Amazon Devices And Services Event: All The Gadgets Announced

Amazon’s fall hardware event was a whirlwind of exciting announcements, showcasing the company’s continuous drive for innovation. While generative AI has taken the tech world by storm, Amazon has transformed its beloved Alexa into a versatile and conversational personal chatbot. In addition to this groundbreaking update, Amazon introduced an array of new hardware, ranging from Echo devices to advanced security cameras, Echo Frames, a 10-gigabit router, and more. Here’s a comprehensive overview of Amazon’s latest revelations:

Echo Show 8: Enhanced Display and Proximity Sensing

Amazon launched the new Echo Show 8, featuring noteworthy upgrades in display, camera, and microphones. One standout feature is proximity sensing, which adjusts the user interface based on your proximity to the device. For instance, the weather app demonstration showcased larger fonts when the user stood farther away, while finer details were added as they moved closer.

The Echo Show 8 boasts spatial audio capabilities, offering a more immersive sound experience. It features a centrally positioned camera, enhancing the natural feel of video calls. Upgraded audio reduces background noise, ensuring clearer communication. A faster processor and a built-in smart home hub further elevate its performance.

This latest Echo Show 8 is priced at $150 and available for pre-order, with an expected ship date in October.

Echo Frames: Slimmer, Better, and Stylish

Amazon has revamped its Echo Frames smart glasses, marking the first update in over two years. These wearables now feature an extended battery life of up to six hours during continuous media playback. More significantly, the new models are 15 percent slimmer, resembling regular glasses rather than bulky tech accessories.

The Echo Frames deliver a “redesigned audio experience,” offering balanced sound, enhanced clarity, and reduced distortion. Improved onboard speech processing enhances reliability in various environments. These frames come in seven new styles, including both standard glasses and sunglasses variants. Additionally, a more premium version, the “Carrera Smart Glasses,” is available.

The Echo Frames are priced at $270, while the Carrera Smart Glasses variant costs $390. Both are available for pre-order.

Eero Max 7: The Ultimate Router

Amazon introduces the Eero Max 7, a versatile device combining a router, range extender, and repeater. This powerhouse offers 10-gigabit Ethernet connections, delivering lightning-fast download speeds—think a 4K movie in 10 seconds or a 50 GB game in under a minute.

Supporting 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz radio bands, the Eero Max 7 reaches speeds of up to 4.3 Gbps for wireless connections and 9.4 Gbps for wired connections. Equipped with four Ethernet ports, it covers a substantial 2,500 square feet of wireless coverage. For those seeking more extensive coverage, these devices can be linked together to create a mesh network.

Priced at $600, the Eero Max 7 will be available soon and is open for pre-orders.

Alexa Gets Conversational with Generative AI

Generative AI has surged in popularity over the past year, rendering traditional personal assistants like Siri and Google Assistant somewhat outdated. Amazon addressed this issue by introducing a new Alexa chat feature that leverages generative AI, substantially enhancing its capabilities. Upon saying, “Alexa, let’s chat,” the assistant seamlessly transitions into a chatbot mode powered by a vast language model (LLM).

This transformative AI chat mode imbues Alexa with enhanced conversational prowess. Gone are the days of repetitive “Alexa” commands, as Alexa now recognizes ongoing conversations. Furthermore, if you enrol in Visual ID, starting a conversation becomes as simple as facing the screen of an Echo device with a camera. Alexa now adapts its tone and “emotion” based on context, accommodating pauses and hesitations for a more fluid dialogue. While Amazon showcased these advancements during its live presentation, there were a couple of instances where the assistant required presenter Dave Limp to repeat himself.

Amazon promises to propel Alexa even further in this direction with an upcoming speech-to-speech update. Amazon Senior VP Rohit Prasad unveiled, “We’re working on a new model, which we refer to as speech-to-speech.” This revolutionary model unifies tasks, eliminating the need to convert audio requests into text before generating a response or action. Such an approach promises a more immersive conversational experience.

