Amazon drops Fire branding as Alexa Tablets move to Google-certified Android
The new tablets bring Play Store access and end Amazon’s push to keep them inside its own app ecosystem.
Amazon has replaced its Fire tablet line with new Alexa Tablets that are Google-certified Android devices with access to the Play Store, marking a sharper shift toward standard Android than the company used to allow. The lineup includes three redesigned models built in unibody aluminum, and Amazon says the Alexa Tablet 8 starts at $230 while the Tablet 11 starts at $330. Both of those models use the MediaTek 8189 chip and have 16:10 displays aimed at video viewing. The move matters because Amazon is no longer trying to keep these tablets on its own app ecosystem, after shutting down its app store last year.
Why it matters
For people buying Amazon tablets, the shift means these devices now follow standard Android rules instead of a closed Amazon-only app path. That broadens the software they can use and shows Amazon is no longer trying to keep this line tied to its own app store after shutting it down last year.
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Sources
- Ars Technica