Amazon launches Android tablets with Alexa+ and Google Play Store

Amazon unveiled a new family of Alexa Tablets on Thursday, marking the first time its mainline slates run standard Android with full Google Play Store access instead of the proprietary Fire OS. The lineup comprises three models — the 8.7-inch Alexa Tablet 8, the 11-inch Alexa Tablet 11, and the 12-inch Alexa Tablet 12 Pro — all featuring aluminum unibody designs and high-resolution displays.

The flagship 12 Pro model measures 6.5 mm thick, offers a 120 Hz, 3:2 aspect-ratio screen, and is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8400 chip. Amazon claims nearly three times the processing performance and nine times the graphics performance of any previous tablet it has shipped. Two display finishes are available: standard and a Corning-developed Nanomatte anti-glare option.

“These are an all-new product line with new hardware and a new OS, rather than a rebrand of Fire Tablets.”

Pricing starts at $229.99 for the 8-inch model, $329.99 for the 11-inch, and $499.99 for the 12 Pro, with the Nanomatte variant at $549.99. Pre-orders are open in the United States; no launch date has been announced for Brazil. The devices ship with Amazon apps such as Prime Video, Kindle, and Amazon Music pre-installed.

The tablets integrate Alexa+, Amazon's generative AI assistant, which can answer questions, control smart-home devices, and analyze on-screen content through a feature called On-Screen Intelligence. A Pro Pen and Pro Keyboard are sold separately to turn the 12 Pro into a workstation.

The strategic shift follows a sharp market-share decline: IDC data cited by Reuters shows Amazon's global tablet share fell from 8 % to 1.9 % year-over-year in Q2 2026, while Apple and Samsung lead with 34 % and 17.5 % respectively.