keep a case that protects the screen of the tablet. Personally, I don’t find it to be a great inconvenience to charge my tablets with a cable connected to the charging docks on my computer. If I want to keep my tablets plugged in, I can just as easily plug them into a power plug with an adapter as keep this charging dock plugged in. This is a very nice and effective dock if it is something that suits your needs and your use for your Fire HD tablet.
Suggestions that I would have for Amazon to improve this charging dock are:
1) Include a rechargeable battery in it so that it can be used truly wirelessly
2) Design as a case for the tablet that can also include a cover to protect the screen of the tablet. This could be something attached permanently or something that stays in place with magnets.
SHOW MODE OS UPGRADE
As mentioned above, I am including this section in my review because Amazon has linked the Show Mode Charging Dock and the OS upgrade, and many of the negative reviews are based on the functionality, or lack of, of the Show Mode OS upgrade. First of all, the Show Mode OS upgrade will work whether you have the charging dock or not. After you have installed the latest OS upgrade, you just need to plug your tablet into a power source for it to work.
The Show Mode OS upgrade definitely does not work the same or have the functionality of the Show or even the Spot. For this to happen, the Fire HD tablets would have to be defined as devices included in the Alexa ecosystem. All of the Echo/Alexa devices can communicate with each other through the Alexa app. As yet, the tablets are recognized as devices in the Alexa app, but do not show as being on-line. The Show Mode on the tablets can access the Alexa devices, but the Alexa devices do not “see” the tablets even when in Show Mode.
For this reason, some of the Alexa commands will work only as outgoing on the tablets. For example, you can use “Alexa, call “John”, and it will work, but you can’t receive an incoming call from John on a tablet. If you say “Alexa, announce dinner is ready” on the tablet, the announcement will be heard on all of your Alexa devices. If you make the same command on one of your Alexa devices, it will not be heard on the tablet. To simplify this, anything outgoing from the tablet Show Mode to other Alexa devices will work – anything incoming from other Alexa devices to the tablets will not work.
Other than commands that require communication to other Alexa devices the new OS, the commands that I have tested work pretty well. As for the speaker quality on the tablets, they have never been the greatest for audio. This isn’t going to change with an OS upgrade. For better sound, you need to connect external speaker(s).
As for the Show Mode upgrade, in my opinion, it is a step in the right direction that needs more development. It was probably released prematurely. Having been into computer software development of the better part of my life, I can say that it is almost impossible to predict every scenario that software will be used. I am sure that the Show Mode OS will be upgraded as problems are solved.
Suggestions that I have for the Amazon development team are:
1) For the tablet Show Mode to work functionally in the Echo ecosystem, the tablets must be included as Alexa recognized devices.
2) Sleep time should have the capability of selecting a longer sleep time or “Never” when the tablet is plugged in and being used in Show Mode. At this time, the screen dims after 1 minute even though the tablet is fully charged and plugged in. Because of this, a tablet in Show Mode is not effective as a clock. When the screen dims, though, Alexa on the tablet will still respond to commands.
3) User selected clock formats and backgrounds should be available as they are on the Spot (and possibly the Show which I don’t have yet).
I hope this review has cleared up some of the confusion between the charging dock and the OS upgrade, and that it helps you in deciding as to whether you should buy this charging dock. I also hope that it helps Amazon developers to integrate the Show Mode on the tablets with the Echo ecosystem. Although the Show Mode may eventually be useful, I have opted to return the dock as it does not serve as an effective case for my tablet.
Update 7/24/18:
Since submitting the initial review, I have tested the Show Mode upgrade on my Fire HD 10, and also bought the Echo Show so I had something to compare to. Everything I described for the Fire HD 8 described above also holds true for the Fire HD 10 except that Show Mode on the HD 10 can be activated without the tablet being plugged in. The Echo Show does work better as a part of the Alexa ecosystem and the speaker are very much better than the tablets as the sound is room-filling and the bass is excellent. The picture quality of the show is vibrant and crisp, but then so is the displays of the Fire HD tablets. Also, the Show display does not dim after one minute - it stays on. The downside of the Show is that you can use it only in Show mode. Although the Show Mode on the tablets isn't quite as good as the Echo Show, you can still use them as android tablets to use installed applications. I am hoping that Amazon will eventually upgrade the OS for the tablets to become a part of the Alexa ecosystem. The problem for Amazon if they do this is that it would render the Echo Show as obsolete. I hope this review was helpful in choosing the devices that are best for your needs.
