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Received — 8 October 2026 ⏭

Amazon's new Alexa Tablets drop the Fire branding but are more Android than ever

✇Ars Technica
By: Ryan Whitwam
8 October 2026 at 12:32

For the last 15 years, you've been able to buy a Fire tablet from Amazon. Which Fire tablet? It doesn't matter—like Kindles, they have been pretty much the same year to year. The company's new tablet lineup is a big change, though. Amazon has dropped the Fire branding in favor of Alexa, and the new Alexa Tablets are now Google-certified Android devices.

Throughout the history of Fire Tablets, Amazon downplayed its use of Android. They ran Android apps from the company's Appstore platform, but there was no Google integration with "Fire OS." However, Amazon shut down its app store last year. The new Alexa Tablets run full-fledged Google-y versions of Android with the Play Store and all the apps you'd expect. This contrasts sharply with Amazon's Fire Sticks, which have abandoned Android for the custom Linux-based Vega OS.

The Alexa Tablet lineup consists of three devices, all redesigned with unibody aluminum housings. The Alexa Tablet 8 starts at $230, and the Tablet 11 jumps to $330. They run on the budget MediaTek 8189 processor, but that's still an upgrade from the last-gen Fire tablets. Both devices have 16:10 display ratios that are better for watching video, but the flagship tablet is a little different.

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Received — 1 October 2026 ⏭

10 early October Prime Day tech deals worth buying right now

✇PCWorld
1 October 2026 at 11:54

October Prime Day (officially known as “Prime Big Deal Days”) is coming next week! If you missed out on June’s Prime Day, this is your chance to snag a bunch of stuff on sale—hopefully stuff that’s already in your cart, waiting for you to pull the trigger.

Prime Big Deal Days runs Tuesday, October 6th to Wednesday, October 7th. But if you have cash to spend right now and you want to score some early deals ahead of the big event, here are some of the coolest tech deals I’ve spotted in the days leading up.

Deals at a glance

Ugreen 100W USB-C Cable (2-pack)

Ugreen 100W USB-C cable 2-pack deal

Ugreen

Now $8.99 (31% off)

Who is this for? These USB-C cables are built for anyone juggling multiple devices that charge via USB-C—so that’s pretty much everyone. Rated for up to 100W, these can fast-charge most non-gaming laptops, plus they’re handy for phones, tablets, and all your smaller gadgets.

Why is this deal good? At $8.99 for two cables, this is the best price we’ve seen in months, allowing you to stock up on cables and never worry again that you’ve grabbed an older, slower cable. What else costs you only $5 a pop and offers this much day-to-day utility?

Get the Ugreen USB-C cable 2-pack at Amazon

Baseus 45W Travel Power Bank

Baseus 45W Travel Power Bank

Baseus

Now $29.97 (25% off)

Who is this for? The compact Baseus 45W Travel Power Bank is the perfect portable charger for students, commuters, and anyone who goes on a lot of day trips. It measures 4.3 x 2.6 inches—slightly larger than a credit card—with a thickness of 1.2 inches, so you can easily slip it into a bag or pocket. With two built-in USB-C cables, you don’t have to carry any with you. It also has extra USB-C and USB-A ports, so you can charge up to 4 devices at once (though note the 45W power will get split between all used ports).

Why is this deal good? At $29.97, this Baseus power bank is back down to its lowest ever price. Between its 20,000mAh capacity, fast 45W charging, built-in cables, and compact size, you’re getting a ton of value at this price. The only things missing are wireless charging (rare) and laptop-capable charging speeds (much more expensive).

Get the Baseus 45W travel power bank at Amazon

Acemagic M5 Mini PC

AceMagic Mini M5 mini PC

AceMagic

Now $563.97 (37% off)

Who is this for? The Acemagic M5 mini PC is aimed at anyone who wants plenty of processing power in a tiny format. With an Intel Core 5 CPU, 24GB of RAM, and a sizeable 512GB SSD, this tiny machine can handle your daily workload easily—and it won’t choke on Windows 11. The RAM and storage are upgradeable too, meaning you can make it even more powerful in a few years (if hardware prices ever come down).

Why is this a good deal? Ahead of Prime Day, this $900 mini PC is a steal with the $250+ in discounts via promos that brings its price lower than you can see on the product page. The configuration is great and the fact that you can enjoy a triple display setup with such a tiny PC is amazing.

