Alexa Tablets Replace Fire With Google Play, From $229.99

Amazon’s three new Alexa Tablets swap the Fire line’s software for Android with the full Google Play Store, and start at $229.99, $329.99 and $499.99 when they ship in the US on 14 October. On price, the $499.99 Tablet 12 Pro sits between Apple’s $449 iPad (A16) and Samsung’s $549.99 Galaxy Tab S10 FE, with a 12-inch, 120Hz screen and an optional anti-glare finish.

Every figure below is from Amazon’s announcement unless it is attributed, read on 9 October. The outlets we read published first impressions from Amazon’s briefings, not reviews, and we have not used one.

The three tablets, in Amazon’s figures

	Alexa Tablet 8 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)	Alexa Tablet 11 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)	Alexa Tablet 12 Pro (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)
Starting price	$229.99	$329.99	$499.99; Nanomatte $549.99
Screen	8.7in	11in, 2.5K, 276 PPI, 90Hz, 16:10	12in, 280 PPI, 120Hz, 3:2
Chip	8-core	8-core	4nm 8-core
Chip, as reported	MediaTek 8189	MediaTek 8189	MediaTek Dimensity 8400
Memory and storage at that price	4GB, 64GB	8GB, 64GB	8GB, 128GB; up to 16GB memory
Video playback claim	Up to 14 hours	Up to 15 hours	16 hours
Build	Aluminium, 7.95mm, 329g	Aluminium	Aluminium, 6.5mm
Speakers and Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6	Dual Dolby Atmos	Quad Dolby Atmos, Wi-Fi 6E
US shipping	14 October	14 October	14 October

Prices are Amazon’s announced US figures. The reported chip names come from Best Buy’s 12 Pro listing and from The Verge, Ars Technica, Engadget and CNET, all dated 8 October; Amazon’s post names no chip maker. Amazon prices only the 8GB, 128GB 12 Pro, so what the 16GB version costs is not yet public.

The Pro Pen ($89.99, USI 2.0, 4,096 pressure levels) and the Pro Keyboard ($149.99, magnetic, no Bluetooth pairing) are made for the 12 Pro. Best Buy lists the 12 Pro at $499.99 and the Nanomatte model at $549.99 for pre-order, with a 14 October release.

What changed from the Fire HD line

The software. Amazon says all three run Android with access to the full Google Play Store. Fire tablets ran Fire OS, which Ars Technica describes as Android apps from Amazon’s own Appstore with no Google integration. CNET reports the tablets ship with Android 16 and move to Android 17 in early 2027; Best Buy’s listing also gives Android 16.

The name, and the rest of the line. CNET reports that Amazon’s Kevin Keith said the Alexa Tablets supersede the Fire tablets entirely and that remaining Fire stock will be sold over the next few months. Amazon’s own post does not mention the Fire line.

The price floor. In 2023 Amazon announced the Fire HD 10 with a 10.1-inch, 1,920 × 1,200 screen, 3GB of memory, 32GB or 64GB of storage, a microSD slot for up to 1TB and up to 13 hours of battery. The Alexa Tablet 11 has more screen and memory and claims longer battery, but starts at $329.99. Amazon’s new post gives a storage figure for every model and does not mention a memory card slot.

The build and the assistant. All three are aluminium unibodies; Engadget describes the Fire HD 10 as plastic. Alexa+ is built in, with an “Ask Alexa” button and an On-Screen Intelligence feature that reads what is on screen, which Amazon says is off until you opt in.

A Kindle mode. Open a book in the Kindle app and Amazon says notifications go silent, blue light drops and battery stretches to up to 20 hours of reading, with three display themes down to pure grayscale. If reading is most of what you would use it for, Amazon’s new Kindles, from $149.99, are the cheaper single-purpose route.

