Amazon refreshes Kindle Fire HD 8 lineup ahead of big devices event next week

Amazon is announcing new devices, services, and software on Sept. 28, and from the looks of it, it'll be a packed event. I say that because we've seen Amazon announce a new Kindle and Kindle Kids e-readers, and now the company is announcing four new Kindle Fire HD 8 tablets. By announcing these devices now, Amazon frees up time during the invite-only event to focus on other announcements. 

There's a lot to unpack about the new Kindle Fire HD 8 models, which range from the standard Fire HD 8 to a Fire HD 8 Kids Pro for older kids. There's even a Disney Design Bundle this year with Disney Mickey or Disney Princess cases. 

All of the new Fire HD 8 tablets have the same core features, such as an 8-inch HD display, a 30% increase in performance, up to 13 hours of total battery life, and a USB-C charging port. You can get the Fire HD 8 with 32GB or 64GB of storage, and all of them support microSD cards for expanded storage up to 1TB. 

Also: The 5 best Kindle e-readers: Which is right for you?

The Fire HD 8 Plus is bumped up to 3GB of memory (from 2GB on the standard model), 9W wired charging, wireless charging, and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera. 

The base-model Fire HD 8 is $99.99, while the Plus model is $119. I haven't used the new tablets yet, but in years past the extra memory has done a lot to improve the overall performance experience. I suspect the same will be true this year, making the $20 difference well worth the investment. 

Amazon's Fire HD 8 Kids tablets also get upgraded hardware. The standard Fire HD 8 Kids tablet comes in blue or purple for $149.99, is designed for kids aged 3 to 7, and comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ and a two-year worry-free guarantee. For $159.99, you can get a version with a Disney Mickey or Disney Princess case.

The Fire HD 8 Kids Pro tablet is meant for kids aged 6 to 12, and comes with a case designed for older kids, as well as the same one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ and two-year worry-free guarantee. The Kids Pro tablet has access to Amazon's digital stores, where children can browse for new apps, books, and games, and then send permission requests to their parents if they want to download. The Fire HD 8 Kids Plus is $149.99 and comes with a case in color options called cyber sky, rainbow universe, and hello teal. 

The Amazon Kids+ bundle includes parental controls as well as access to thousands of kid-friendly books, apps, games, and videos. 

You can preorder the new Kindle Fire HD 8 models now, with deliveries starting sometime in October.