Amazon Debuts Alexa Tablets Running Android, Pricing Them From $229 to $499
Amazon has unveiled three Alexa Tablets that run Android with the Google Play Store instead of Fire OS, priced at $229, $329 and $499. One reviewer calls them the first real competition the iPad has faced.
The lineup consists of an 8.7-inch model at $229, an 11-inch model at $329 and a 12-inch Pro model at $499. The 11-inch version offers 8GB of RAM, a 90Hz display, a thin chassis and a sharp screen, and 9to5Mac singled it out as the most interesting of the three.
That tablet sits $120 below Apple's entry-level iPad, which the reviewer said carries less RAM, a lesser display and a thicker design. The comparison is not one-sided: the budget iPad uses Apple's A16 chip, which 9to5Mac expects to feel noticeably faster than the MediaTek chip in the Alexa Tablet, and the iPad starts at 128GB of storage against 64GB on Amazon's device. Upgrading the Alexa Tablet to 128GB leaves a $70 gap.
9to5Mac said Android on tablets is unlikely to be flawless, but argued that the Alexa integration, the pricing and the hardware make the devices credible alternatives for buyers who might otherwise have considered an iPad. The tablets also carry Amazon's Kindle reading experience, including a reader mode that reduces blue light.
The reviewer stopped short of predicting trouble for Apple. "I'm not saying the iPad is doomed or anything remotely close to that," the piece states, while arguing that the iPad has generally lacked real competition. It points to the iPad Air, which the writer says has largely received only chip upgrades since its last redesign in 2020, and expresses hope that stronger rivals will push Apple to do more with its tablet upgrades.
Amazon is currently offering 20% off the Alexa Tablets with any trade-in, according to the same report. 9to5Mac said only time will tell how much share Amazon takes in the tablet market, and that even the $499 12-inch Pro looks like a worthwhile product.