Pricing from $230 to $500 sits below comparable Apple and Samsung tablets
Amazon introduced the new, higher-priced Alexa-branded tablets on Thursday, marking the company’s first tablets capable of running Google apps such as Gmail, Docs and YouTube alongside Amazon’s own built-in apps like Prime Video and Kindle.
The three tablets start at about $230, $330 and $500, respectively, Amazon said. The largest model, a 12-inch size dubbed the “pro,” is designed for entertainment as well as working and reading, according to the company.
The new prices sit below what Apple and Samsung charge for similar tablets but above those of Amazon’s existing, budget-friendly Fire lineup. An Amazon spokesperson said the company will continue to sell a limited supply of its current Fire tablet models alongside the new devices.
The new devices can run Google apps such as Gmail, Docs and YouTube — a feature absent from Amazon’s prior tablets — in addition to built-in Amazon apps such as Prime Video and Kindle.
Amazon said the new tablets will ship on Oct. 14 in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Distribution will expand to the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain on Oct. 19, the company said.