Amazon unveils Alexa tablets with Google Play and Alexa+ from $229.99

Amazon announced a new Alexa tablet lineup that moves from Fire OS to Android and adds access to Google Play. It includes the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, Alexa Tablet 11 and Alexa Tablet 8.

Prices start at $229.99, and orders opened today. Shipping begins October 14 in the United States, Canada and Mexico, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain on October 19.

All three tablets include Alexa+, which can answer questions and control smart-home devices by voice or touch. On-Screen Intelligence access to displayed content is disabled by default and shows a visual indicator when enabled.

Alexa Tablet 12 Pro specifications and pricing

The flagship model starts at $499.99 with a 12-inch display supporting refresh rates up to 120Hz, a MediaTek Dimensity 8400 chip, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Its 6.5mm aluminum body includes Wi-Fi 6E and four Dolby Atmos speakers; Amazon claims up to 16 hours of video playback.

A $549.99 version adds a Nanomatte display made with precision-etched Corning glass. Amazon is also selling a $149.99 keyboard and an $89.99 pen for the tablet. Both attach magnetically; the pen supports pressure sensitivity and wireless charging.

Smaller models and reading mode

The Alexa Tablet 11 starts at $329.99 with an 11-inch 2.5K display running at 90Hz, 8GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. A 128GB version costs $379.99. The Alexa Tablet 8 has an 8.7-inch display, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage for $229.99.

A Kindle reading mode silences notifications and reduces blue-light output. Amazon quotes up to 20 hours of reading for the 11-inch and Pro models and up to 19 hours for the compact tablet.

Kids models and launch markets

Amazon also announced Kids tablets with 8.7-inch and 11-inch displays, starting at $229.99 and $329.99. They include one year of Amazon Kids+, parent-managed Google Play access and cases that vary by age group.

Parents can set screen-time limits, filter content and monitor activity through the Parent Dashboard. The new AI-powered Storybuilder lets children create illustrated stories using their voices. The Kids models will also launch in Japan on October 14.