The Nanomatte screen

The 12 Pro’s optional finish costs $50. Amazon says it worked with Corning on a photolithography process that etches a texture aligned to the pixel grid into the glass, rather than sandblasting it, to cut glare while keeping detail and colour. Amazon says the finish is unique to the 12 Pro. The Verge, after a briefing in a sunlit room, reported that the glossy model was “basically a mirror” while the Nanomatte one stayed readable at most angles. That is one outlet’s impression from a demonstration, not a measurement.

The kids versions

The Amazon Kids Tablet 8 and Kids Tablet 11 start at $229.99 and $329.99, the same as the standard models, and add a kid-proof case, a year of Amazon Kids+ and a one-year limited warranty. There are versions for ages 3+ with a soft bumper and 6+ with a slim hard case and kickstand. Amazon says the 11-inch has a 2.5K screen, 8GB of memory and stylus support, and the 8.7-inch up to 14 hours of video and 64GB. Google Play is on these too, with every download approved by a parent through Parent Dashboard.

Against an iPad or a Galaxy Tab, on paper

	Alexa Tablet 12 Pro (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)	iPad (A16) (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)	Galaxy Tab S10 FE (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)
US starting price	$499.99 (Amazon)	$449 (Apple)	$549.99 (Samsung)
Screen	12in, 280 PPI, 120Hz	11in, 264 PPI	10.9in
Base storage	128GB	128GB	128GB
Battery claim	16 hours of video	Up to 10 hours of web or video	—

Apple’s and Samsung’s prices were read on their US stores on 9 October; Samsung’s is the 128GB Wi-Fi model. We did not read a Samsung battery figure, so that cell is blank.

On paper, the 12 Pro gives a larger, denser screen and a longer battery claim than the iPad for $50 more. What the paper cannot show is how much of Google Play is built for a 12-inch screen. Ars Technica’s view is that “there just aren’t very many Android apps optimized for tablets”, and that Alexa+ sits at the centre of the experience and will suggest buying from Amazon where it can.

Before you buy

• Wait for reviews if the screen is the reason. Our tablet shortlist averages published review scores and adds a model once three outlets have scored it; none of the outlets we read had scored an Alexa Tablet by 9 October.
• Price the 12 Pro with its accessories. With the Pro Pen and Pro Keyboard, the $499.99 tablet is $739.97 before tax, or $789.97 with Nanomatte.
• Samsung’s 12.6- and 14.6-inch Tab S12 models cost more than twice as much. If you were weighing a Galaxy Tab at the top of the range, what the Tab S12 Ultra changes, on paper sets out Samsung’s $1,399.99 model.

Questions people ask

How much is the Amazon Alexa Tablet?

Amazon says the Alexa Tablet 8 starts at $229.99, the Tablet 11 at $329.99 and the Tablet 12 Pro at $499.99, or $549.99 with the Nanomatte screen. The Pro Pen is $89.99 and the Pro Keyboard $149.99. Best Buy lists the 12 Pro at the same $499.99 and $549.99.

Does the Alexa Tablet have Google Play?

Yes. Amazon says all three Alexa Tablets run Android with access to the full Google Play Store. The kids versions have Google Play too, with every download approved by a parent through Amazon’s Parent Dashboard.

What happened to Amazon Fire tablets?

The Alexa Tablets take their place. CNET reports that Amazon’s Kevin Keith said they supersede the Fire tablets entirely, and that remaining Fire stock will be sold over the next few months. Amazon’s own announcement does not mention the Fire line.

When does the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro ship?

Amazon says all three Alexa Tablets and both Amazon Kids Tablets ship on 14 October 2026 in the US, Mexico and Canada, and from 19 October in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

What is the Nanomatte display?

An anti-glare glass Amazon developed with Corning, which etches a texture aligned to the pixels rather than sandblasting the surface. Amazon says it is unique to the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, and it adds $50 to the starting price, for $549.99.

Is the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro better than an iPad?

On paper it offers a bigger 12-inch screen and a 16-hour video claim for $499.99, against 11 inches and up to 10 hours for Apple’s $449 iPad (A16); both start with 128GB. Neither spec sheet tells you how well apps use the screen, and nobody we cite has reviewed it yet.