TL;DR: Amazon scrapped Fire and launched Alexa Tablets to challenge iPad
Amazon unveiled three Alexa-branded tablets on Oct. 8, 2026, dropped the Fire name used for 15 years, and will ship the new devices on Oct. 14 with full Android and Google Play support, according to CNBC, The Verge and About Amazon.
The lineup includes the Alexa Tablet 8 starting at $229.99, the Alexa Tablet 11 starting at $329.99, and the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro starting at $499, with a $549 Nanomatte-display version at the top, according to The Verge and CNBC. All three use aluminum unibody construction, high-resolution displays and faster processors, run Android, include built-in Prime Video, Kindle, Audible and Amazon Music, and place Alexa+ at the center of the home screen and on-screen tasks, according to About Amazon.
Three models go on sale Oct. 14
Amazon introduced the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, Amazon Alexa Tablet 11 and Amazon Alexa Tablet 8 as an all-new lineup with Alexa+ built in, according to About Amazon.
All three devices were available for preorder on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, and will begin shipping Oct. 14, according to CNBC.
The Tablet 8 has an 8.7-inch screen and starts at $229.99, according to The Verge. CNBC described the entry price as $230.
The Tablet 11 has an 11-inch screen and starts at $329.99, according to The Verge. CNBC rounded the range across the family as $230 to $550.
The Alexa Tablet 12 Pro starts at $499, according to The Verge. The most expensive $549 model adds the Nanomatte display option, according to The Verge. About Amazon described starting prices across three sizes starting at $229.
The Verge described the Tablet 8 as mostly designed for reading and the Tablet 11 as more for watching stuff. The Verge also said the two smaller tablets are aimed squarely at the iPad Mini and base iPad.
The 12 Pro is the device Amazon executives emphasized most. Panos Panay, Amazon's SVP in charge of hardware and Alexa, told The Verge that the development effort lasted two and a half years. Panay is also described by CNBC as the company's devices boss.
End of Fire, start of Alexa hardware
Amazon said it is scrapping its budget-friendly family of Fire products and is no longer manufacturing new Fire units, according to CNBC.
The Fire name had been used for tablets for the last 15 years, according to The Verge. Ars Technica coverage summarized the same history, but the core announcement details here rely on CNBC, The Verge and About Amazon.
Amazon will continue to support the Fire lineup for four years after the final shipment, and consumers can continue using their devices as they do today, according to CNBC. The Fire lineup includes a 10-inch and an 8-inch model as well as two versions targeted for kids, according to CNBC.
The new devices are the first time Amazon has attached a set of devices to the Alexa brand, according to CNBC. Alexa, the automated assistant, first launched in 2014 via the Echo smart speaker, according to CNBC.
Amazon said the Alexa tablet's improved speed and performance, artificial intelligence features and upgraded design warrant a higher price tag and put the devices on par with "the best tablets on the market," according to CNBC.
The $550 Alexa Tablet 12 Pro costs more than double the price of the $155 Fire HD 10, Amazon's base model, according to CNBC. That pricing puts it more in line with Apple's iPad, which runs from $449 to $1,199, according to CNBC.
12 Pro hardware: thin aluminum body and 4nm chip
Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro is the most advanced tablet Amazon has ever built, according to About Amazon.
Stamped from a single piece of aluminum, it measures just 6.5mm thin, is lightweight, and is engineered for balance, according to About Amazon. The Verge reported the same 6.5mm thickness and listed weight at 550 grams. The Verge described it as a little thicker and a little lighter than the latest 13-inch iPad Pro.
It houses a 12-inch, 280 PPI display in Amazon's description, according to About Amazon. The Verge listed the 12 Pro screen as 12.5-inch, 2800 x 1840, with refresh rate up to 120Hz and 500 nits of brightness.
About Amazon listed a 120Hz refresh rate and a 3:2 aspect ratio for more usable screen space for reading, watching or working. The Verge said the 3:2 aspect ratio is presented as ideal for running two Android apps side by side.
Power comes from a 4nm 8-core chip with up to 16GB of RAM, according to About Amazon. That configuration delivers nearly three times faster processing and nine times faster graphics than any tablet Amazon has ever shipped, according to About Amazon. Amazon said the performance covers multi-window multitasking, graphic-intensive gaming and 4K streaming, according to About Amazon.
The Verge identified the processor as a MediaTek Dimensity 8400, described as a chip found in a high-end phone a year or so ago. The Verge listed memory and storage options as either 8 or 16 GB of RAM and either 128 or 256 GB of storage.
