Amazon launches premium Alexa Tablet 12 Pro to challenge iPad market
Amazon's new Alexa Tablet 12 Pro features an aluminum body, 12-inch 120 Hz display and full Android with Google Play, aiming to compete with Apple's iPad lineup at a price starting around $500.
Amazon is introducing a high-end tablet that departs from its low-cost Fire series. The Alexa Tablet 12 Pro sports an aluminum unibody, a 6.5 mm thin chassis and a 550-gram weight, giving it a premium feel comparable to the iPad Air. It offers a single graphite finish and a 11.95-inch IPS LCD panel with a 2800 × 1840 resolution, 3:2 aspect ratio and a 120 Hz refresh rate that exceeds the 60 Hz of the current iPad Air.
Under the hood, the device runs a MediaTek Dimensity 8400 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, with an optional 16 GB/256 GB configuration. Amazon claims the hardware delivers three times faster processing and nine times faster graphics than its previous tablets, though performance remains below Apple’s M-series chips and Samsung’s flagship tablets.
The tablet runs full Android 16 with Google Play services, moving away from Amazon’s proprietary Fire OS. Alexa integration is built into the OS, providing a dynamic home-screen tab, an "Ask Alexa" bar and an optional On-Screen Intelligence feature that can read and respond to on-screen content. The system also includes a Kindle Mode that silences notifications and offers reading-optimized display themes.
Connectivity includes a USB-C port, a fingerprint sensor on the power button and a magnetic attachment for the optional Pro Pen, which charges on the device. Amazon also offers a $149.99 Pro Keyboard with a trackpad that resembles Apple’s Magic Keyboard.
Battery life is rated for up to 16 hours of video playback, with a claimed 20-hour stretch in Kindle Mode. Charging supports 27 W USB-C input. Camera hardware consists of a 13-megapixel rear sensor with autofocus and an 8-megapixel front sensor, adequate for video calls and document scanning but not intended for high-quality photography.
Pricing starts at $500 for the base model, positioning the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro against the $449 base iPad and the $749 iPad Air. While it offers a more premium build and a higher refresh-rate display than many Android tablets, its performance and ecosystem remain less robust than Apple’s offerings. Amazon hopes the device will become the default Android tablet for users invested in its services, though competition from Apple and Samsung remains strong.