Amazon's new Alexa tablets ditch Fire OS for regular Android

Amazon is retiring its Fire tablet brand after 15 years and introducing a new range of Alexa tablets powered by standard Android. The transition away from Fire OS comes as Amazon acknowledges the Fire lineup has not met customer expectations. Devices Chief Panos Panay announced that the company will focus on a tablet overhaul, integrating Google's app ecosystem with Amazon's services and AI tools.

The Alexa tablets will run mainstream Android, providing native access to popular apps such as Gmail, YouTube, Google Docs, Kindle, Prime Video, Audible, and Music. The devices will be priced in a higher range, with the Alexa Tablet 8 starting at $229, the Tablet 11 at $329, and the Tablet 12 Pro at $499. The Pro model, featuring a glare-reducing Nanomatte screen, will begin at $549.

Amazon expects the tablets to start shipping this month in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The new Alexa+ feature allows users to summon Alexa by voice or an on-screen button without interrupting the current app. An optional On-Screen Intelligence feature enables Alexa to use displayed content for context, helping users extract dates, schedule appointments, and interpret webpages.

The 12 Pro tablet is equipped with an 8-core processor built on a 4nm process, supporting up to 16GB of RAM and offering nearly three times the processing performance and nine times the graphics performance compared to its predecessors. The device also boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, 280 pixels per inch density, a 3:2 aspect ratio, and four Dolby Atmos speakers.

Video playback is rated at up to 16 hours. The optional nanomatte display reduces glare while preserving image quality, and the Pro model supports a $149 magnetic keyboard and an $89 USI 2.0 stylus.