Amazon Replaces Fire Tablets With Alexa Line, Led by $499 12 Pro

Prices start at $229.99 for the 8-inch Alexa Tablet 8, $329.99 for the 11-inch Alexa Tablet 11, and $499.99 for the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro; the 12 Pro with Amazon's Nanomatte display starts at $549.99, according to TechCrunch and The Verge. Amazon says all three use aluminum bodies. The 12 Pro has a 12.3-inch, 3:2 display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 280 pixels per inch, a 4-nanometer, 8-core MediaTek Dimensity 8400 processor, Dolby Atmos speakers, Wi-Fi 6E and 16 hours of video playback, Amazon said. The 11 has an 11-inch 2.5K display at 276 ppi, a 90Hz refresh rate, a 16:10 aspect ratio and 15 hours of video playback. The 8 weighs 329 grams and is designed for one-handed use. Outlets differed on memory: The Verge reported 8GB or 12GB of RAM, while Engadget said the $549 Nanomatte model includes 16GB.

The larger change is software. The Alexa tablets are Amazon's first tablets to run full Android with access to Google Play, letting users download YouTube, Netflix, Gmail and other apps. Earlier Fire tablets ran Fire OS and Amazon's own app store, which limited app selection. An Amazon spokesperson told TechCrunch the Alexa tablets are an all-new product line with new hardware and a new operating system, not a rebrand of Fire tablets. Amazon said it will keep supporting existing Fire devices, but it is no longer manufacturing new Fire units.

Alexa is built into the interface. The tablets have an Ask Alexa bar and a Dynamic Tab that offers proactive suggestions from Alexa+, such as resuming a book or movie or suggesting a three-day trip itinerary, The Verge reported. On-Screen Intelligence, which lets Alexa see what is on the screen and take actions, is opt-in and comes with controls over what Alexa can hear and remember, according to The Verge. CNBC reported that Panos Panay, Amazon's devices chief, demonstrated asking Alexa to shop for a burger press seen in a TikTok cooking clip and to add dates from a game schedule to a calendar. TechCrunch said the tablets launch with built-in access to Alexa+. A separate Verge review of Alexa Plus said unlimited use and access on Echo devices requires Amazon Prime or a $19.99-a-month subscription, while web and app use is free with limits.

The 12 Pro's optional Nanomatte display, developed with Corning, is intended to reduce glare and feel more like paper. The Verge reported that in a brightly sunlit room the glossy version acted like a mirror and washed out at angles, while the Nanomatte screen remained readable at most angles. Engadget said Nanomatte reduced glare but slightly affected brightness and readability in direct sunlight. All new Alexa tablets include a Kindle mode that silences notifications, lowers blue light and extends battery life to 20 hours, with Standard, Color and Ink display settings. Engadget said that for now only the Kindle app works with Kindle mode.

Amazon also announced the Alexa Tablet Pro Pen and Pro Keyboard, priced at $89.99 and $149.99. TechCrunch said they are designed to turn the 12 Pro into a workstation. The Verge said the accessories attach magnetically and the keyboard is serviceable for short emails, though its keys are shallow and the two-piece case is clunky to attach and remove.

Amazon is raising tablet prices as device makers face higher memory costs. CNBC reported that Panay acknowledged the memory shortage made it "quite tricky" to build a premium tablet at a reasonable price without trade-offs, but Amazon denied that rising memory costs played a role in the higher prices. Engadget reported that Panay teased more Alexa-branded devices and a "Neo" design language being developed by Ralf Groene, Amazon's design lead. Panay said he would share more about Echo products and Neo later this month, according to Engadget.

Amazon also announced new Amazon Kids tablets in 8.7-inch and 11-inch sizes. Bundles include a tablet, a kid-proof case and a year of Amazon Kids+, with separate versions for pre-K children ages 3 and older and kids 6 and older. Those tablets will go on sale Oct. 14 in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, and the Kids tablets will also launch in Japan on Oct. 14, TechCrunch reported, while the Alexa tablets reach the U.K., Germany, France, Italy and Spain on Oct. 19.

The launch came as The Verge published a year-long review of Alexa Plus, calling it the best smart home assistant the reviewer had tested for routines, multistep commands and cooking help, with response times improving to three to five seconds from 10 to 15 seconds in 2025. The review also said Alexa Plus remains underbaked as a personal assistant and that ads on Echo Show displays are out of control.