Ring and Blink Security Cameras: Enhanced Surveillance

Amazon introduces the Ring Stick Up Cam Pro, a versatile indoor/outdoor camera boasting intelligent tracking features. With 3D motion detection and radar technology, this device delivers refined and accurate motion alerts. It monitors people’s movements within its field of view, tracking their paths and routes. You can pre-order it today.

Amazon’s Blink security camera division also presents several new accessories. The $50 Sync Module Pro extends the range of the Blink Outdoor 4, ensuring coverage across your entire property. Additionally, a $160 wireless floodlight mount enhances your yard’s security with motion-triggered LEDs. To maximize battery life, Amazon offers a battery extender for the Outdoor 4, potentially extending it to “up to four years.” All three accessories are available for pre-order and will begin shipping on October 17.

Echo Hub: Smart Home Central

Amazon introduces the Echo Hub, a dedicated device for managing your smart home ecosystem. Sporting an 8-inch display, it’s designed for wall mounting, with a stand accessory option. Echo Hub aims to revolutionize smart home panels, offering an affordable, easy-to-install alternative.

While it includes Alexa controls, it’s also compatible with major smart home protocols, including Matter and Thread, connecting over 140,000 smart home devices. The Echo Hub supports Wi-Fi by default and can connect to compatible ethernet routers via an optional USB-C cable. Equipped with infrared sensors, it recognizes nearby individuals and adjusts accordingly, even switching to a default clock mode when no one’s around.

With its attractive price tag of $180, the Echo Hub will be available later this year and is available for pre-order.

Fire TV Updates: Immersive Entertainment

Amazon introduces the Fire TV Soundbar, a Bluetooth-enabled audio device compatible with all Fire TV streaming products and TVs. Priced at $120, it’s available starting today.

The Fire TV 4K Max receives an incremental update, boosting processing power and Wi-Fi capabilities. With support for HDR, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Vision, this device delivers an immersive viewing experience. Available for pre-order at $60, it’s set to ship on September 27. Amazon also updates the standard 4K Fire TV Stick, enhancing processing power, 4K support, and Wi-Fi 6.

Fire TV devices introduce a new search experience, utilizing Amazon’s LLMs to create more natural, conversational on-device searches. Additionally, they offer a unified Continue Watching row, aggregating content from various providers, prioritizing recency for seamless content continuation.

Accessibility Updates: Enhanced Inclusivity

Amazon’s Echo devices will receive new accessibility features. The Eye Gaze on Alexa feature, compatible with the Fire Max 11 tablet, empowers individuals with mobility or speech disabilities to perform preset actions using only their line of sight. This feature will be available later this year.

Call Translation, a new feature for the Echo Show, transcribes calls with on-screen captions and offers translation into over 10 languages. This feature will soon be available on Echo Show devices for users in the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

Kids’ Devices with Generative AI Powers

Amazon extends the generative AI capabilities of Alexa to kids’ devices, ensuring a safeguarded version of the feature that protects children from inappropriate content. Alexa gracefully redirects kids back to age-appropriate conversations when necessary.

Additionally, Amazon introduces the Echo Pop Kids, a smart speaker for children available in two variants: Avengers and Disney Princess. Priced at $50, it’s available for pre-order and ships in October, complete with six months of the Amazon Kids+ subscription service.

Alexa Emergency Assist: A Lifeline at Your Command

Designed with seniors and individuals with disabilities in mind, Alexa Emergency Assist enables users to contact first responders by simply saying, “Alexa, call for help.” This feature connects users to dedicated, professionally trained agents, available 24/7.

Alexa Emergency Assist streamlines the process by saving users’ essential information, including home address, medications, allergies, and device details. Launching soon in the US, it’s priced at $6 per month or $59 annually.

Amazon’s fall hardware event was a testament to the company’s unwavering commitment to innovation and inclusivity, enhancing the lives of its users through cutting-edge technology.

Map View: Simplified Smart Home Management

Amazon introduces Map View, a feature simplifying the management of smart home devices. This feature enables users to view and control their devices using a digital floor plan.

Map View allows users to create an indoor map of their home using a smartphone, offering an alternative to the often cluttered Alexa app’s device list. It displays devices room by room, providing an intuitive overview of your setup. This opt-in feature will launch later this year in the US.