Amazon is retiring the Fire Tablet name and replacing it with three Alexa Tablets that run full Android, Google Play Store included. The Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, Alexa Tablet 11 and Alexa Tablet 8 all go on sale on October 14, 2026. That ends roughly 15 years of Fire branding and of a locked-down Fire OS that kept Google’s app store off Amazon’s tablets.
The Verge interviewed Panos Panay, Amazon’s senior vice president for hardware and Alexa, ahead of the announcement. He described Google Play as non-negotiable for the new lineup.
Google Play was a necessity, end of story.
— Panos Panay, Amazon SVP of hardware and Alexa, speaking to The Verge
Panay also said he told the hardware team to start from zero. They were to reuse none of the components Amazon had used before. The project ran about two and a half years, according to The Verge’s account.
What the Google Play switch actually fixes
Read this as a long-overdue repair rather than a gift. Fire Tablets drew criticism for years over the Amazon Appstore’s thin selection and ad-supported lock screens. The software also steered buyers back into Amazon’s own services at every turn. Adding Google Play removes one of the main reasons buyers looked elsewhere.
It does not make these neutral Android tablets. The Verge reports that the software still arrives with a large set of preloaded Amazon apps, plus shortcuts into shopping and Prime Video. Alexa+, Amazon’s AI assistant, is built in across all three models. Buyers should expect the default home screen to keep pointing at Amazon’s ecosystem, even with the Play Store one tap away.
Pricing and Availability
All three tablets go on sale in the US on October 14, 2026. Only the 12 Pro has fully confirmed pricing at this point.
- Alexa Tablet 12 Pro: $499.99 for 8GB/128GB, $549.99 for the Nanomatte 8GB/128GB version, and $679.99 for 16GB/256GB
- Alexa Tablet 11: reportedly starts at $329.99, per a report from IT之家. Amazon’s own pre-launch listing shows an 8GB/128GB configuration in Amethyst, with no price displayed yet
- Alexa Tablet 8: reportedly starts at $229.99 for 4GB/64GB, again per IT之家. Amazon lists it in Rosette with no price shown
Treat the 11 and 8 figures as unconfirmed until Amazon’s listings go live. The pre-launch pages currently carry a See options prompt instead of a price.
Specifications
The 12 Pro is the only model with a Dimensity-class chip and support for the stylus and keyboard. The two cheaper tablets share a lower-tier MediaTek platform. All three use an aluminum unibody design.
Alexa Tablet 12 Pro
- Display: 2800 x 1200, 120Hz, with an optional Nanomatte anti-glare etched-glass version
- Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 8400
- Memory and storage: 8GB/128GB or 16GB/256GB
- Battery: 9,000mAh
- Cameras: 12MP rear, 8MP front
- Accessories: external keyboard support and a stylus with 4,096 pressure levels
Alexa Tablet 11
- Display: 2560 x 1600
- Processor: MediaTek MT8189
- Memory and storage: 8GB/128GB per Amazon’s listing
- Color: Amethyst
Alexa Tablet 8
- Display: 8.7-inch panel at 1340 x 800
- Processor: MediaTek MT8189
- Memory and storage: 4GB/64GB
- Color: Rosette
The timing puts Amazon back into a tablet market where Apple is also expected to move shortly. Apple is reportedly planning a second October wave of Macs and a new iPad mini. Budget and mid-range tablet buyers face a crowded few weeks of choices.
