Amazon’s new Alexa Tablets drop the Fire branding but are more Android than ever





Drop it like it’s hot

Amazon’s new Alexa Tablets drop the Fire branding but are more Android than ever

Amazon killed its app store, so Google Play it is.


Ryan Whitwam

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Amazons’ new tablet lineup is all aluminum and all Android.


Credit:

Amazon

Amazons’ new tablet lineup is all aluminum and all Android.


Credit:

Amazon




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For the last 15 years, you’ve been able to buy a Fire tablet from Amazon. Which Fire tablet? It doesn’t matter—like Kindles, they have been pretty much the same year to year. The company’s new tablet lineup is a big change, though. Amazon has dropped the Fire branding in favor of Alexa, and the new Alexa Tablets are now Google-certified Android devices.

Throughout the history of Fire Tablets, Amazon downplayed its use of Android. They ran Android apps from the company’s Appstore platform, but there was no Google integration with “Fire OS.” However, Amazon shut down its app store last year. The new Alexa Tablets run full-fledged Google-y versions of Android with the Play Store and all the apps you’d expect. This contrasts sharply with Amazon’s Fire Sticks, which have abandoned Android for the custom Linux-based Vega OS.

The Alexa Tablet lineup consists of three devices, all redesigned with unibody aluminum housings. The Alexa Tablet 8 starts at $230, and the Tablet 11 jumps to $330. They run on the budget MediaTek 8189 processor, but that’s still an upgrade from the last-gen Fire tablets. Both devices have 16:10 display ratios that are better for watching video, but the flagship tablet is a little different.

Starting at $500, the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro has a taller 3:2 ratio that is better for running multiple apps side by side. It also offers a matte display upgrade for $50, and Amazon sells a keyboard ($150) and stylus ($90) for this device as well. This device runs on a more powerful MediaTek Dimensity 8400 processor with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The display clocks in at an impressive 2800×1840 with a 120 Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of peak brightness.



The Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro with keyboard and stylus.

The Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro with keyboard and stylus.


Credit:

Amazon

With access to Google apps and the Play Store, you can use Gemini or any other AI that works on Android, but Alexa Plus will be at the core of the experience. You’ll be able to converse with Amazon’s AI bot with the “Alexa” wake word, ask questions, and get product recommendations. Naturally, it will suggest you buy things on Amazon when possible. The AI can also use your screen context to answer questions.

These devices are more expensive than Amazon’s last Fire Tablets, but they’re still competitive with other tablet options in 2026. Apple’s iPad Mini now starts at $600, and the iPad Air is $750. But then there’s the base model iPad at $450, which gets you into the Apple software ecosystem. Amazon’s new tablets are getting a massive software upgrade with the Play Store, but despite Google’s repeated promises, there just aren’t very many Android apps optimized for tablets.

Amazon’s new tablet lineup is available for preorder now and will ship on October 14. By simply being heavily promoted on Amazon, they will probably be among the most popular Android slates on the market.

Photo of Ryan Whitwam


Ryan Whitwam

Senior Technology Reporter
Ryan Whitwam is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering the ways Google, AI, and mobile technology continue to change the world. Over his 20-year career, he’s written for Android Police, ExtremeTech, Wirecutter, NY Times, and more. He has reviewed more phones than most people will ever own. You can follow him on Bluesky, where you will see photos of his dozens of mechanical keyboards.


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