Amazon’s Alexa Tablet 12 Pro Gets the Screen Right, but Not Everything Else
?s Alexa Tablet 12 Pro makes its display its clearest selling point: a 12-inch, high-resolution screen with a matte finish designed to cut glare and
Amazon’s Alexa Tablet 12 Pro makes its display its clearest selling point: a 12-inch, high-resolution screen with a matte finish designed to cut glare and make reading more comfortable. The new Android tablet also gives Amazon’s lineup access to Google’s Play Store, but its reviewer says the device still comes loaded with Amazon software users may not want.
The 12 Pro is part of a redesigned range that replaces Amazon’s Fire tablets. The lineup spans three screen sizes, starting at $229.99 for an 8-inch model; the Pro starts at $549.99 in the version reviewed. A higher-priced $679.99 configuration adds more memory and the Nanomatte display coating.
A screen built for reading
Amazon calls the surface treatment Nanomatte. Its etched finish is meant to reduce reflections and give the display a more paper-like quality. The panel measures 12 inches and has a resolution of 2,800 by 1,840 pixels.
That focus sets the Pro apart from a tablet pitched mainly as a portable entertainment screen. Amazon says its devices include a Kindle mode designed to block notifications while reading, with up to 20 hours of reading on one charge. The tablets also come with services such as Prime Video, Audible and Amazon Music.
The hardware has moved upmarket, too. Amazon describes the new models as aluminum-bodied devices, while Alexa+ is integrated into the software, including the home screen and hands-free sessions. The 12 Pro can also be paired with a keyboard and stylus, positioning it for work as well as media and books.
Android access, Amazon clutter
The switch to Android 16 and the Google Play Store addresses a longstanding limitation of Fire tablets, which used Amazon’s customized software and a narrower app catalog. Amazon says the new tablets are due to upgrade to Android 17 in early 2027 and receive at least four years of software updates.
Broader app access is a meaningful change. But the reviewer’s central reservation remains: Amazon’s own apps and services come bundled with the device, whether or not owners want them. The result is a more capable tablet than the company’s earlier budget-focused models, without a clean break from the ecosystem that defined them.
Amazon plans to stop shipping Fire tablets in the next month or two, while continuing support for four years after the final shipments. The new Alexa tablets, meanwhile, begin at $229.99.
Source: theverge.com