Get the Acemagic M5 at Amazon

AOC 16T20 Portable Monitor

AOC 16T20 Portable Monitor

AOC

Now $47.49 (32% off)

Who is this for? Literally anyone with a laptop or handheld gaming device. The AOC 16T20 is a 16-inch 1080p IPS display that can hook up via Mini HDMI or USB-C video. Use it to add a second screen to your laptop whether you’re working at a cafe or waiting out an airport layover, then watch Netflix on it or use it with your Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch to play on a bigger screen. It’s so versatile, it’s pretty much a must-have in 2026.

Why is this a good deal? A 16-inch 1080p portable monitor used to set you back nearly $100, and you can still pay way over that amount with a brand like Asus. Even now, you’d normally expect to pay around $60 on sale. AOC is a budget brand but not a trash brand, and snagging a decent portable monitor for under $50 is a downright steal. It even comes with a smart cover that doubles as a stand. The only downside? Only a USB-C charging cable is included, no Mini HDMI or USB-C video cables.

Get the AOC 16T20 at Amazon

Anker 14-in-1 Docking Station

Anker Prime 14-Port Docking Station deal

Anker

Now $169.99 (37% off)

Who is this for? This Anker 14-in-1 dock is built for anyone who needs a single hub to manage multiple monitors, charge several devices at once, and move data fast. It looks sleek on any desk while providing an easy way to plug all your gear into your laptop even if you’re stuck with a single USB-C port. This dock features four USB-C ports, five USB-A ports, two HDMI 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, and an audio jack.

Why is this deal good? At $169.99, down from $269.99, you’re saving $100 on a premium dock that’ll transform your laptop workstation. The 160W total output across four simultaneous charging ports is a game-changer if you’re always juggling multiple wireless devices.

Get the Anker 14-in-1 docking station at Amazon

iRobot Roomba 115X

iRobot Roomba 115X

iRobot

Now $139.99 (56% off)

Who is this for? The iRobot Roomba 115X is a strong fit for anyone who wants a little bit of extra help keeping the floors in tip-top shape even when they’re busy. It has 15,000 Pa suction and a microfiber mop pad that tackles both dry debris and light floor smudges in one pass. Mop pads aren’t the best robotic mopping option out there, but better options would cost you about 10 times more.

Why is this deal good? This $180 discount slashes the price of this Roomba by more than half—an excellent budget-friendly price to pay for a vacuum and mop 2-in-1 helper. With four suction levels plus app and voice control, this early Prime Day deal is a smart buy.

Get the iRobot Roomba 115X at Amazon

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select

Fire TV Stick 4K Select

Amazon

Now $17.99 (64% off)

Who is this for? The Fire TV Stick 4K Select is a great pick for anyone who wants to upgrade a basic TV with streaming capabilities at a dirt-cheap price. It’s the cheapest 4K streaming stick in Amazon’s Fire TV lineup, granting access to the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ in glorious 4K. All you need is an HDMI port.

Why is this deal good? You’re getting all that for just $18! Given that Amazon recently bumped up the prices of all its Fire TV devices (citing the global RAM and storage shortage that’s impacting all consumer electronics), this is an immense deal.

Get the Fire TV Stick 4K Select at Amazon

Amazon Echo Show 11

Amazon Echo Show 11 smart display

Amazon

Now $149.99 (40% off)

Who is this for? The Echo Show 11 is a smart display that doubles as a smart home assistant. It plays music, streams video, browses the web, and serves as a digital photo frame when not in use. But it can also be a control panel for other Alexa-compatible devices, useful for tapping into security camera feeds, controlling thermostats, toggling lights, and more. Anyone with an inkling of smart home interest will find it helpful.

Why is this deal good? It’s pretty expensive at full price, but now that it’s $100 off, the Echo Show 11 is much closer to what it should be. At $149.99, it matches its previous lowest price (which came during June’s Prime Day), and that’s not a bad price at all for a music-playing, video-streaming, thermostat-controlling, photo-displaying hub of activity.

Get the Echo Show 11 at Amazon

Ring Battery Doorbell 2K

Ring Battery Doorbell 2K

Ring

Now $39.99 (60% off)

Who is this for? The Ring Battery Doorbell 2K is the latest in Ring’s line-up of battery-powered video doorbells, now offering crisp Retinal 2K video and up to 6x Enhanced Zoom. It’s ideal for renters and home owners who don’t want to faff around with wires—it mounts with screws, connects via Wi-Fi, and recharges via USB-C. Just pop it off every 1 to 3 months, charge for a few hours, then pop it back on.

