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4 ways Amazon’s new Alexa tablets eclipse the Fire line – starting with Google Play
Amazon just upped its game with new Android tablets for entertainment and work.
Amazon just announced three new Alexa Tablets, a trio of AI-powered Android tablets for work and entertainment with a more “Pro” build. The new tablets are an unexpected upgrade for Amazon, and an indication that the company is moving away from budget-focused tablets to more premium devices.
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The lineup starts at $230 and includes the Amazon Alexa Tablet 8, the Amazon Alexa Tablet 11 at $330, and the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, which starts at $500. All three tablets are currently available for pre-order, and will start shipping on October 14.
Compared to the older Fire Tablets, the new Alexa Tablets have been completely reimagined, which means they include features that had never been available on a Fire Tablet before.
Aside from being designed to work with Alexa+, the biggest change with these tablets is that they’re the first of the newer Amazon tablets to support access to Google Play, not just Amazon’s walled app store.
Amazon also announced a set of new Kids’ Tablets in bright colors and ready-to-go bundles with access to Google Play, though parents will still be able to control which apps their kids can access and download.
As the name indicates, the Alexa Tablets feature the Alexa+ virtual assistant integrated throughout. Instead of just having Alexa+ as a voice assistant, the new tablets feature the AI assistant woven into the interface, similar to how Gemini is for typical Android tablets.
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The new Alexa Tablets can have Alexa interpret what is on your screen and answer questions about it. You can also have live, ongoing conversations without repeating the wake word before each one.