Amazon is ending the production of its budget-friendly Fire tablet line to launch a new premium series designed to compete directly with Apple’s iPad, pivoting away from a hardware-at-cost strategy as component prices rise, CNBC reported.
The shift brings an end to the high-volume, low-margin model that defined Amazon’s device division for years. Eric Saarnio, Amazon’s head of devices, told TechRadar that the company sold millions of Fire tablets as loss-leaders intended to draw shoppers into the Amazon ecosystem. Under current leadership, however, the company is raising prices and introducing premium hardware to target higher profit margins amid historical increases in memory chip costs.
Amazon Replaces Loss-Leaders With Premium Hardware
The new lineup features three models: the Alexa Tablet 8, Alexa Tablet 11, and the 12-inch Alexa Tablet 12 Pro. In the United States, prices range from $230 to $550, according to CNBC. Engadget reported that the 12 Pro starts at $499, or $549 for a version featuring 16GB of RAM and an anti-reflective Nanomatte screen developed by Corning. Accessories include a Pro Keyboard priced at $149 and a Pro Pen at $90.
In the United Kingdom, T3 and What Hi-Fi? reported that prices start at £449.99 for the 12 Pro, or £499.99 with the Nanomatte display. The Alexa Tablet 11 is priced at £289.99, and the Alexa Tablet 8 is priced at £199.99. Pre-orders opened on a Thursday, with shipments scheduled to begin on October 14 in the United States and October 19 in the United Kingdom.
While the hardware enters a higher price bracket, Amazon has confirmed it will no longer manufacture new Fire tablets, including child-specific editions, though existing devices will continue to receive support. Panos Panay, head of devices and Alexa, acknowledged to Engadget that creating a premium tablet at an affordable price without compromises was “quite demanding” due to industry-wide component cost pressures.
Software Integration and the New Alexa Subscription Model
Unlike earlier Fire tablets that ran Fire OS and Amazon’s limited app store—a constraint What Hi-Fi? noted as a primary weakness—all Alexa Tablet models run Google’s Android operating system with access to the Google Play Store. To monetize the platform beyond hardware sales, Amazon has embedded its new Alexa+ assistant directly into the system.
Alexa+ features “On-Screen Intelligence,” a tool that, with user permission, reads on-screen content to facilitate direct purchases. Panay demonstrated this feature to CNBC by showing how the assistant can scan a TikTok video of a barbecue and generate a shopping list with immediate checkout options for items featured in the video. Engadget noted that this functionality introduces immediate purchasing prompts directly at the assistant level.
Access to Alexa+ costs $19.99 per month for users who do not subscribe to Amazon Prime. TechRadar reported that the exact behavior of Alexa features on the tablet without an active subscription remains unclear. Panay also told Engadget that every model includes a Kindle reading mode, which directly challenges Amazon's standalone Kindle hardware division.
Alexa Tablet pre-orders open with October delivery dates
Pre-orders for the new Alexa Tablet series opened on Thursday following the official product announcements. U.S. customers will receive their orders starting October 14, while buyers in the United Kingdom can expect deliveries beginning October 19, according to regional tech media reports. The high-end 12 Pro model positions Amazon’s pricing structure closer to Apple’s iPad range, which spans from $449 to $1,199, while far exceeding the $155 price point of the outgoing Fire HD 10.
Frequently Asked Questions About the New Alexa Tablets
What operating system do the new Alexa Tablets use?
Unlike previous Fire devices that used Fire OS, the new Alexa Tablet lineup runs Google’s Android operating system and includes full access to the Google Play Store, according to reporting by What Hi-Fi?
How much does the Alexa+ subscription cost for non-Prime members?
The Alexa+ subscription is priced at $19.99 per month for anyone who does not have an active Amazon Prime membership, as detailed by CNBC.
Are the older Fire tablets still supported by Amazon?
Amazon has stated that it will continue to provide support for existing Fire-branded devices, even though the company has stopped manufacturing new units across all sizes and child editions, CNBC reported.
What display options are available on the top-tier Pro model?
The 12-inch Alexa Tablet 12 Pro offers an optional anti-reflective Nanomatte screen developed by Corning, which is bundled with 16GB of RAM for $549 in the United States, according to Engadget.
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