Why is this deal good? The 60% discount is hard to pass up. It was hard to recommend at its original $99.99 price, but now that it’s only $39.99, it’s sitting at a brand-new all-time low price ahead of October Prime Day. Note that the Ring Battery Doorbell 2K Plus is also on sale, and that one has a detachable battery so you can recharge it without unmounting the entire doorbell, but it’ll also cost you more than double.

If you don’t mind spending a little more, you can even get this Ring Battery Doorbell 2K + Indoor Cam bundle for just $49.99, down from $149.99. One caveat here is that the Battery Doorbell comes in Speckled Gray while the Indoor Cam comes in Black for this bundle.

Get the Ring Battery Doorbell 2K at Amazon

Get the Battery Doorbell + Indoor Cam bundle at Amazon

Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet

Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet

Amazon

Now $72.99 (53% off)

Who is this for? The Amazon Fire HD 10 is the best budget-friendly tablet that won’t feel like a hunk of crap in your hands. The 10.1-inch screen is spacious with a crisp 1080p resolution, and between the octa-core CPU and 4GB of RAM, it actually feels responsive enough for basic use. Don’t get it if you’ll be doing heavy multitasking, playing intensive games, or taking lots of photos. It’s an entry-level tablet, so expect it to perform like one.

Why is this deal good? A good entry-level tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ or Lenovo Idea Tab 11 would cost you around $150. That’s about the base price of the Fire HD 10, but with this October Prime Day discount, you can grab it for nearly half that. At $72.99, it’s a no-brainer—and it’s even cheaper than the slower Fire HD 8’s current sale price of $79.99.

Get the Fire HD 10 tablet at Amazon

Received — 30 September 2026 ⏭

Amazon’s Fire HD 8 tablet just hit $79.99, its lowest price ever

✇PCWorld
30 September 2026 at 12:48

NEW LOWEST PRICE

Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet (newest model)

Tablets with a compact 8-inch display are especially appealing if all you want to do is read ebooks, watch videos, browse the web, and use simple apps while on the go. Compared to larger models, 8-inchers are easier to carry around and fit into tight bags and backpacks.

The Amazon Fire HD 8 (2024) is one of the best value picks in the 8-inch tablet category, and it just hit a new all-time best price: $79.99, which is 38% off its original $129.99 price tag. This is the special “early October Prime Day deal” price, and before this the lowest it ever got was $84.99. That means this is a real deal, one worth snagging if you need a budget tablet.

What the Amazon Fire HD 8 offers

The Amazon Fire HD 8 features an 8-inch 1280×800 screen. It weighs just 0.74 pounds, making it one of the lighter tablets in its class. It fits easily into most bags, making it ideal for travel or commuting.

Under the hood, a 6-core processor works alongside 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage for good day-to-day performance. With this hardware, the 2024 version of the Fire HD 8 loads apps and web pages more smoothly than past models. You’ll notice some lag under heavy loads, but it’s good enough to handle typical everyday tasks. Need more storage? You can expand it by up to 1TB with a microSD card.

At this price, don’t expect the display to blow you away. It’s fine for casual viewing of Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, or whatever else, but it won’t hold a candle in terms of color depth or contrast when compared to modern monitors or TVs. If you’re a cinephile and demand utmost picture quality, you’ll need to pay up a lot more for a tablet with a better screen.

The 2024 Fire HD 8 promises a battery life of up to 13 hours of real-world, everyday use. Other features include Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band Wi-Fi, a USB-C port, and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Alexa is also built-in, so you can set reminders, control smart home devices, or retrieve information via voice commands.

Note: The Fire HD 8 runs on Amazon’s own Fire OS. Apps are installed via the Amazon Appstore, and the Google Play Store is not officially supported. If you intend to run specific Android apps, you should make sure they’re available on the Appstore (or learn how to sideload the Play Store on the Fire HD 8) before buying this tablet.

Also note: This deal is for the ad-supported version of the Fire HD 8, meaning you’ll see ads on the lock screen and in sleep mode.

Why this deal is worth it

The new all-time lowest price is what makes this Fire HD 8 deal worthwhile. For $79.99, you get a 2024-generation tablet with great battery life and good daily performance. With a 4.5-star rating across 10,000+ reviews, it’s hard to deny that users generally like what they’re getting.

However, there are some criticisms regarding the tablet’s speed—it’s good enough, but lags behind what you’ll find in Samsung or Apple tablets. The display is also lackluster. But the biggest weakness? The camera. You probably shouldn’t get the Fire HD 8 if you’ll be taking lots of photos.

The 2024 Fire HD 8 is for users who just want an affordable tablet. Anyone with high expectations regarding performance, display quality, or app selection will be better off with something from Samsung or Apple.

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