Amazon overhauls aging devices lineup with higher priced Alexa tablet, dumping the budget Fire

Amazon has unveiled a new lineup of tablets, abandoning the "Fire" name and its homegrown Fire OS operating system in favor of Google's Android. The new tablets, called Alexa Tablets, feature improved speed and performance, artificial intelligence capabilities, and upgraded designs. According to CNBC Technology, the company claims these upgrades warrant a higher price tag.

The new tablets will run on full Android, with access to the Google Play Store and its millions of apps, as reported by Techmeme and TechRadar. This marks a significant change in strategy for Amazon, which has previously focused on the budget end of the market with its Fire tablets. The Alexa Tablets will be made with aluminum cases, a departure from the plastic used in previous Fire tablets.

The tablets will be available in several versions, with starting prices ranging from $230 to $550, according to CNA - Business. The top-of-the-line model, with 128 gigabytes of memory, will cost $550. This is a significant increase from Amazon's previous top-of-the-line Fire HD 10 tablet, which cost upwards of $180.

Brief written by urgent.news from CNBC Technology, Techmeme, Handelsblatt, CNA - Business, TechRadar — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.