Amazon has announced a new range of tablets with its Alexa+ assistant built in and, notably, full access to the Google Play Store. The three models start at $229.99, with a 12-inch Pro version at $499.99.
Amazon has introduced a new lineup of tablets, called Amazon Alexa Tablets, that run Android and come with access to the full Google Play Store.
The company announced three models on October 8: the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, the Alexa Tablet 11 and the Alexa Tablet 8.
Google Play on an Amazon Tablet
Amazon said the tablets come with access to millions of apps through the Google Play Store, including YouTube, Netflix, Gmail and Google Docs, alongside Amazon’s own apps such as Prime Video, Kindle, Audible and Amazon Music.
All three have an aluminium unibody design, and Amazon’s Alexa+ assistant is built into each of them.
Prices
- Alexa Tablet 12 Pro: from $499.99, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (from $549.99 with the Nanomatte display)
- Alexa Tablet 11: from $329.99, with 8GB of RAM and 64GB of storage
- Alexa Tablet 8: from $229.99
The 12 Pro
Amazon describes the 12 Pro as the most advanced tablet it has built. It is 6.5mm thin, with a 12-inch display at 280 pixels per inch, a 120Hz refresh rate and a 3:2 aspect ratio.
It uses a 4-nanometre, eight-core chip with up to 16GB of RAM. Amazon claims nearly three times faster processing and nine times faster graphics than any tablet it has previously shipped, and 16 hours of video playback.
An optional Nanomatte display uses an anti-glare texture etched into the glass, which Amazon says it developed with Corning.
A Pro Pen with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and a magnetic Pro Keyboard are sold for the 12 Pro.
The Smaller Models
The Alexa Tablet 11 has an 11-inch 2.5K display with a 90Hz refresh rate, an eight-core processor, 8GB of RAM and up to 15 hours of video playback.
The Alexa Tablet 8 has an 8.7-inch display, weighs 329 grams and offers up to 14 hours of video playback.
What Alexa+ Does
Users can say “Alexa” or tap an on-screen button to bring up the assistant without leaving the app they are in.
A feature called On-Screen Intelligence lets Alexa look at what is on the screen and answer questions about it. Amazon says every On-Screen Intelligence feature is off by default and requires a deliberate opt-in, and that a visual indicator is shown whenever Alexa is active.
A Reading Mode
Opening a book in the Kindle app puts the tablet into a distraction-free mode in which notifications are silenced and blue light is reduced. Amazon says battery life in this mode stretches to up to 20 hours.
Amazon also announced new Kids Tablets in 8.7-inch and 11-inch sizes, sold with a case and a year of its Kids+ service.
Image: The Spheres at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle (file photo, 2018). Photo by Biodin via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.