When I received the dock, I was very disappointed – not with the dock, but with Amazon’s presentation of it. If you take time to read the many reviews, you will find that many of the negative reviews are based on the functionality of the Show Mode, but this is due to the fact that Amazon’s product page has linked the charging dock with the Show Mode even though they are two separate entities. Show mode on the Fire HD tablets is provided by an OS upgrade and has nothing to do with this charging dock. Once the OS upgrade is done, the Show mode will work if the tablet is plugged in to an electrical outlet. That being said, I will review the charging dock and the OS upgrade for Show Mode separately. I am including a review for Show Mode only because this has been the basis for many of the negative reviews.
SHOW MODE CHARGING DOCK
My video shows how to use the charging dock and some of how it works with Show Mode. First of all, the charging dock itself is not wireless, but must be kept plugged into an electrical outlet. It comes with a back cover for the tablet that includes two contacts on the back that must be positioned on the contacts of the charging station for charging. The stand on the dock can be moved into multiple positions depending on the slant you prefer for viewing. The tablet backing for this dock does not include anything to cover the face of the tablet.
If you don’t take your tablet with you outside of the house, and you want a nice stand to keep it on that also charges it, this would be a good charging stand for you. It is heavy and very well made. If you take your tablet outside of the house, you may want to keep a case that protects the screen of the tablet. Personally, I don’t find it to be a great inconvenience to charge my tablets with a cable connected to the charging docks on my computer. If I want to keep my tablets plugged in, I can just as easily plug them into a power plug with an adapter as keep this charging dock plugged in. This is a very nice and effective dock if it is something that suits your needs and your use for your Fire HD tablet.
Suggestions that I would have for Amazon to improve this charging dock are:
1) Include a rechargeable battery in it so that it can be used truly wirelessly
2) Design as a case for the tablet that can also include a cover to protect the screen of the tablet. This could be something attached permanently or something that stays in place with magnets.
SHOW MODE OS UPGRADE
As mentioned above, I am including this section in my review because Amazon has linked the Show Mode Charging Dock and the OS upgrade, and many of the negative reviews are based on the functionality, or lack of, of the Show Mode OS upgrade. First of all, the Show Mode OS upgrade will work whether you have the charging dock or not. After you have installed the latest OS upgrade, you just need to plug your tablet into a power source for it to work.
The Show Mode OS upgrade definitely does not work the same or have the functionality of the Show or even the Spot. For this to happen, the Fire HD tablets would have to be defined as devices included in the Alexa ecosystem. All of the Echo/Alexa devices can communicate with each other through the Alexa app. As yet, the tablets are recognized as devices in the Alexa app, but do not show as being on-line. The Show Mode on the tablets can access the Alexa devices, but the Alexa devices do not “see” the tablets even when in Show Mode.
For this reason, some of the Alexa commands will work only as outgoing on the tablets. For example, you can use “Alexa, call “John”, and it will work, but you can’t receive an incoming call from John on a tablet. If you say “Alexa, announce dinner is ready” on the tablet, the announcement will be heard on all of your Alexa devices. If you make the same command on one of your Alexa devices, it will not be heard on the tablet. To simplify this, anything outgoing from the tablet Show Mode to other Alexa devices will work – anything incoming from other Alexa devices to the tablets will not work.
Other than commands that require communication to other Alexa devices the new OS, the commands that I have tested work pretty well. As for the speaker quality on the tablets, they have never been the greatest for audio. This isn’t going to change with an OS upgrade. For better sound, you need to connect external speaker(s).
As for the Show Mode upgrade, in my opinion, it is a step in the right direction that needs more development. It was probably released prematurely. Having been into computer software development of the better part of my life, I can say that it is almost impossible to predict every scenario that software will be used. I am sure that the Show Mode OS will be upgraded as problems are solved.
Suggestions that I have for the Amazon development team are:
1) For the tablet Show Mode to work functionally in the Echo ecosystem, the tablets must be included as Alexa recognized devices.
2) Sleep time should have the capability of selecting a longer sleep time or “Never” when the tablet is plugged in and being used in Show Mode. At this time, the screen dims after 1 minute even though the tablet is fully charged and plugged in. Because of this, a tablet in Show Mode is not effective as a clock. When the screen dims, though, Alexa on the tablet will still respond to commands.
3) User selected clock formats and backgrounds should be available as they are on the Spot (and possibly the Show which I don’t have yet).
I hope this review has cleared up some of the confusion between the charging dock and the OS upgrade, and that it helps you in deciding as to whether you should buy this charging dock. I also hope that it helps Amazon developers to integrate the Show Mode on the tablets with the Echo ecosystem. Although the Show Mode may eventually be useful, I have opted to return the dock as it does not serve as an effective case for my tablet.
