Amazon Extinguishes Fire Tablets With New Android Alexa Models Supporting Google Play

by Paul Lilly — Saturday, October 10, 2026, 08:32 AM EDT

Amazon is pulling the plug on its Fire branding for its latest tablet refresh, and instead is leaning hard into Alexa. As such, the mega online retailer announced a new Amazon Alexa Tablet lineup that includes the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro with two display options somewhat akin to Apple's iPad Pro, the Alexa Tablet 11, and the Alexa Tablet 8.

In a significant strategic about-face, the new Alexa Tablet family ditches Amazon's custom Fire OS in favor of a full and native Android experience that is fully compatible with Google's Play Store and its millions of apps right out of the box.

The new lineup also gets rid of the cheap plastic frames on previous models for premium aluminum unibody construction—similar to what Amazon did with its recent Kindle refresh—and spans three distinct models designed to target everything from lightweight e-reader portability to high-end mobile productivity.

Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro

Starting at the top, the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro measures just 6.5mm thin, weighs 550 grams, and sports a 12-inch display with a 2880x1840 resolution (280 ppi pixel density, 3:2 aspect ratio) and 120Hz refresh rate. Users can choose between the standard display option, which Amazon claims is vibrant, or a pricier anti-glare Nanomatte display.

"We partnered with Corning on a photolithography process that etches a precise, pixel-aligned texture into the glass at the sub-pixel level—unlike conventional matte screens that sandblast the surface and scatter light unevenly—preserving detail and color accuracy. The result is a first-of-its-kind cinematic viewing experience, with incredible contrast retention in bright conditions and text that feels like it’s sitting on top of the glass. Unique to the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, this Nanomatte display reads beautifully indoors and outdoors, at any angle, in any light," Amazon says.

Outside of the display choice, other specs and features are the same. Both are powered by an 8-core MediaTek Dimensity 8400 processor built on a 4-nanometer manufacturing process and clocked at up to 3.25GHz, 8GB RAM / 128GB storage or 16GB RAM / 256GB storage options, quad Dolby Atmos speakers, 8MP (front) and 13MP (rear) cameras, and USB-C connectivity with support for charging, audio, DisplayPort, and 5Gbps data transfers.

Amazon Alexa Tablet 11

Whereas Amazon is pitching the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro as being for both work and play, the Alexa Tablet 11 is "built for entertainment," the company says. As its name implies, it sports an 11-inch display with a 2560x1600 resolution (276 ppi) and 90Hz refresh rate.

It's powered by an 8-core MediaTek 8189 chip clocked at up to 2GHz and 8GB of memory, with 64GB and 128GB storage options available. For cameras, it sports 8MP sensors on the front and back. It also has a USB-C port with support for charging, audio, and 480Mbps data transfers.

Amazon Alexa Tablet 8

Finally, the most affordable of the bunch is the Alexa Tablet 8, which promises "vivid color with the portability of an e-reader." It features an 8.7-inch display with a 1340x800 resolution (180 ppi) and no mention of the refresh rate (so we presume it's 60Hz), and is powered by the same MediaTek 8189 chip as the Alexa Tablet 8.

Amazon is offering two configurations: 4GB RAM + 64GB storage or 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage. Both feature a 5MP camera on the front, 8MP rear camera, and USB-C connectivity with support for charging, audio, and 480Mbps data transfers.

Beyond the hardware specs, the notable shift with Amazon's newest tablets is the software pivot. Because these devices run a standard version of Android (launching with Android 16 with Android 17 already on the roadmap), users can finally download millions of standard apps from the Google Play Store, including full access to Gmail, Google Docs, YouTube, and Netflix, all without messing around with sideloaded workarounds.

At the same time, Amazon is doubling down on its conversational AI push by baking Alexa+ directly into OS. Pressing a dedicated "Ask Alexa" button or barking out a voice command summons an always-ready, context-aware assistant that can pull up summaries, manage your smart home, or suggest next steps without forcing you to abandon whatever app you currently have open. A new personalized "For You" feed and home screen "Dynamic Tab" also aim to bridge your reading, streaming, and listening habits across devices.

The new Amazon Alexa Tablet lineup is available to preorder:

Retail shipments will kick off on October 14, 2026.

Tags: Amazon, (NASDAQ:AMZN), alexa tablet 12 pro, alexa tablet 11, alexa tablet 8

Paul Lilly

Paul is a seasoned geek who cut this teeth on the Commodore 64. When he's not geeking out to tech, he's out riding his Harley and collecting stray cats.