Amazon launches Alexa Tablets in three sizes with Alexa+ built in, from $229

Three sizes, one aluminum design

Each of the new tablets uses an aluminum unibody construction, a high-resolution display and what Amazon calls a powerful processor. The tablets run Android and offer access to the full Google Play Store, including apps such as YouTube, Netflix, Gmail and Google Docs. Amazon's own apps are also built in: Prime Video, Kindle, Audible, Amazon Music, Amazon Quick and Amazon Luna.

The Alexa Tablet 12 Pro is described by Amazon as the most advanced tablet it has built. It is stamped from a single piece of aluminum and measures 6.5mm thin. It has a 12-inch, 280 PPI display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 3:2 aspect ratio. It is powered by a 4nm 8-core chip with up to 16GB of RAM, and Amazon says it delivers nearly three times faster processing and nine times faster graphics than any tablet it has shipped before. The company lists quad Dolby Atmos speakers, Wi-Fi 6E and 16 hours of video playback.

The Alexa Tablet 11 has an 11-inch 2.5K display at 276 pixels per inch, 90Hz scrolling and a 16:10 aspect ratio. It has an 8-core processor with 8GB of RAM, dual Dolby Atmos speakers and up to 15 hours of video playback. It comes in Graphite, Amethyst and Matcha.

The Alexa Tablet 8 is the most portable model, with an 8.7-inch display, a weight of 329g and a thickness of 7.95mm. It has an 8-core processor, Wi-Fi 6 and up to 14 hours of video playback, and is offered in Graphite, Rosette and Teal.

Nanomatte display, Pro Pen and Pro Keyboard

The 12 Pro is available with a standard display or a Nanomatte anti-glare display. Amazon says it worked with Corning on a photolithography process that etches a pixel-aligned texture into the glass at the sub-pixel level. The company contrasts this with conventional matte screens, which it says sandblast the surface and scatter light unevenly. The Nanomatte display is unique to the 12 Pro, according to Amazon.

Two accessories are designed exclusively for the 12 Pro. The Pro Pen is a USI 2.0 active pen with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, tilt detection, magnetic docking and wireless charging. The Pro Keyboard attaches magnetically with no Bluetooth pairing. Amazon says users can run multiple windows side by side, for example email, Slack and AI coding apps, and switch between work and personal profiles.

The Kindle app also gets a dedicated mode. When a book is open, notifications go silent, blue light is reduced and battery life stretches up to 20 hours, according to Amazon. Three display themes are offered, and with the Pro Pen users can highlight, underline and write notes. Annotations sync across Kindle apps on pen-supported devices and on Kindle Scribe.

Alexa+ at the center

Users can say "Alexa" or tap the "Ask Alexa" button to call up the assistant without leaving what they are doing or opening an app. Amazon says Alexa can answer questions, suggest next steps and control a smart home.

A feature called On-Screen Intelligence lets Alexa look at what is on screen. Amazon gives the examples of asking which of several hikes is best while browsing trails, or asking Alexa to add every date on a game schedule to a calendar and flag conflicts. Live sessions allow a continuous, hands-free conversation with no wake word needed between questions. If On-Screen Intelligence is enabled, users can also share their screen so Alexa follows along as the context changes.

On privacy, Amazon says every On-Screen Intelligence feature is off by default and requires a deliberate opt-in. A visual indicator is always present when Alexa is active, and any feature can be disabled at any time.

The home screen includes a personalized For You feed that combines what a user has been watching, reading, listening to and playing, plus a new Dynamic Tab that surfaces content in progress, recommendations and suggestions.

Kids tablets and what it means

Amazon is also introducing new Amazon Kids Tablets. They come as ready-to-go bundles with a device, a kid-proof case and a year of Amazon Kids+, in 8.7-inch and 11-inch sizes. There are distinct versions for pre-K children (ages 3+) and for kids 6+.

For buyers, the lineup puts Alexa+ at the center of Amazon's tablet range while keeping access to the Google Play Store, a combination aimed at users who want both Amazon services and the wider Android app catalog. The source gives a starting price of $229 across the three sizes but does not detail individual model pricing or availability dates.