Amazon Killed the $60 Fire Tablet

The cheapest tablet in tech just got a funeral. Amazon has killed the Fire lineup — the $60 plastic workhorse that's been living in kitchen drawers since 2011 — and it's replacing it with aluminum "Alexa Tablets" that start at $230 and top out at $550.

Fourteen years of good-enough tablets, stacked in two hands — the replacements cost up to nine times more

Fourteen years of "good enough," stacked in two hands. The replacements cost up to nine times more.

The party trick is inside: after fifteen years of Fire OS jail, these things finally run real Android with the Google Play Store. YouTube, Gmail, everything Fire tablets never got.

The full Alexa Tablet lineup — 8, 11, and 12-inch models with aluminum bodies

Three sizes — 8, 11, and 12 inches. Aluminum, faster chips, and prices that now brush against the iPad.

The Alexa Tablet 12 Pro with keyboard case and stylus on a desk

The 12 Pro even takes a keyboard and stylus — former Surface boss Panos Panay's fingerprints are all over it.

And the cursive "alexa" etched on the back is the tell: this is an assistant-first lineup now. Alexa can watch your screen and shop for you mid-video, which is either the future or a cry for help.

The alexa script logo on the new tablet backs

The cursive "alexa" on the flagship's back says the quiet part out loud.

Amazon swears the price jump isn't about memory costs, which — sure. Existing Fire owners get four more years of support, then it's over. Preorders are open now; shipping starts October 14.

Watch the full 60-second breakdown: Amazon Killed the $60 Fire Tablet

Source: CNBC