Amazon drops Fire OS for Android in tablet revamp

Amazon has made the decision to integrate the Android OS instead of its restrictive Fire OS as it looks to develop a higher quality version of its Fire tablet as Google unveiled its Pixel 10 lineup.

Amazon is developing a higher-end Fire tablet that will, for the first time, run on the Android operating system, according to six people familiar with the matter. The effort, internally code-named “Kittyhawk,” could debut as early as next year.

Amazon will use the Android OS to revamp fire tablets

Fire tablets have long lacked access to the full range of apps available on Google’s Play Store, which discouraged developers as they’d have to build separate versions of their apps for Fire devices.

“Consumers have always expressed a concern about not having access to the latest Android versions, not having access to some of their apps because Amazon used their own store,” said Jitesh Ubrani, a researcher at IDC. “It’s meant more work for developers in this day and age of largely free apps or services.”

Despite these drawbacks, Amazon has sold millions of Fire tablets by pursuing a low-cost strategy. The devices have typically been priced near manufacturing cost. According to IDC, Amazon holds 8% of the global tablet market, just behind Lenovo at 8.2%. Apple and Samsung remain the leaders with 33.1% and 18.7% respectively.

The new Android-based Fire tablet would be a notable shift for Amazon, as it has historically avoided relying on third-party software. One version under discussion carries a price tag of about $400 which is nearly double the current top-end Fire Max 11 at $230. By comparison, Apple’s iPads range from $350 to $1,200.

Specific technical details about the device remain undisclosed.

Amazon’s Fire Phone was first launched in 2014. It failed to gain traction and was discontinued at a loss of $170M. But in recent years, the company has shown more openness to external technology. For example, it has integrated Anthropic’s Claude AI system into Alexa+ and other services.

The Kittyhawk project is expected to start with a premium model, while lower-cost Fire tablets will continue to use Amazon’s Linux-based Vega operating system in the near term. Over time, however, Amazon plans to shift the full lineup to Android.

Amazon declined to comment on the project, saying it does not respond to rumors or speculation. Insiders caution that Kittyhawk could still face delays or even cancellation due to financial or strategic concerns.

Google introduces Pixel 10 with expanded AI features

In related news, Alphabet’s Google unveiled its latest Pixel 10 smartphones and a suite of connected devices at its annual “Made by Google” event in New York.

The Pixel 10 lineup features new AI tools, including a “coach” in the camera app that guides users to take better photos and an assistant that surfaces contextually relevant information, such as displaying a flight confirmation email when a user calls an airline without requiring explicit input.

Pricing begins at $799 for the standard model and $1,799 for the foldable version, holding steady despite concerns about U.S. tariffs.

Google also introduced the Pixel Watch 4 and updated Pixel Buds 2a earbuds, while the higher-end Pixel Buds Pro 2 received only minor updates.

Although Android powers more than 80% of smartphones worldwide, Google’s Pixel brand remains a small player in the market. In the second quarter, it accounted for just 1.1% of global shipments, up slightly from 0.9% a year earlier, according to IDC. In its largest market, the United States, Pixel’s share slipped from 4.5% to 4.3%.

Industry observers have noted that Google’s hardware efforts are as much about showcasing Android’s potential as they are about direct competition with Apple. The company moved its event to the summer last year in an attempt to preempt Apple in promoting AI-enabled features on phones.

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