Amazon just did what Google couldn’t do in 15 years: create a superb everyday Android tablet

With the introduction of Alexa tablets, Amazon has revamped its tablet strategy in one move. The retailer is ditching the Fire brand and going all-in on Alexa Plus integration, and it’s not just a rebrand: these tablets come with a new metal chassis, access to the Play Store, and, in the case of the Alexa 12 Pro tablet, an anti-glare display that could prove to be a major differentiator.

With this lineup, Amazon has finally cracked the code to something Google hasn’t been able to figure out for the past 15 years: how to make an Android tablet that everyday users actually want to buy.

Much of this depends on strategy; from the start, it felt like Google didn’t know what to do with tablets. I actually bought the Nexus 7 released in 2012, and it was great: the 7-inch size was ideal; ASUS (who built the hardware) did a good job in terms of design and build quality; it ran NVIDIA’s Tegra chipset; and it was affordable at $199.

The Samsung-made Nexus 10 followed shortly after, with a refresh of the Nexus 7 and the HTC Nexus 9. Then Google decided to make everything in-house and we got the Pixel C. It had a metal build and came with a keyboard, but the software was disappointing, and Google didn’t do itself any favors with the Pixel Slate, which was powered by ChromeOS.

Google then ignored tablets, and while the brand eventually managed to cobble together a decent tablet with the Pixel Tablet, we didn’t get a follow-up model, and the Pixel tablet has since been interrupted. All of this is to say that while Samsung’s Galaxy Tab line remains a compelling option, Amazon’s new Alexa tablets stand out, and if you want a great everyday Android tablet, Amazon might just be your best bet.

Amazon has been manufacturing tablets continuously for 15 years and has a well-defined strategy in this category. With Alexa tablets, there are three models with different screen sizes: the Alexa Tablet 8, the Alexa Tablet 11, and the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro.

All three models have an aluminum chassis and are available in bright colors; that in itself is a marked difference from Amazon’s previous tablet offerings, and Panos Panay’s influence on these designs is clearly evident. The design is sleek and the tablets look like the iPad – which doesn’t bother me at all.

The Alexa 8 and 11 tablets share the same 6nm MediaTek Kompanio 540, and although it’s an older chipset (it uses the older A78 and A55 cores), it gets the job done for mundane tasks like browsing and media streaming. The Tablet 12 Pro gets the 4nm Dimensity 8400 with newer Arm Cortex A725 cores, and it’s the best choice if you need a tablet with decent power.

Amazon has equipped the Alexa Tablet 8 with a 4,600 mAh battery and the Tablet 11 with a 6,500 mAh unit. While it’s smaller than what you get on Chinese phones like the Find X9 Pro and vivo X300 Pro, you should still get a comfortable day of use. Once again, the Tablet 12 Pro stands out with its 9,000 mAh battery and 27W PD charging (the other two are 18W).

Just like Google integrates Gemini into every product and service it offers, Amazon integrates Alexa Plus into these tablets. If anything, Alexa Plus might be a better option, as it generally does a good job with smart home integration, and a tablet is an ideal device for controlling various smart home products.

The biggest difference with the Alexa tablet is the inclusion of the Google Play Store; These tablets come with a standard installation of Android 16 out of the box and have full access to the Play Store. Previously, Amazon used a forked version of Android on its Fire tablets and offered its own app store in place of the Play Store. Fortunately, this isn’t a problem on newer models.

Running a stock version of Android makes the Alexa tablet even more appealing. I used the Fire tablet several years ago and remember being disappointed with the software; not having the Play Store was a big limitation. It’s good to see Amazon making amends in this area.

The Kindle ecosystem continues to be a heavy hitter, and while the Alexa tablet doesn’t have E-Ink panels (it uses regular LCD panels), it switches to monochrome mode when you open the Kindle app. This is designed to mimic the look and feel of a Kindle e-reader, and Amazon says notifications are turned off in this mode, with a battery lasting up to 20 hours.

While it may not be the same as reading on a Kindle, I still like devices with a dedicated reading mode; This is one of the reasons why I use Xiaomi tablets these days. Amazon also lets you customize the intensity of the monochrome effect or use a softer tone with color.

More than anything else, it’s the screen that ultimately defines a tablet. That’s why the tablet I’ve used the most over the past two years is the iPad Pro M4; its OLED tandem is beautiful and a pleasure to use. The other tablet I use often is the Huawei MatePad Pro Max, and that’s purely because of one feature: the PaperMatte screen. It’s a nano-textured coating that mimics the feel of paper, and it’s wonderful.

Amazon offers something similar on the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro. The tablet is available with an anti-glare Nanomatte panel, and if you’re considering one of these tablets, my recommendation would be to get the 12 Pro with a Nanomatte display – an anti-glare panel makes all the difference, especially if you’re using the tablet outdoors. Amazon also offers a stylus and keyboard with the 12 Pro tablet, and they look just fine if you want to take notes or get work done on the go.

Amazon has priced in too, with the Alexa Tablet 8 starting at just $229, the Tablet 11 at $329, and the Tablet 12 Pro at $499 and $549 with the Nanomatte display. Honestly, I’m ambivalent about Amazon’s tablet efforts, but the changes to the Alexa tablet show that Amazon cares about this category in a way Google never did. The introduction of the Play Store is a big deal in itself, and the new design combined with all the extras makes the Alexa Tablet a good choice if you need a new tablet.