RIP, Amazon Fire tablets: 2011-2026
· Business Insider
EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images
Visit somethingsdifferent.biz for more information.
- Amazon is phasing out its Fire-branded tablets after 15 years.
- The company's new line of tablets has its Alexa+ voice assistant built in and likewise lean into Alexa branding.
- The new Alexa Tablets cost between $229.99 and $499.99 and run on Android.
Goodbye, Amazon Fire tablets. You lasted longer than the Fire Phone.
After 15 years, the e-commerce giant is discontinuing its Fire tablets and replacing the budget-friendly devices with a new line of pricier tablets that have its Alexa+ voice assistant built in.
An Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider that the company will continue to sell through its current inventory of Fire tablets, but is no longer manufacturing new units with that branding.
The new Amazon Alexa Tablets, which run on Google's Android operating system and come with access to the Google Play Store, are now available for purchase and will ship on October 14 in the US, Mexico, and Canada.
Amazon's new line of Alexa tablets.Amazon
Amazon's aluminum-cased Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, Alexa Tablet 11, and Alexa Tablet 8 run from $229.99 to $499.99.
"The Alexa Tablets are a new product line built for what's next — they don't change anything about the experience Fire tablet owners have today," the Amazon spokesperson said. "Fire tablets remain their own product — fully supported, with continued security updates. Customers who love their Fire tablets can keep using them."
It's not the first time Amazon has moved on from a Fire-branded device. Its Fire Phone was a high-profile flop that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos later called a "tiny little blip."
Read the original article on Business Insider