Amazon has scrapped fifteen years of Fire branding to introduce three new aluminum slates starting at $230, and the biggest surprise is not the metal build. The Alexa Tablet lineup runs certified Android with direct access to the Google Play Store, ending the company's long era of locked-down Fire OS software. Preorders are open now in the US, with retail shipments scheduled to kick off on October 14.
The pivot follows Amazon shuttering its proprietary Appstore platform last year. While the retailer steered its Fire TV streaming sticks toward an independent Linux build called Vega OS, its tablet hardware is heading in the exact opposite direction. Customers can now download standard Google services right away, including Google AI tools like Google Gemini alongside standard Android utilities.
Amazon is not stepping aside entirely on the software side. Alexa Plus remains anchored at the center of the tablet experience. Users can summon the assistant with the standard wake word, seek answers based on whatever content is currently displayed on screen, and receive automated product recommendations that prompt them to buy goods on Amazon. Even so, buyers are no longer fenced off from Google's wider software catalog.
Every model in the refreshed family features a unibody aluminum casing. At the budget end, the Alexa Tablet 8 costs $230, while the Alexa Tablet 11 climbs to $330. Both tablets run on MediaTek's 8189 processor, which delivers a modest performance bump over previous Fire generations, and feature 16:10 aspect ratios tailored specifically for video viewing.
The flagship entry is the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, priced at $500. Amazon swapped to a taller 3:2 display format designed to accommodate multitasking and side-by-side apps. That screen pushes a 2800x1840 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of peak brightness. Under the hood, the slate runs on MediaTek's Dimensity 8400 processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Amazon is also pitching optional productivity extras: an official keyboard for $150, a stylus for $90, and an anti-glare matte glass screen upgrade that adds $50 to the purchase price.
Sizing up the tablet competition
These price points mark a significant departure from the bargain-bin pricing of past Fire hardware. However, Amazon still undercuts several prominent competitors in the wider tablet market. Apple sells the iPad Mini starting at $600 and the iPad Air at $750, though Apple's entry-level iPad sits relatively close at $450.
Whether Android can challenge that competition on tablet software remains an open question. Google has spent years encouraging developers to create tablet-friendly software, but large-screen Android apps remain scarce across the ecosystem. Amazon is betting that certified Google Play compatibility, stronger hardware, and heavy storefront promotion will be enough to win buyers over once shipments begin on October 14.
GDFiled by The Gadgets Desk
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