Update 7/24/18:
Since submitting the initial review, I have tested the Show Mode upgrade on my Fire HD 10, and also bought the Echo Show so I had something to compare to. Everything I described for the Fire HD 8 described above also holds true for the Fire HD 10 except that Show Mode on the HD 10 can be activated without the tablet being plugged in. The Echo Show does work better as a part of the Alexa ecosystem and the speaker are very much better than the tablets as the sound is room-filling and the bass is excellent. The picture quality of the show is vibrant and crisp, but then so is the displays of the Fire HD tablets. Also, the Show display does not dim after one minute - it stays on. The downside of the Show is that you can use it only in Show mode. Although the Show Mode on the tablets isn't quite as good as the Echo Show, you can still use them as android tablets to use installed applications. I am hoping that Amazon will eventually upgrade the OS for the tablets to become a part of the Alexa ecosystem. The problem for Amazon if they do this is that it would render the Echo Show as obsolete. I hope this review was helpful in choosing the devices that are best for your needs.
July 13, 2018
I must own about every Echo product ever made - a total fanboy. There's loads to comment here however. To start, I have the Fire HD10 tablet; its good for the price as long as you like Amazon apps and the lack of the real Youtube app from Google Play Store (but this is rather easily fixed, thank goodness). The tablet has sat around with little to do until the Show Mode Charging Dock was announced. I thought of the fun possibility of replacing my beloved Echo Show with the Fire 10inch tablet. So, now we have a head-to-head ballgame!
Truth be told, you do not need the Show Mode Dock to make the Fire tablets a bigger Echo Show. It just requires upgrading to the latest Fire OS upgrade, which was out July 2. Just prop the tablet on its case or by any means in horizontal mode and select the Show Mode on the Settings tab of the Fire. In fact, just tell Alexa to set the mode. Voila - it becomes a huge Echo Show with most of the features faithfully copied and with the tablet brightness jacked all the way up.
However, the competition didn't last long. The Echo Show was just dominant in most innings. Why? The Fire HD10 as a wannabe Echo Show has HORRIBLE sound; so nasty I had to shut down the Fire and move the Echo Show back to it's spot in the kitchen. The Fire has stereo speakers, ok, but absolutely no bass, just a screechy AM-sounding noise. The Echo Show is probably the nicest sounding of all the Amazon Echo devices and it shows. Second, asking Alexa on the Fire to return to 'home' kicks it out of Show Mode and back into the native Fire OS grid of apps, after which you need to ask Alexa to go back into Show Mode. Grrrr. Really?
So, why the 3-stars to the Dock? The scratchy Fire tablet sound wasn't the Dock's fault, but it has its own flaws. After discovering the $50 Dock is not really needed for the Show Mode (it's all in the new Fire OS software rev), I found that the tablet case needs to be in the exact middle of the dock or the tablet would not charge. No real way of feeling where that contact is unless you watch the battery charge icon. That alone makes me hesitate just picking up the tablet and walking off.
I should have just kept my Amazon case and run the new Fire OS in Show Mode and be happy. The inherent tinny sound of the tablet can be remedied by connecting a better BT speaker to the tablet. ...or just hug my Echo Show, which is now only half it's original price.
Truth be told, you do not need the Show Mode Dock to make the Fire tablets a bigger Echo Show. It just requires upgrading to the latest Fire OS upgrade, which was out July 2. Just prop the tablet on its case or by any means in horizontal mode and select the Show Mode on the Settings tab of the Fire. In fact, just tell Alexa to set the mode. Voila - it becomes a huge Echo Show with most of the features faithfully copied and with the tablet brightness jacked all the way up.
However, the competition didn't last long. The Echo Show was just dominant in most innings. Why? The Fire HD10 as a wannabe Echo Show has HORRIBLE sound; so nasty I had to shut down the Fire and move the Echo Show back to it's spot in the kitchen. The Fire has stereo speakers, ok, but absolutely no bass, just a screechy AM-sounding noise. The Echo Show is probably the nicest sounding of all the Amazon Echo devices and it shows. Second, asking Alexa on the Fire to return to 'home' kicks it out of Show Mode and back into the native Fire OS grid of apps, after which you need to ask Alexa to go back into Show Mode. Grrrr. Really?
So, why the 3-stars to the Dock? The scratchy Fire tablet sound wasn't the Dock's fault, but it has its own flaws. After discovering the $50 Dock is not really needed for the Show Mode (it's all in the new Fire OS software rev), I found that the tablet case needs to be in the exact middle of the dock or the tablet would not charge. No real way of feeling where that contact is unless you watch the battery charge icon. That alone makes me hesitate just picking up the tablet and walking off.
I should have just kept my Amazon case and run the new Fire OS in Show Mode and be happy. The inherent tinny sound of the tablet can be remedied by connecting a better BT speaker to the tablet. ...or just hug my Echo Show, which is now only half it's original price.
