Amazon's 2026 device launches: Alexa Tablets, new Kindles, Fire TV Stick 4K, Ring Smart Lock and more

Notably absent: new Echo speakers or Echo Show displays. Amazon's big Echo refresh happened at its September 2025 event in New York, and this year's announcements were focused elsewhere.

Amazon Alexa Tablets: what's new?

The biggest change is a new brand. Amazon is effectively moving on from Fire tablets and the Fire OS app store: the new Amazon Alexa Tablets run Android with the full Google Play Store, so apps like YouTube, Gmail and Google Docs install normally alongside Prime Video, Kindle, Audible, Amazon Music, Amazon Quick and Amazon Luna.

All three models use an aluminum unibody and have Alexa+ built in. You can say "Alexa" or tap an "Ask Alexa" button, and Alexa appears over whatever you are doing.

How much does the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro cost, and what do you get?

Amazon says the 12 Pro delivers "nearly three times faster processing and nine times faster graphics than any tablet we've ever shipped." The optional Nanomatte display was developed with Corning, using a photolithography process to etch an anti-glare texture into the glass at sub-pixel level, rather than sandblasting it as conventional matte screens do.

The 12 Pro also gets two accessories: the Pro Pen ($89.99), a USI 2.0 stylus with 4,096 pressure levels, tilt detection and wireless charging, and the Pro Keyboard ($149.99), which attaches magnetically with no Bluetooth pairing.

What can Alexa+ do on the new tablets?

Two features stand out:

• On-Screen Intelligence: Alexa can read what is on screen and help in context. Amazon's examples include picking the best hike from a page you are browsing, or adding every date on a game schedule to your calendar. It is off by default and shows a visual indicator when Alexa can see the screen.
• Live sessions: a continuous, hands-free conversation with no wake word between questions. With On-Screen Intelligence enabled, you can share your screen during a live session.

There is also a Kindle "reading sanctuary" mode. Open a book in the Kindle app and notifications go silent, blue light is reduced, and Amazon claims up to 20 hours of reading.

Amazon Kids Tablets

The new Kids Tablets come as bundles: an 8.7-inch or 11-inch tablet, a kid-proof case and a year of Amazon Kids+. Pre-K versions (ages 3+) get a soft bumper case with characters such as Paw Patrol and Barbie, and versions for ages 6+ get a slim hard case with a kickstand.

The new Kindle lineup: what changed?

Amazon calls this a "completely redesigned Kindle family." Every model now has a flush-front display with no raised border, built on a new "reverse stack" display construction that Amazon says is a first for e-readers. The device colour now wraps from front to back.

Key points:

• The 6-inch Kindle is the most pocketable Kindle Amazon has made and opens books 30% faster than the previous model. For the first time it is also offered with an aluminum back.
• The Paperwhite is thinner and lighter, waterproof, and has an adjustable warm light. Amazon says it has the largest Paperwhite display yet and the highest contrast ratio.
• The Colorsoft gets a redesigned colour display with nitride LEDs and an oxide backplane for faster performance and higher contrast.
• Signature Editions add an aluminum housing, 32GB, auto-adjusting light, double-tap page turns and pogo-pin dock charging.

New accessories include the Kindle Click Bluetooth page-turn remote ($34.99), a Page-Turn Cover with physical buttons ($79.99), a Charging Dock ($59.99) and covers from $39.99.

Amazon has not said whether the US prices above include lockscreen ads. Engadget reports that removing ads costs $20 extra on the base Kindle and Paperwhite.

Fire TV Stick 4K (2026): is it worth upgrading?

The new Fire TV Stick 4K costs $59.99 and runs Amazon's Vega OS with Alexa+ and the new Fire TV interface built in. Amazon claims it turns on faster, launches apps over 35% faster and starts content nearly 20% faster than a similarly priced 4K stick from "another leading brand."

Specs from Amazon: quad-core 1.7GHz processor, 8GB storage, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and support for HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and AV1. It can be powered from a TV's USB port using the included cable, which Amazon calls Direct Power.

Amazon has also simplified the line-up to three sticks: Fire TV Stick HD, Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max, plus the Fire TV Cube. The redesigned Fire TV Remote ($14.99 standalone) has a weighted, asymmetric shape and a metal home button, and a Fire TV Remote Plus with backlit buttons and "Alexa, find my remote" is due in early 2027.

One caveat for app-heavy users: Vega OS is not Android. Amazon says it has added more than 2,000 apps since the first Vega device, including Spotify, Xbox and VLC, but if you rely on niche sideloaded Android apps, check before you buy.

