Amazon's latest Alexa tablets will now offer full access to the Google Play Store, marking a major shift from the company's historically closed Android ecosystem.
Since launching the original Kindle Fire in 2011, Amazon tablets have run a forked version of Android with their own app store and ecosystem. The new Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, Alexa Tablet 11, and Alexa Tablet 8 still come preloaded with Kindle, Prime Video, Audible, Amazon Music, Amazon Quick, and Amazon Luna, but they also include the Google Play Store alongside the existing Amazon Appstore.
This change gives users access to millions of apps on Google Play rather than being limited to the smaller selection in the Amazon Appstore. It also means faster updates and bug fixes, since developers typically prioritize Google Play releases. The move brings Amazon's custom Android closer to how Samsung handles its own devices, offering more freedom to choose.
The new tablets will be available in the United States, Mexico, and Canada starting October 14, and in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain on October 19.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing