Amazon unveils premium Android tablets with Alexa+ as it moves beyond budget devices

Amazon has introduced a new range of Android tablets featuring its generative AI-powered Alexa+ assistant, marking a significant departure from its long-standing strategy of selling inexpensive Fire tablets.

Announced on October 8, the devices are designed to compete more directly with premium products from Apple and Samsung, offering improved hardware, broader application compatibility, and deeper integration with Amazon's artificial intelligence services.

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The new Alexa Tablet range includes several models priced between $230 and $550, substantially more expensive than Amazon's earlier Fire tablets.

Unlike previous Fire tablets, which used Amazon's heavily modified Fire OS software, the new devices run Android, providing access to a wider range of applications.

The change addresses a longstanding limitation of Amazon's tablets, whose restricted application ecosystem had frustrated some consumers and software developers.

The new range also features aluminium construction, replacing the plastic bodies commonly associated with Amazon's cheaper devices.

Amazon has placed Alexa+ at the centre of the experience, enabling users to interact with a generative AI assistant for information, shopping, connected-home management, and other tasks.

Access to the enhanced assistant requires an Amazon Prime membership or a separate Alexa+ subscription.

Some models will continue displaying advertisements on their lock screens, with users required to pay a one-off $20 fee to remove them. The highest-priced model will not carry those advertisements.
The launch comes during a difficult period for the tablet market.

According to research firm IDC, worldwide tablet shipments declined 12% year on year during the second quarter of 2026 to approximately 33.6 million units.

Amazon's global market share fell from 8% to 1.9% over the same period, while Apple and Samsung maintained significantly larger positions.

Apple accounted for approximately 34% of the global tablet market, followed by Samsung with 17.5%, according to IDC.

Amazon's move towards more expensive devices signals a broader strategy under its devices chief, Panos Panay, to prioritise product quality and advanced features over affordability.

The company previously focused on inexpensive tablets designed to encourage customers to use Amazon services, including Prime Video, Kindle, and its online shopping platform.