Amazon kicked off a round of new hardware at its Devices & Services event on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 10 a.m. in New York City. Based on the invite for the event, there was plenty of speculation around what Amazon would actually be announcing. We expected to see a new device in the Kindle Colorsoft lineup, a relaunched Echo Studio, and a new Fire TV — but did any of those devices actually make their debut?
Amazon is currently gearing up for Prime Big Deal Days, the brand's October Prime Day event. But ahead of the holiday season, Amazon is refreshing its lineup. Here's everything we learned at Amazon's fall hardware event.
Color is coming to the Kindle Scribe
As we suspected, color is coming to the Kindle Scribe. Amazon says that 60 percent of Kindle sales are to brand-new customers, meaning that more and more are converting to the e-reader lifestyle.
The Kindle Scribe is getting a revamp — less than a year after its previous update. It's priced at $429.99, or $499.99 with front light. It's a lighter and thinner model with a new chip to make the device 40 percent faster — much needed since it was one of the slowest Kindles.
But the showstopper here is the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. It's designed as a notetaker, edging closer to a ReMarkable Paper Pro than an iPad. It features a new, more functional home screen and a new digital scratchpad called Quick Notes. Plus, it has a Kindle Workspace tool for PDFs, files, notes, and textbooks. All of these upgraded features come with the addition of the color e-ink currently found in the Kindle Colorsoft.
The big downer here is the price. The new Kindle Colorsoft is priced at $629.99, the most expensive Kindle yet, and almost $300 more than the cheapest iPad.
Updates to Ring devices
Ring, which was acquired by Amazon in 2018, is going back to its roots as founder Jamie Siminoff is rejoining the team to lead the brand's next chapter. The presentation was focused on families and neighborhoods, as Siminoff said this is “a new era in neighborhood security, and a new era for Ring.”
Ring is introducing Retinal Vision, providing improved video quality, which, paired with Ring's new "Familiar Faces" feature, identifies your friends, family, and neighbors to announce their name in notifications when they're approaching the door. Plus, Alexa+ is joining the Ring party with Alexa+ Greetings, an intelligent doorbell that provides information on how to greet guests at the door.
Both Familiar Faces and Alexa+ Greetings will be available on the 2K and 4K cameras starting in December.
Plus, Ring introduced Search Party, a feature that's centered around the brand's dedication to the neighborhood and a tool for finding lost pets. Using multiple cameras throughout the neighborhood, Ring cameras can work together to identify a lost dog and help get it home.
Two new Blink cameras are coming
Amy Wiedemann, the Head of Marketing for Home Security, took to the stage to introduce two new cameras. The Blink Mini 2K+ ($49.99) and Blink Outdoor 2K+ ($80.99) have crystal-clear audio and two-way communcation as well as improved picture quality and long-lasting battery.
Another camera is coming, too: the Blink Arc, priced at $99.99. It has two cameras, providing 180 degrees of coverage, and stitches two high-resolution video feeds into a single seamless view. The camera aims to have no more blind spots and can be mounted in corners.
All three cameras are available for preorder today.
A refreshed line of Amazon Fire TVs
As expected, a new lineup of Amazon TVs is coming and available for preorder today. The new collection includes a Fire TV 4 series, Fire TV Omni QLED series, and Fire TV 2 series. The Fire TV Omni QLED starts at $497.99 for a 50-inch model and brightness that adjusts based on the room.
The Fire TV 4 series will feature 43-, 50-, and 55-inch models and start at $329.99. The 2 series will feature a 32- and 40-inch model and start at $259.99.
In addition to the new TVs, Amazon is offering a new Fire TV 4K Select Streaming Stick, priced at $39.99, which it claims will be the fastest 4K streaming stick under $40.
All of the new Fire TVs — and Echos, but we'll get to those later — will be powered by Amazon's new Vega OS.
The new Echo devices are built for Alexa+
With Amazon launching Alexa+ last year, it's no surprise that the new Echo devices are built for it. The new Echos include the Echo Studio ($219.99), Echo Dot Max ($99.99), Echo Show 8 ($179.99), and Echo Show 11 ($219.99).
All of the new Echos feature a new 3D knit fabric with no imperfections. The speakers are now powered by two new chips, the AZ3 and AZ3 Pro. All of the new devices are available for preorder today.
The Echo Studio will be the most advanced and best-sounding Echo ever, according to Amazon with three full-range drivers, a custom woofer to maximize bass, spatial audio, and Dolby Atmos.
Amazon is investing in Alexa+
The through line with most of Amazon's new devices is the incorporation of Alexa+, available on every product. It's designed to be "Ambient AI," a screen-free technology, so you can stay present.
The Alexa Home Theater is also coming, which uses a combination of Echo speakers to create a surround sound experience. This feature will be included on all of the Echo devices announced today.
