Amazon might soon launch an iPad-rivaling Fire tablet powered by Android

• Amazon is reportedly working on a tablet that runs Android rather than Fire OS
• This could cost a lot more than current Fire tablet models, at around $400
• It might be the first of many Android-powered tablets

Amazon’s Fire tablets might not get as much attention as iPads and Samsung Galaxy Tabs, but they’re quietly quite successful products, and a rumored change could make them even more popular.

According to Reuters citing “six people familiar with the matter”, Amazon plans to release a new tablet next year, but this one will apparently be powered by Android rather than the Fire OS operating system used by all current Amazon tablets.

Fire OS itself is based on Android, but it’s so heavily customized and de-Googled as to be almost unidentifiable as an Android operating system – it even relies on a completely separate app store.

So moving to a less heavily altered version of Android would be a big shift, with the biggest advantage to buyers likely being that they’d be able to access the Google Play Store, meaning a wider availability of apps, and more certainty that the apps they have on their phone would also be available for their tech slate.

A pricier prospect

As well as a shift in operating system, this upcoming Fire tablet could also be a more premium device, with the report stating that it may cost around $400 (roughly £300 / AU$620). That would make it almost twice as expensive as the Amazon Fire Max 11, which is the top model in Amazon’s current selection.

$400 is still a fairly low price compared to some tablets, but it would put the slate more in line with the likes of the iPad 11-inch (2025), so it could have some serious competition.

Still, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as presumably this price rise would come with better hardware, which should help this tablet appeal to an audience that never would have considered an Amazon tablet before.

And the Reuters report suggests that this could be the first of many Android-powered tablets, some of which may well continue appealing to entry-level buyers. So hopefully there will soon be something for everyone – and without the limitations of Fire OS.

Still, the sources caution that there’s a chance this Android tablet project – which is said to be codenamed Kittyhawk – could still be delayed or canceled over “financial or other concerns”, so for now we can only hope this new tablet does launch.

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