Amazon unveils new Alexa tablets with Alexa+ and Google Play Store access
Amazon has unveiled three Android-based Alexa tablets with Alexa+ and access to the Google Play Store, marking a shift from its Fire OS tablets and Amazon’s own app store. The new line-up is intended to reach a wider audience by offering familiar apps such as YouTube, Netflix and Gmail alongside Amazon’s assistant.
The models are the 12-inch Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, starting at $499.99, the 11-inch Alexa Tablet 11, starting at $329.99, and the 8.7-inch Alexa Tablet 8, starting at $229.99. The Pro offers a 120Hz display, up to 16 hours of video playback and optional keyboard and pen accessories; all three include Alexa+ and a new Kindle reading experience, which can silence notifications and reduce blue light.
- Amazon’s new Alexa tablets run Android and include the Google Play Store.
- Three models start at $229.99, with the 12-inch Pro starting at $499.99.
- Alexa+ and a Kindle reading experience come built in.
New here? Start with this
Amazon Alexa is Amazon's voice assistant, found in the company's Echo speakers and other smart devices. Amazon has long sold tablets featuring Alexa, and has now released a new range with a significant change in how they operate.
Previously, Amazon's tablets ran on Fire OS and users could only download apps from Amazon's own app store. The new tablets run the Android operating system and include access to Google Play Store, the main app marketplace for Android devices. This allows users to download a broader selection of applications, including popular services like YouTube, Netflix and Gmail.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Amazon's decision reflects pragmatic customer-centricity and sound strategy. The company recognises that proprietary ecosystems fail when they restrict user choice, and by integrating Android with Google Play Store access whilst retaining Alexa as its distinctive offering, Amazon can finally compete effectively with iPad and other dominant tablets. Users have long demanded familiar apps like YouTube and Gmail; accommodating this reality rather than forcing them into a limited proprietary platform demonstrates mature product thinking and prioritises market competitiveness over ecosystem control.
The case against
This move represents strategic capitulation that weakens Amazon's long-term position. By surrendering to Android and Google's app ecosystem, Amazon loses platform control, forgoes potential app store revenue, and essentially concedes that it cannot build a compelling proprietary platform to rival Apple or Google. Rather than addressing the fundamental shortcomings of Fire OS, Amazon is outsourcing its operating system to Google whilst hoping Alexa differentiation alone justifies the hardware, ultimately strengthening Google's market dominance and raising serious questions about Amazon's ability to execute on platform ambitions beyond retail and cloud services.