🚨 Amazon Just Dropped Fire OS: Its New Alexa Tablets Run Real Android and Start at $229.99
Amazon's new Alexa Tablets run Android with Google Play, start at $229.99 and ship October 14, as the company moves off Fire OS.
Amazon launched three new tablets today, and none of them is called Fire. The Alexa Tablet 8, Alexa Tablet 11 and Alexa Tablet 12 Pro start at $229.99, $329.99 and $499.99, and they run Android with the full Google Play Store (Amazon).
That last part is the news. For years, buying an Amazon tablet meant living inside Fire OS, Amazon’s own forked version of Android, with Amazon’s app store and no official Google apps.
Now you get YouTube, Gmail and Google Docs out of the box. You also get a much bigger bill.
⚡ What Happened
Amazon announced the lineup on Thursday, October 8. The tablets ship October 14 in the US, Canada and Mexico, and October 19 in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain (Amazon).
- Alexa Tablet 12 Pro: 12-inch 120Hz display, 6.5mm thin, from $499.99. A glare-cutting “Nanomatte” screen version starts at $549.99.
- Alexa Tablet 11: 11-inch 2.5K display, 8GB of RAM, from $329.99.
- Alexa Tablet 8: 8.7-inch display, 4GB of RAM, from $229.99.
A keyboard costs $149.99 and a pen $89.99. Two Kids Tablets are coming too.
The cases are aluminum now, where Fire tablets were plastic. Lockscreen ads are still there on the cheaper models, and removing them costs $20, up from $15 (Reuters, via Global Banking & Finance Review).
Amazon’s own announcement never mentions the word Fire. An Amazon spokesperson told Reuters that existing Fire OS tablets will keep working, but did not say whether Amazon will keep maintaining the operating system or its app store. If you own one, that question is still open.
🧠 Why It Matters
The cheap-tablet plan had stopped working. Amazon held just 1.9% of the global tablet market in the second quarter, down from 8% a year earlier, according to IDC figures cited by Reuters. Apple had 34% and Samsung 17.5%.
So Amazon is walking away from the bargain bin. A Fire HD 10 lists at $154.99. The new 11-inch model costs more than double that, and the 12 Pro sits $50 above Apple’s 11-inch iPad at $449 (Fortune).
What Amazon is really selling is Alexa+. It is built into every tablet, it can read what is on your screen if you opt in, and it holds a running conversation without you repeating the wake word. It is free with Prime and $19.99 a month without.
The timing is rough, though. Global tablet shipments fell 12.3% in the second quarter to 33.6 million units, per IDC, and Amazon has picked that moment to raise its prices.
🔜 What To Watch
- Fire OS support. Amazon has not said how long existing Fire tablets will get updates.
- Kids Tablet pricing. Amazon’s post lists none.
- October 14. First reviews and the first read on whether anyone pays $500 for an Amazon tablet.
- Alexa+ numbers. Amazon still has not disclosed how many subscribers it has.
Sources
- Amazon: Introducing all-new Amazon Alexa Tablets
- Reuters, via Global Banking & Finance Review: Amazon launches first Android tablets, raising prices and incorporating Alexa
- Fortune: Amazon launches premium Alexa tablets to take on Apple and Samsung
- Quartz: Amazon kills Fire tablets, launches Alexa tablet lineup
❓ Quick answers
How much do Amazon's new Alexa Tablets cost?
The Alexa Tablet 8 starts at $229.99, the Alexa Tablet 11 at $329.99 and the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro at $499.99, or $549.99 with the Nanomatte anti-glare display, according to Amazon's October 8, 2026 announcement.
Do Amazon's Alexa Tablets have the Google Play Store?
Yes. Amazon says the Alexa Tablets run Android with full Google Play Store access, including apps such as YouTube, Gmail and Google Docs, unlike earlier Fire tablets that ran Amazon's Fire OS.
Will my existing Amazon Fire tablet still work?
An Amazon spokesperson told Reuters on October 8, 2026 that prior Fire OS tablets will still work, but did not say whether Amazon will keep maintaining Fire OS or its app store.