Ring's new cameras and smart lock

Ring announced five cameras:

• Outdoor Cam 4K Plus: battery, plug-in, hardwired, solar and Power over Ethernet versions
• Spotlight Cam 4K Plus: adds a 550-lumen spotlight
• Floodlight Cam 4K Plus: supports 24/7 recording
• Indoor Cam 4K: 115-degree field of view, dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and a physical privacy shutter
• Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam 2K: 360-degree pan and 175-degree tilt that follows motion, with a privacy shutter that disables camera and microphone

Amazon's newsroom does not list US prices for the cameras and directs buyers to their local Amazon site.

The Ring Smart Lock is Ring's first lock. Its headline feature is a built-in power dial: if the battery dies, you turn it a few times to recharge it by hand. It opens by fingerprint, backlit keypad, the Ring app or Alexa, stays connected via Amazon Sidewalk, and fits a standard single-cylinder deadbolt. It arrives in the US in early 2027 in black, silver and brass. Engadget reports a $249 price, which Amazon's own post does not state, and Amazon notes the lock has not yet received FCC authorization.

Bee Frontier and Bee Eclipse

Amazon also launched two personal AI devices from Bee, the startup it acquired in 2025. Bee Frontier ($74.99) is a wristband or clip-on wearable, and Bee Eclipse (from $99.99, coming soon) attaches magnetically to the back of a phone. Both summarise conversations into notes and to-dos and can connect to Alexa+. We cover them in detail in our separate Bee Frontier and Eclipse explainer.

Are the new Amazon devices available in India?

Not yet, based on Amazon's announcements. India is not among the launch countries for any of them:

• Alexa Tablets: US, Mexico, Canada, then UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
• Kindle: 19 countries including the US, UK, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt, but not India.
• Fire TV Stick 4K: 11 countries, with "additional countries following in late October." Amazon did not name them.
• Ring and Bee: no India availability announced.

Amazon often brings Kindle and Fire TV products to India later, but nothing has been confirmed. Prices in India will also differ from US prices once they are announced.

Which new Amazon device should you buy?

• You want a tablet that runs normal Android apps: the Alexa Tablet 11 at $329.99 is the sensible middle, with a 90Hz 2.5K screen and 8GB of RAM. Choose the 12 Pro only if you will use the pen and keyboard.
• You want a cheap, pocketable e-reader: the $149.99 Kindle. Its 30% faster book opening and flush display are real upgrades for most readers.
• You read in the bath or at night: the Paperwhite, for waterproofing, warm light and up to 12 weeks of battery.
• You read comics or cookbooks: the Colorsoft.
• You have an older Fire TV Stick that feels slow: the $59.99 Fire TV Stick 4K, especially if it is discounted.
• You are tired of carrying keys: wait for the Ring Smart Lock in early 2027, and check whether Amazon Sidewalk coverage reaches your home.

If you bought a Fire HD tablet, a 2024 Kindle or a Fire TV Stick 4K Max in the last year, there is no urgent reason to upgrade.

FAQ

Did Amazon hold a devices event in 2026?

Amazon did not hold a single fall launch event like its September 30, 2025 event in New York. Instead it announced products individually on its newsroom between September and October 2026.

What replaced Amazon Fire tablets?

Amazon Alexa Tablets: the Alexa Tablet 8, Alexa Tablet 11 and Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, which run Android with the Google Play Store and Alexa+ built in.

How much is the new Kindle?

The new 6-inch Kindle starts at $149.99. The aluminum-back version with 32GB costs $189.99.

When does the Alexa Tablet ship?

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

Did Amazon announce a new Echo in 2026?

No new Echo speakers or displays were part of this autumn's announcements. The most recent major Echo refresh was in September 2025.

When is the Ring Smart Lock coming out?

Early 2027, in the US only, in black, silver and brass finishes.

Are the new Amazon devices coming to India?

Amazon has not announced India availability for the new Alexa Tablets, Kindles, Fire TV Stick 4K, Ring devices or Bee.

Sources

• Amazon: Introducing all-new Amazon Alexa Tablets
• Amazon: Amazon introduces a completely redesigned Kindle family
• Amazon: Fire TV launches all-new, faster 4K stick and new remote design
• Amazon: Ring introduces four new 4K cameras and a pan-tilt indoor cam
• Amazon: Ring ends smart lock anxiety with a lock you can recharge by hand
• Amazon: Amazon introduces 2 new AI products from Bee
• Engadget: Everything Amazon has announced so far in October 2026
• Amazon Developer Community: Oct 12, 2026: New Alexa Tablets & Ring Devices

Featured image: Amazon. Source