This week, Amazon unveiled a new lineup of Alexa Tablets. They no longer run a proprietary OS with a custom App Store, and instead embrace Android with a stock feel – while offering the Play Store. It’s a big shift in direction for Amazon. The tablets also look quite beautiful, while previous Fire tablets have felt cheap. I think these have the opportunity to do quite well.
First and foremost, I want to make it quite clear that I’m not saying the iPad is doomed or anything remotely close to that. However, I do think the Alexa Tablet serves as a real form of iPad competition, which the iPad has generally lacked.
Amazon is putting a lot of care into these tablets that other Android manufacturers haven’t, and while these tablets come in at lower price points – they certainly punch above their weight class.
There are three Alexa Tablets to start off the lineup: an 8.7” model at $229, an 11” model at $329, and a 12” Pro model at $499. To me, the one in the middle is the most interesting.
It offers 8GB of RAM, a 90Hz display, a thin design, and a similarly sharp display. That compares to the budget iPad, which comes in $120 higher with less RAM, a lesser display, and a thicker design. Granted, the iPad has the A16 chip, which probably feels much faster than the MediaTek chip powering it. The iPad also starts at 128GB, compared to the 64GB on the Alexa Tablet. Once you upgrade the Alexa Tablet to 128GB, there’s only a $70 difference.
Hardware wise, the Alexa Tablets seem pretty competent. Obviously, Android on tablets isn’t going to be quite perfect, but given its tie in with Alexa and the fact that the tablet is priced quite well, I could see a lot of people wanting to buy these, even if they potentially would’ve considered iPads. Of course, one strong suit from Amazon is the Kindle experience, and these Alexa Tablets offer a reader mode that cuts blue light.
If it’s a tablet running Android, it’s not competition for the iPad. The developer support still just isn’t there.
I’m personally excited to try one of these out and truly put it to the test. Right now, Amazon also offers 20% off with any trade-in, making it an even better deal.
What do you think of these new Alexa Tablets? Would you consider getting one of these for a friend or family member during the holiday season? Sound off in the comments.
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Michael is a 9to5Mac Reporter, leading all of our Apple news coverage on weekends and reviewing the newest Apple products and accessories. He got started in the world of Apple news during the pandemic, and it became a growing hobby. He’s also an indie iOS developer, and started the weekly Indie App Spotlight series, which has covered hundreds of blooming new apps since it launched. In his free time, he enjoys shooting street photography around New York City on his Sony A7RV.
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