Amazon is ending the Fire tablet. After more than a decade of cheap, Amazon-first tablets, the company announced on October 8 a new line of Alexa Tablets that run standard Android with the full Google Play Store, cost noticeably more, and are built to compete with Apple’s iPad. Orders are open now, and the tablets ship on October 14 in the United States, Canada and Mexico, then on October 19 in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
The end of the Fire tablet
Amazon told reporters that it will keep supporting existing Fire tablets but has stopped producing new ones. Some reports say shipments of the old models will end within a month or two. The Fire HD 10, the previous base model, cost $155, so even the cheapest Alexa Tablet costs more, and the most expensive configuration costs several times as much as the cheapest Fire tablets sold. Amazon says the new tablets get at least four years of software updates.
The higher prices come after Amazon raised the price of Echo speakers, Kindles and Fire TV hardware in August, citing the memory chip shortage. Amazon has denied that memory costs played a role in the tablet pricing.
Three models
The Alexa Tablet 8 is the small one. It has an 8.7-inch screen, weighs 329 grams, and starts at $229.99 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, with a 128GB option. Amazon claims up to 14 hours of video playback.
The Alexa Tablet 11 is the mainstream model, starting at $329.99. It has an 11-inch 2.5K display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a 16:10 shape, 8GB of RAM, dual Dolby Atmos speakers and a fingerprint sensor. Amazon claims up to 15 hours of video.
The Alexa Tablet 12 Pro is the flagship, starting at $499.99, or $549.99 with a Nanomatte anti-glare screen. It has a 12-inch, 120Hz display, an eight-core chip made on a 4nm process, 8GB of RAM at the base level, with configurations up to 16GB, and 128GB of storage, with more available. Amazon says it has three times the processing speed and nine times the graphics speed of any earlier Amazon tablet, and claims up to 16 hours of video or 20 hours of Kindle use. A magnetic keyboard costs $150 and a pen costs $90.
All three use aluminum bodies, which is a clear change from the plastic builds of earlier Fire tablets.
Android and Google Play
The biggest change is software. Fire tablets ran Fire OS, Amazon’s own version of Android, and relied on the Amazon Appstore, which many developers disliked because it forced them to maintain a third version of their apps. The Alexa Tablets run standard Android with full Google Play access, so apps like Gmail, Docs and YouTube install the way they do on any Android tablet. They still include Amazon’s own services, such as Prime Video, Kindle, Audible and Amazon Music.
Alexa+ on the tablet
Alexa+, Amazon’s AI assistant, is built into each device. Users can say “Alexa” or tap an “Ask Alexa” button to get answers or control smart home devices by voice or touch. Amazon says tablet-specific access is included, while using Alexa+ across other compatible devices requires a Prime membership or a separate subscription. The tablets also include a reading mode that reduces blue light, a nod to Amazon’s Kindle business.
One detail for buyers: the tablets show ads on the lock screen unless the owner pays to remove them, and Amazon reportedly charges a one-time $20 for that, up from $15 on the Fire OS tablets.
How they compare with the iPad
Apple’s iPad range runs from $449 to $1,199. The entry-level iPad costs $449 and comes with 128GB of storage and an A16 chip, while the Alexa Tablet 11 starts $119 lower with 90Hz instead of 60Hz, although at 64GB. Once the Alexa Tablet 11 is upgraded to 128GB, the gap narrows to about $70. The Alexa Tablet 8 sits next to the $599 iPad mini in size and costs far less.
The 12 Pro undercuts the $749 11-inch iPad Air and offers a larger screen with a higher refresh rate. Despite its Pro label, its price and specifications look closer to an iPad Air than an iPad Pro. The iPad keeps clear advantages in app quality on tablets, in performance from Apple’s own chips and in resale value, and it has years of accessories behind it.
What to weigh
For buyers the questions are practical. Android tablet apps are improving, but they still vary in how well they use a large screen. Amazon’s battery figures are its own claims, and independent reviews will show how the tablets perform with real use. Tablet-only Alexa+ is limited without Prime or a subscription, and the cheapest model has only 4GB of RAM.
What this means
The Alexa Tablets turn Amazon from a budget brand into a mainstream competitor, using a better build, standard Android and an AI assistant to justify a higher price. For people who want a tablet for streaming, reading and light work, they are a serious new option. For iPad owners with a collection of apps and accessories, there is little reason to switch, but Apple will notice the price gap, especially with its own tablet updates reportedly on the way this month.
