Amazon replaces Fire tablets

Amazon announced today it is completely replacing its Fire tablet line with a new family of Alexa tablets. The eight-inch and eleven-inch models remain fairly comparable to previous Fire HD models.

Twelve-inch Pro model starts at $499

The new Amazon Alexa Tablet twelve Pro starts at four hundred ninety-nine dollars, with a premium variant at five hundred forty-nine dollars. It aims to compete with the iPad Pro.

Premium model specs and features

The five hundred forty-nine dollar version includes sixteen gigabytes of RAM and a texturized nanomatte display. It has a four-nanometer eight-core MediaTek Dimensity eight thousand four hundred processor.

Display and audio capabilities

The tablet refreshes at up to one hundred twenty hertz, has a three to two aspect ratio and two hundred eighty pixels per inch density. Four speakers with Dolby Atmos support provide surround sound-like experience.

Battery life and Alexa integration

The Alexa Tablet twelve Pro promises sixteen-hour battery life. Alexa is deeply integrated into the tablet's interface throughout the entire operating system.

Panos Panay on the redesign

Panos Panay, Amazon's head of devices, Alexa and Leo, said millions of Fire tablets have been sold. The Alexa tablets are the result of two point five years of work.

Three design priorities

Panay said Amazon focused on all the apps users want via Google Play Store for the first time, Alexa intertwined throughout the entire operating system, and a redesigned hardware experience.

The one thing: reinventing the screen

Panay said his philosophy is asking what is the one thing that should not be compromised on. For the Alexa tablet, the one thing was reinventing the screen, no matter what.

“the one thing on this product was we were going to go reinvent the screen. No matter what.”

Nanomatte display reduces glare

The nanomatte display is reminiscent of the nano texture Apple brought to iPad Pro starting with the M four generation in two thousand twenty-four. Both options effectively reduce glare and are striking in person.

Kindle Mode differentiates Amazon

Kindle Mode is available across the entire Amazon Alexa tablet lineup. It is a focused fullscreen reading environment that mutes notifications, reduces blue light and extends battery life to twenty hours of reading.

Customizable color schemes in Kindle Mode

Users can tweak the software to default to one of three color schemes: Ink Paper for grayscale, Color Paper for muted newspaper comic effect, and Standard for glossy magazine-like pages.

Panay on challenging Kindle business

Panay acknowledged that creating an Alexa tablet that does incredible Kindle work could challenge Amazon's own Kindle business. He said it is rad for the customer.

“You could argue that I'm challenging my own Kindle business by creating an Alexa tablet that does incredible Kindle work.”

Google Play Store and Alexa+ integration

The Alexa tablets allow access to the entire ecosystem of Android apps via Google Play Store, unlike previous Fire tablets that used FireOS. Alexa+ integrations include a Dynamic Tab and systemwide gesture controls.

Alexa detects screen content

Dragging from the bottom right corner triggers Alexa plus to detect what is on screen. A glowing blue halo appears and suggests relevant questions like summarizing pages or shopping on Amazon.

Build quality and accessories

The tablet has an aluminum unibody that feels smooth and sturdy with no flex. The optional Pro Pen costs ninety dollars and the Pro Keyboard costs one hundred forty-nine dollars.

Limited color options for twelve-inch model

The Alexa Tablet twelve Pro only comes in graphite, while smaller models are available in Teal, Matcha, Amethyst and Rosette. At four hundred ninety-nine to five hundred forty-nine dollars, it remains a compelling package.