The Nanomatte model goes further with additional processing power and up to 16GB of RAM, according to About Amazon.
Battery life is listed at 16 hours of video playback, described as the longest Amazon has ever put on a tablet, according to About Amazon. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E, and audio comes from quad Dolby Atmos speakers, according to About Amazon.
Panay told The Verge that hardware was the first priority, ahead of Android software. He said he directed the team to start completely fresh in tablet design, according to The Verge. The Verge quoted Panay telling the team: "Start from zero, don't use any components we've ever used." The Verge also quoted Panay asking the team: "Just ask, what is it? What is a great piece of hardware and what is it supposed to do?"
Nanomatte display built with Corning
The Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro comes in two display options: a vibrant standard display and a Nanomatte display with anti-glare, according to About Amazon.
The Nanomatte display uses precision-etched anti-glare technology to reduce screen glare, according to About Amazon. Amazon partnered with Corning on a photolithography process that etches a precise, pixel-aligned texture into the glass at the sub-pixel level, according to About Amazon.
Conventional matte screens sandblast the surface and scatter light unevenly, according to About Amazon. By contrast, Amazon said its method preserves detail and color accuracy, according to About Amazon.
The result is described as a first-of-its-kind cinematic viewing experience, with contrast retention in bright conditions and text that feels like it is sitting on top of the glass, according to About Amazon. The Nanomatte display is unique to the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro and is described as readable indoors and outdoors, at any angle and in any light, according to About Amazon.
On the highest-end model, Amazon incorporated Nanomatte display technology developed in partnership with Corning to dramatically reduce screen glare, according to CNBC.
The Verge said the $549 model carries the Nanomatte display. The Verge said Amazon partnered with Corning to etch a unique texture into the glass intended to be richer, higher contrast and less prone to glare than a typical display.
The Verge noted the process sounds similar to Apple's nano-texture finishes, but said Amazon believes its method comes with fewer tradeoffs in contrast and sharpness. The Verge reported that it had not seen the device in person, but that The Verge's Terrence O'Brien had seen it.
Panay described the screen as the product's "one thing," meaning a single feature that could not be compromised, according to The Verge. The Verge quoted Panay's concept as: "Let's go make the perfect screen."
The screen also adapts to activity. If users launch the Kindle app, it turns off blue lights to make reading warmer, and if users read comics, it renders them extra glossy, according to The Verge. Amazon understands tablets are primarily consumption devices and optimizes for time in Kindle and Prime Video, according to The Verge.
Full Android and Google Play replace Fire OS
The most important software change is Android support. The tablets run Android with full Google Play support, according to The Verge.
Users get access to the full Google Play Store with millions of apps including YouTube, Netflix, Gmail and Google Docs, alongside built-in Amazon apps including Prime Video, Kindle, Audible, Amazon Music, Amazon Quick and Amazon Luna, according to About Amazon.
The devices seamlessly connect Amazon experiences out of the box, run Android and include Google Play Store access, according to About Amazon.
There are preloaded Amazon apps and built-in ways to quickly access Prime Video content or shop, but Amazon is offering a proper Android experience, according to The Verge. Panay told The Verge that Google Play was a necessity. The Verge quoted Panay saying: "Google Play was a necessity, end of story."
Panay ranked Android as the second-most-important element of the tablet, behind hardware, according to The Verge.
The shift is a major departure from earlier models, which relied on a custom Android version dubbed Fire OS and used Amazon's own app store, limiting the number of apps available, according to CNBC.
Amazon has historically sold its devices at or near manufacturing cost, partly to undercut competitors and partly to promote its other products and services, according to CNBC. CNBC said the company hoped that for every $80 Echo smart speaker sold, users would purchase movies, audiobook subscriptions or items from its webstore.
Alexa+ sits at the center
Alexa+ is built into the core of every tablet, according to About Amazon.
Users can say "Alexa" or tap the "Ask Alexa" button, and Alexa appears instantly to answer questions, suggest next steps, control the smart home and more in an experience customized for tablets without leaving the current activity, according to About Amazon.
The tablets are designed to bring Alexa Plus to the center of computing life and to serve as capable tablets, according to The Verge. Amazon has been working on the large-language-model-powered version of its assistant for several years, according to The Verge.
Alexa is front and center through a dynamic tab on the home screen that offers recommendations and lets users pick up where they left off reading or watching a TV show, according to CNBC. Users can say "Alexa" or tap the "Ask Alexa" button to ask questions, according to CNBC.
