Just as its leaving Android on its Fire TV sticks, Amazon is adopting Google's operating system for its newest generation of tablets, dousing its Fire OS — and moniker — after more than a decade.
At the same time, Amazon's new tablets now prominently feature Alexa+ as a persistent widget that lives in the lower righthand corner of the devices, to be summoned at a moment's notice.
In addition to receiving spoken or written queries, Alexa+ is also able to look at whatever is on the screen of the tablet, and act on your prompts.
For example, you might have a picture of a plant you've photographed on the screen; Alexa+ can look at the photo and tell you what it is.
The other really clever feature on the new Alexa tablets is a "Kindle Mode" — open the Kindle app, and the tablet will silence notifications and change the display to a more Kindle-like experience, muting the colors and making it seem closer to an actual e-reader.
Here's a rundown of the new tablets; there are five in all — three Amazon Alexa Tablets, and two Amazon Kids Tablets, aimed at younger audiences.
Amazon Alexa Tablets
Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro
The headlining model is the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro and its optional nanomatte display. Amazon said it worked with Corning to create a photolithography process that helps preserve color and contrast while cutting down on glare.
Looking at the nanomatte and glossy displays side by side, the latter did exhibit deeper blacks, though the nanomatte display was pretty close — and as you can tell by the photo, dramatically reduces the glare.
When using both my finger and the optional stylus, the nanomatte display also felt very comfortable and smooth.
The Tablet 12 Pro, like the other modes, is made out of aluminum, and has a much more premium feel than older Fire tablets. It's 6.5mm at its thinnest, and has a 12-inch, 280 PPI display (2800x1840) with a 120Hz refresh rate and a rated brightness of 500 nits. It has a 3:2 aspect ratio, which Amazon says is better suited for productivity work.
Inside is a 4nm 8-core chip with up to 16GB of RAM, along with Dolby Atmos speakers, and Wi-Fi 6E. Amazon says the Tablet 12 Pro will last up to 16 hours of video playback, which goes up to 20 hours when in Kindle mode.
One of the long edges of the tablet has a small indentation to magnetically attach the Amazon Alexa Tablet Pro Pen ($89.99, sold separately); on the other edge is a pin connector for the Amazon Alexa Tablet Pro Keyboard ($149.99).
The Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro will start at $499.99 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage; the nanomatte model starts at $549.99.
Amazon Alexa Tablet 11
Geared more for entertainment, the Amazon Alexa Tablet 11 has a 2.5K display (276 ppi, 2560x1600, 90Hz refresh rate) in a 16:10 aspect ratio, which the company says will be better if you want to kick back and watch a movie.
Like the 12-inch model, it has an aluminum unibody, but has an 8-core processor with 8GB of RAM, dual Dolby Atmos speakers, and will last up to 15 hours playing video.
Amazon Alexa Tablet 11 starts at $329.99 in Graphite, Amethyst, and Matcha, with 8GB RAM and 64GB storage; unlike the Tablet 12 Pro, there's no option for a nanomatte display.
Amazon Alexa Tablet 8
Last is the Amazon Alexa Tablet 8, which has an 8.7-inch 1340x800 display, and weighs 11.6 ounces. It has an 8-core processor, Wi-Fi 6 and will last up to 14 hours of video playback. It starts at $229.99 with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, and comes in three colors: Graphite, Rosette, and Teal.
Amazon Kids Tablets
Amazon is also relaunching its Kids Tablets in two sizes: 8.7 inches and 11 inches. Like earlier models, these too will come with protective bumper cases, which will be offered with designs from popular franchises like Paw Patrol and Barbie. The 8-inch tablet will last up to 14 hours on a charge when playing video, and the 11-inch will last up to 15 hours.
Like previous kids' tablets, these models will have the usual array of parental controls, from content restrictions to time limits to whitelisted web pages. Like the grown-up tablets, there's an Alexa+ button in the corner, but it's a more siloed, kid-friendly version.
The Amazon Kids Tablet 8 starts at $229.99 and Amazon Kids Tablet 11 starts at $329.99.
Outlook
All of the new Amazon tablets will be go on sale in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada on October 14, 2026, and will be available in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain on October 19.
Having held all of the new tablets, I can attest to their much-improved design, and the 12-inch model certainly felt responsive when I was swiping and using the stylus; we'll have to get one in our lab to see how it compares to the best Android tablets, but its matte display will surely be a differentiator.
Even though these tablets have Alexa+ as their go-to AI, because these are Android-based, you can also use Gemini as the default voice assistant, which makes for an interesting dichotomy.
These new tablets are also more expensive than previous versions; the Fire HD 8 tablet, for instance, only cost $129, while the kids' model was $179. This is partly a reflection on the current state of electronics as well as the fact that the new tablets use more durable materials, but the higher prices could give some parents pause.
Stay tuned for our full assessments of these devices; we hope to get them reviewed soon.
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