Amazon has killed off its Fire tablets and replaced them with a new Alexa-branded slate, including the brand’s first true high-end tablet. I had a chance to try out the new tablets ahead of launch, and first impressions are good.
Amazon has been selling Fire tablets for years, and they’re very popular, Amazon says. I’m sure that’s the case, though I’d be surprised if anyone wanted a Fire tablet over an iPad or one of the best Android tablets out there. The selling point has always been the low price and frequent discounts during Prime Day and Black Friday.
Previous Fire tablets ran Android, but a forked version that forced users to abandon Google apps altogether and either sideload them or use only what was available in the humble Amazon App Store.
Nothing signals a change in the way Amazon thinks about tablets with the introduction of these Alexa tabs like all-new software. All three Alexa tablets have full access to Google Play, so all apps are available. If that were the only thing new, I’d be much more inclined to recommend these over any previous Fire device.
But there’s more to it than just more apps.
Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro
There’s an obvious flagship in the new tablet lineup, and it’s easily the most interesting tablet Amazon has ever made.
The aluminum-clad Alexa Tablet 12 Pro has more in common with iPads and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab lineup than the plastic Fire tablets, and considering it’s the most expensive Amazon has ever released, that’s a good thing.
The standout feature that impressed me the most during my hour with the device was the 3:2, 120Hz display.
While there is a standard glossy panel version of the tablet, it comes with a more interesting Nanomatte display – similar to the iPhone Duo’s internal screen. This screen features etched anti-glare technology that drastically reduces glare and reflections while trying to avoid ruining contrast.
The display choice is a perfect match for an Amazon as it is miles better for reading Kindle books than a traditional glossy panel. Text is very sharp, and although I didn’t use it in a room with a lot of glare, the panel did a fantastic job of reducing glare.
Amazon is promoting it as a really great tablet for Kindle fans, and there’s a whole new reading experience that tries to mirror the e-reader as best as possible.
Open a book, for example, and it will turn off notifications, introduce blue light filters, and reduce background processes to increase battery life to 20 hours. Kindle Scribe also includes features such as highlighting key passages, underlining text, taking notes, and annotating pages.
As the tablet’s name suggests, Alexa Plus is a big part of the experience, and Amazon has integrated the voice assistant deeply into the software.
There’s a new widget on the home screen that cycles through suggested content, while swiping in from the right lets Alexa see and interact with what’s on the screen. The example shown during the demo shows Alexa adding a bunch of dates from the running schedule to the calendar.
Since it now has a more productive operating system, the old Fire tablet has mostly been abandoned. The home screen represents a typical Android tablet user interface, although swiping to the left takes you to the area reserved for Amazon “content”.
Kindle books, Audible audiobooks, and more live here and are always within easy reach. The OS is simple but looks good and certainly has more depth than the old basic UI.
Like any good ‘Pro’ tablet worth its salt, there are a number of accessories available. There’s a keyboard that feels great to type on, and a pen that plugs into the top of the tablet for charging.
The specifications are also adequate: it has 8 or 16 GB of RAM, up to 256 GB of storage, and an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU chip. Amazon hasn’t confirmed which chip it is, though gaming performance has been consistently cited as a key selling point.
There are also some basic options
In addition to the Tablet Pro, there are also some standard models. There’s an 11-inch version, which comes in some stylish colors but lacks the smart screen technology, and a smaller 8-inch model.
I’ve only spent a short amount of time with these, and while they have the same software as the Pro and better hardware than the Fire Tablets, they didn’t really stand out. The 8-inch model has a particularly grainy display. There are also brand new Amazon Kids Tablets in 8.7-inch and 11-inch sizes, each with a child-resistant case and a yearly Kids+ subscription that includes age-appropriate apps, games, videos and books.
The Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro costs £449.99 for the glossy screen, and the Nanomatte starts at £499.99 in graphite with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. This is a surprisingly good price for a very complete product.
Accessories include the Amazon Alexa Tablet Pro Keyboard for £129.99, the Amazon Alexa Tablet Pro Pen for £79.99 and a range of screen protectors. There will be a few bundles available, it’s a much better value if you want the full set.
The Amazon Alexa Tablet starts at £11,289.99 in Graphite, Amethyst and Matcha with 8GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The Amazon Alexa Tablet 8 starts at £199.99 in Graphite, Rosette and Teal, with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
All new Amazon Alexa tablets are available for pre-order now and will start shipping on October 19th. Once we’ve tested all the new models, we’ll post a full review.