Amazon also introduced On-Screen Intelligence, where users can ask Alexa to look at what is on the screen and make suggestions or take actions, according to CNBC.
In a demo, Panay showed watching a TikTok clip of someone cooking on a grill and asking Alexa to shop for a burger press used in the video, according to CNBC. Users can also pull up a game schedule and add every date to their calendar, according to CNBC.
The Verge said users can ask Alexa about anything visible on the screen, with the assistant attempting to offer recommendations, find information and find items on Amazon.com. The Verge said Alexa Plus on these devices appears nearly as pervasive as Gemini or Siri on other tablets.
CNBC quoted Panay describing the shopping flow: "She'll do the homework, and if things work out, she's going to bring up a shopping list where I can just hit buy now."
Kindle Sanctuary turns the tablet into a reader
With Alexa Tablets, the best of the Kindle experience comes to tablets for the first time, according to About Amazon. Amazon noted nearly two decades pioneering the Kindle reading experience, according to About Amazon.
Opening a book in the Kindle app transforms the device into a distraction-free reading sanctuary, according to About Amazon. Notifications go silent, blue light is reduced and battery life stretches up to 20 hours, according to About Amazon.
Three display themes allow choices from subtle warmth with natural color, to a softened paper tone, to pure grayscale, according to About Amazon.
The Nanomatte display adds razor-sharp text, a paper-like feel and readability in any light, according to About Amazon. Users can highlight, underline, write notes and mark up pages directly with the Pro Pen, according to About Amazon. Annotations sync across Kindle apps on pen-supported devices and on Kindle Scribe, according to About Amazon.
The Verge described the Tablet 8 as mostly designed for reading because of its smaller 8.7-inch screen, while About Amazon positioned up to 20 hours of reading on a single charge as part of the Kindle Sanctuary mode.
Pen, keyboard and multitasking aim at work
Designed exclusively for the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, the Amazon Alexa Tablet Pro Pen and Amazon Alexa Tablet Pro Keyboard turn the tablet into a productivity workstation, according to About Amazon.
The Pro Pen is a USI 2.0 active pen with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, tilt detection, magnetic docking and wireless charging, according to About Amazon. The Nanomatte display creates natural friction so writing feels like pen on paper rather than glass, according to About Amazon.
Users can mark up a PDF, sketch an idea or take handwritten notes, then switch to touch or trackpad, according to About Amazon.
The Pro Keyboard magnetically attaches to the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro with no Bluetooth pairing required, according to About Amazon. Users click it in and it becomes a functioning workspace, according to About Amazon.
Users can open, resize and work in multiple windows side by side, including email, Slack and AI coding apps simultaneously, according to About Amazon. Users can switch between work and personal profiles, according to About Amazon.
Amazon also made a keyboard case and a stylus, and Panay said he hopes people will use the tablet as a secondary or even primary computer, according to The Verge. The Verge said adding the attachments makes the device resemble an iPad Pro setup.
Price, memory costs and business strategy
Amazon said improved speed, performance, AI features and upgraded design justify the higher price, according to CNBC.
The company recently took steps to make more money from its devices business under CEO Andy Jassy, who succeeded founder Jeff Bezos in 2021, according to CNBC. Last year, it introduced pricier versions of its Echo smart speakers and began charging non-Prime members a subscription for Alexa+, the upgraded version of its digital assistant, according to CNBC.
The launch comes as Amazon and other device makers face a surge in memory prices, according to CNBC. Amazon in August boosted prices on Echos, Kindles, Fire TVs and other hardware, citing the memory crunch, according to CNBC. Earlier in 2026, Apple raised prices on MacBooks and iPads, while Nintendo hiked the price of its Switch 2 console, according to CNBC.
Amazon denied that rising memory costs played a role in charging more for the Alexa tablet, according to CNBC. Panay acknowledged the shortage made it quite tricky to build a premium tablet at a reasonable price without trade-offs, according to CNBC. CNBC quoted Panay saying: "I think the team did a good job designing without making that trade."
CNBC further quoted Panay saying: "They gave you the full craftsmanship of a product, but are able to keep it at that price point."
Amazon added a sleeker, sturdier aluminum backing, higher-resolution display and faster processors across the lineup, according to CNBC. About Amazon summarized the same direction as all-new aluminum unibody construction, vivid high-resolution displays and powerful processors across three sizes starting at $229.