Alexa Tablet vs iPad: Amazon’s New Tablets Are Not Real iPad Competition, in My Opinion

Amazon has a new tablet line. Not a renamed Fire tablet, but a completely new series called Alexa Tablet. It drops Fire OS for full Android with the Google Play Store, it has Alexa+ built in, and for the first time, Amazon tablets actually look premium. 9to5Mac even wrote that they finally give the iPad “some much needed competition”.

Before I tell you what I think about that, here is exactly what Amazon is selling, and for how much.

In this article: Alexa Tablet: what you get and for how much · Alexa Tablet vs iPad: “real competition”? In my opinion, no · Just another Android tablet · Alexa+ that sees your screen · Cheaper because of ads on the lock screen · Seven Android upgrades? It is still Android · Who should buy the Alexa Tablet? · Will Apple cut iPad prices because of Amazon? · My Christmas advice · FAQ

Alexa Tablet: what you get and for how much

	Alexa Tablet 8	Alexa Tablet 11	Alexa Tablet 12 Pro
Starting price (US)	$229.99	$329.99	$499.99 ($549.99 Nanomatte)
Display	8.7-inch	11-inch, 2.5K, 90Hz	12-inch, 120Hz, 3:2
Chip	MediaTek	MediaTek	MediaTek Dimensity 8400
RAM / storage	4 or 8 GB / 64 GB	8 GB / 64 GB	8 GB / 128 GB
Battery	4,600 mAh	up to 15 h video	up to 16 h video, 27W
Extras	aluminum body, 329 g	Dolby Atmos speakers	Dolby Atmos, Wi-Fi 6E, Pro Pen, Pro Keyboard
Updates	3 OS updates, security to 2032	up to 7 Android upgrades	up to 7 Android upgrades

All three run Android with Google Play and have Alexa+ built in. You say “Alexa” or tap the “Ask Alexa” button, and a feature called On-Screen Intelligence can look at what is on your screen and help with it. When you open Kindle, the tablet silences notifications, cuts blue light and promises up to 20 hours of reading.

The starting prices are for versions with ads on the lock screen. Versions without lock screen ads cost more. Sales start on October 14 in the US, Canada and Mexico, and on October 19 in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

9to5Mac compares the Alexa Tablet 11 with the base iPad: the iPad costs $120 more, has less RAM, a lesser display and a thicker design, but it has the faster A16 chip and starts at 128 GB instead of 64 GB. With the same storage, the difference is only about $70.

Alexa Tablet vs iPad: “real competition”? In my opinion, no

In my opinion, 9to5Mac is exaggerating when it says this is real competition for the iPad. That is far too strong a claim. We know well that Samsung is much better than Amazon, and Samsung never became a real competitor to Apple. To me, this reads more like a PR piece for Amazon than a real comparison. I would not believe it.

If we judge only by specs, then every Chinese tablet would have to become an iPad competitor. It never happened, and in my opinion, it will not happen. Apple makes the best things and the best ecosystem. It does not just sell you an iPad. It sells you a truly optimized, fast gadget that we know we will have for years, and it will be almost as fast in two or three years. And we know how Android systems work.

Just another Android tablet

This is another Android tablet. I am 99 percent sure it will never become real competition for the iPad. I would even say it will never become competition for Samsung. In my opinion, it is just hype that somebody has to talk about, to do PR for Amazon. Nothing more.

Alexa+ that sees your screen

Nobody knows yet how it will work and what it will be good for. That it sees the screen, we do not know how well that feature will work. And when it is on Android, it can work once and then three times in a row do nothing. I am not hating on Android, but we all know it is not as good as we are used to on iOS, where every app from the App Store is optimized directly for our gadget. Unfortunately, with Android that will probably never happen. If it was going to happen, it would have happened already after so many years on the market. And after everything I wrote about AI agents this week, I am not in a hurry to let an AI look at my screen.

Cheaper because of ads on the lock screen

Here we see why I do not take this comparison seriously. How can something compete with the iPad when Amazon sells you a cheap device and wants to keep earning on it? You do not just pay for the tablet. From the first day, it earns on you, even if they tell you openly that it is cheaper because they show you ads on the lock screen and, in my opinion, collect data. That is really laughable. And comparing it with Apple, which would never allow itself that, not even in its cheaper segment? In my opinion, that is nonsense.

Seven Android upgrades? It is still Android

In my opinion, Amazon can support it even for 20 years. That changes nothing about it still being Android. The same system that, unfortunately, in my experience gets slower after a year, where apps freeze, and what is worse, the apps themselves are not as good on Android. Android will never reach an ecosystem like Apple has.

Who should buy the Alexa Tablet?

I do not know. Maybe for children up to 13 years old, because if they break it, at least it is not a big loss. Or for older people. But even there, there is one but. If you take the cheaper model, be careful that it will, in my opinion, collect data and show ads to you or your children. That is certainly not good. It is like they tell you straight from the box: we will watch what you do online, so we know what you like and which ads to show you.

Will Apple cut iPad prices because of Amazon?

No, for God’s sake. We are talking about Apple, which for years has sold both expensive and cheaper iPads as premium. When people buy one, they do not want to change it. It gives you certainty that it is fast and that the apps work as they should. I am not saying Amazon will not sell any. But in my opinion, it will sell poorly.

And would I choose the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro over an iPad Pro? That is not even a question. I will certainly buy an iPad instead of Amazon, and I am not talking only about the Pro. Any iPad, even the cheapest one, will be better than Amazon. That is also why I said I would rather buy an iPad Pro than the iPhone Duo.

My Christmas advice

Better a cheap iPad than an Amazon tablet that, in my opinion, works like a spy straight out of the box. That is my advice. And believe me, the cheapest iPad will be about 199 times better than the Amazon tablet.

Featured photo: an iPad, not an Alexa Tablet. Francois Hoang via Unsplash

Alexa Tablet vs iPad: FAQ

How much does the Amazon Alexa Tablet cost?

The Alexa Tablet 8 starts at $229.99, the Alexa Tablet 11 at $329.99 and the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro at $499.99, or $549.99 with the Nanomatte anti-glare display. Starting prices include lock screen ads; ad-free versions cost more.

Does the Alexa Tablet have Google Play?

Yes. The Alexa Tablets run Android instead of Fire OS and come with the Google Play Store.

When can I buy the Alexa Tablet?

From October 14, 2026, in the US, Canada and Mexico, and from October 19 in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

Alexa Tablet vs iPad: which is better?

The Alexa Tablet 11 has more RAM and a 90Hz display for less money, but the base iPad has the faster A16 chip, 128 GB of storage and the App Store ecosystem. In my opinion, even the cheapest iPad is the better buy.

What is Alexa+ on the Alexa Tablet?

Alexa+ is Amazon’s new AI assistant. On the tablets it can answer questions, control smart home devices and, with On-Screen Intelligence, help with what is on your screen.

Sources: Amazon, 9to5Mac, TechCrunch, Beebom, PhoneArena.

Our Take

Nice design and good specs do not make an iPad competitor. Samsung could not do it, and in my opinion, Amazon will not either.

A tablet that is cheaper because it shows you ads and, in my opinion, collects your data is not a bargain.

Buying a tablet for Christmas? Get the cheapest iPad.