Amazon Plans Android-Powered Fire Tablet in Major Software Shift

Amazon.com is preparing its first Fire tablet that will run Google’s Android operating system, abandoning the Fire OS software it has used since the product line debuted in 2011, according to people familiar with the plans. Code-named “Kittyhawk,” the higher-end model is slated for release next year and would mark a strategic shift intended to address long-standing complaints from consumers and developers about limited app availability on Amazon’s forked version of Android. Sources say Amazon has discussed pricing the new device at about $400—nearly double the $230 cost of its current top-tier Fire Max 11—suggesting the company aims to compete more directly with Apple’s iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab ranges. The Seattle-based retailer is also exploring lower-priced tablets that would continue to use its in-house Vega software, but ultimately plans to transition the broader lineup to Android. The move comes as Amazon, the world’s fourth-largest tablet vendor, held an 8% share of global shipments in the second quarter, trailing Apple, Samsung and Lenovo, IDC data show. By adopting the open-source version of Android, Amazon hopes to widen the catalog of compatible apps and strengthen the Fire brand’s appeal without relying on Google’s direct support. The company declined to comment on what it termed market speculation.