Amazon has a new lineup of tablets, and the biggest change is not the hardware. The new Alexa Tablets run Android with the Google Play Store built in, so apps like YouTube, Netflix and Gmail are available from day one.
Until now, Amazon’s tablets ran its own Fire OS and relied on the Amazon Appstore. Quartz describes the new devices as replacing the Fire tablet line Amazon has sold for more than a decade. An Amazon spokesperson told TechCrunch they are a new product line with new hardware and a new operating system, not a rebrand of Fire tablets.
The Lineup
- Alexa Tablet 8 ($229.99): 8.7-inch screen, all-aluminum body, 4GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of storage. Amazon claims up to 14 hours of video.
- Alexa Tablet 11 ($329.99): 11-inch 2.5K display at 90Hz, 8GB of RAM, dual Dolby Atmos speakers and a fingerprint sensor. Up to 15 hours of video.
- Alexa Tablet 12 Pro ($499.99): 12-inch 120Hz display with a 3:2 shape, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. An anti-glare “Nanomatte” version costs $549.99. Amazon says it has nearly three times the processing and nine times the graphics performance of its previous tablets.
A Pro Pen ($90) and Pro Keyboard ($150) are also available for the 12 Pro, according to Engadget. Kids versions of the 8 and 11 come with a kid-proof case and a year of Amazon Kids+. None of the models has a microSD slot.
Where Alexa Comes In
As the name suggests, Amazon’s upgraded Alexa+ assistant is front and center. You can say “Alexa” or tap an “Ask Alexa” button to get answers or control smart home devices. A feature called On-Screen Intelligence lets Alexa respond to what is on your screen; Amazon’s example is asking which hike in a list of trails would suit you best. Opening the Kindle app switches the tablet into a reading mode that silences notifications and cuts blue light.
Price and Availability
The tablets are on sale now and ship Oct. 14 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with Europe and the U.K. following Oct. 19.
The Bottom Line
Google Play support fixes the biggest complaint about Amazon tablets, which have long had a smaller app selection. The trade-off is price: these start well above the budget level Amazon was known for. If you are shopping for one during the holidays, compare carefully with other Android tablets and iPads at the same price, and watch out for deal scams.
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