Amazon is finally releasing its Alexa smart assistant to mobile devices, or at least to its new Fire HD 8 tablet. With the latest version of Amazon Fire 8 having the same name as its predecessor, Fire HD 8, there are a few key differences, the biggest of which been the new lower price tag.
The new Fire HD 8 has a lower price as compared to its oredecessor, it comes with a price tag of £90 or $90, this converts to approximately AU$115. By comparison, the Apple iPad Mini 4 costs $400, £379 or AU$569. The devices also has the same 8-inch display with a resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels, but has twice the base storage (32 GB instead of 16 GB).
While the quad-core processor is a new chip, Amazon says that the real performance boost will come from a bump in RAM, 1GB to 1.5GB.
The new model is packed with a bigger battery that should stay for up to 12 hours on a single charge, according to Amazon.
The previous generation Fire HD 8 retailed at $150 (£130 or AU$215). That model came with just 8GB of storage while this new one includes 16GB. In addition, it has an expansion slot for adding microSD memory cards up to 200GB in capacity.
According to Daily Mail, Fire HD 8 may not have the highest-end features, but the new device costs only $90 and the most notable selling point is Alexa. The previous generation started at $150, sans Alexa.
Unfortunately, the Fire HD 8 does not boast Alexa just yet, but it is "coming soon." This spec will roll out through a software upgrade, but all known at this point is that it will be sometime in the following months. Amazon is yet to provide a more specific time frame, but it should give more details shortly.
Immediately Alexa become available, Fire HD 8 users will be able to tap into the power of Alexa and have the assistant to access the news, set reminders, call an Uber ride and even much more. Considering the Fire HD 8 is mainly designed as an entertainment device, Alexa's job could revolve around that.
To activate Alexa, users will have to press a virtual button (with the Echo you simply have to say her name -- so long as they are connected to the Internet). It will be possible to use voice commands to tell Alexa to play music, read audiobooks, launch games, deliver weather reports and more, CNET reported.
It is also worth mentioning that Alexa will not only be available on the new Fire HD 8. She is also coming to the Fire HD 10, Fire and last year's Fire HD 8 tablets through a free over-the-air software update in the coming months.
"Alexa provides quick access to the entertainment you want, including games, music, audiobooks, and more," notes Amazon. "You can also ask Alexa questions, get news, check your calendar, find sports scores, and even control your smart home. All you have to do is press and ask. Alexa will be available via a free over-the-air software update in the coming months."
Amazon will also show cards with various details based on voice queries, which sounds pretty similar to how Google displays details in Google Now. If you ask Alexa about the weather, for example, the assistant will deliver a forecast and visually display the current weather state.
These new features mark the first time that Alexa hits mobile, as so far the assistant has been available on devices such as the Amazon Echo, Tap speakers, Echo Dot and the company's more recent Fire TV models, but not on any smartphones or tablets.
This will not be the very same Alexa experience as with the Echo speaker. While the Echo speaker is just listening and ready to take a command, the mobile experience will require users to push the tablet's home button to fire up Alexa. Nonetheless, it is still easy and convenient.
The new Amazon Fire HD 8 is now available for preorder at $89.99 only for the 16 GB version and just $119.99 for the 32 GB model, and will hit retail on Sept. 21.
Here is a video of of the new Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet: