Rikka Altland
Amazon today is returning to the physical stage for its annual fall hardware
event. As the company tends to do every September, we'll be seeing a batch
of new devices across the likes of the Echo lineup, Fire TV catalog, and its
arsenal of Ring security devices - maybe even the reveal of a superpowered
Alexa running on more advanced AI.
What to expect from Amazon's September hardware event
Back for 2023, Amazon's September hardware event is going live this morning
with a first look at tons of new hardware. Past years have delivered some
absolutely packed showcases, and we're expecting to see much of the same
from today's. Taking to a physical stage for the first time in years, Amazon
is christening its new HQ2 campus in Arlington, Virginia, with today's
announcements.
Amazon's September hardware event will be kicking off at 11 a.m. EST, and
we'll be following along with all of the announcements.
Amazon has started off its event the way all tech companies do - playing a
hype montage showing off its products. The spotlight rests firming on Ring
cameras and the way that people use the company's various Echo devices.
SVP Dave Limp has now taken the stage. After overseeing the products and
services division of Amazon for over 10 years, he announced that this was
his final time taking the stage for a fall Amazon hardware event. Alexa is
sad, for its father is winding down his work on the voice assistant.
Meet the new Echo Show 8
Now, our first look at a new product! The new Echo Show 8 arrives with an
updated design to mark the next iteration of the screen-based Alexa
ecosystem. There's the usual flourishes of a camera and onboard microphones
too. It now arrives with a new spherical back, sporting a similar design to
that of the Echo and Echo Dot.
Spatial Audio support is onboard, with room calibration tech for good
measure - looks like someone has been copying HomePod's homework. There are
also some UI updates this time around that take a page out of the Echo Show
15's playbook of showing content based on your proximity to it. The new Echo
Show 8 also doubles as a smart home hub with Matter.
Echo Show 8 will retail for $149.99 and is up for pre-order today.
Shipping is then slated for next month.
Amazon devotes a lot of time to a more conversational Alexa
Now, we're moving on to updates for Alexa itself. Amazon is announcing today
that the company is going to be using cameras to detect body movements
during interactions. This is in hopes of offering a more conversational
experience that's a bit more homed in on the intention behind what a user
may be asking the assistant. Alexa also needs to have real-world
applications and do so while delivering a more personalized experience to
each user.
But none of that matters if Alexa doesn't also have a personality that
actually makes users want to ring up the assistant. Amazon is also taking
trust seriously, with Limp noting that the company is going to continue
iterating on privacy controls.
Now, we're getting a live demo from the new Alexa. We've got jokes,
confirmation that the assistant is a Seahawks fan, and a far more natural
experience than the old Alexa. The demonstration shows off how fluid these
new interactions will be, forgoing the need for a keyword as the
conversation progresses.
Alexa also sounds a bit robotic, but maybe that's just the onstage magic.
Next up on stage, we have the head scientist for Artificial General
Intelligence at Amazon - Rohit Prasad. He's going to break down what
happened in the background for the demo and explain the tech behind this new
Alexa experience.
One of the hallmarks of the updated Alexa experience is that there's no need
to keep saying the wake word over and over. There are now visual processing
and "acoustic models" that help detect if you're speaking to the device or
if you're just having a conversation with someone else in the room. He
continues on to give us a demo of the old Alexa versus the new iteration of
the assistant. The future is now, and it's far more eloquent and expressive
than before.
Prasad has just said the forbidden words - generative AI. So spooky. He
notes Amazon already used Alexa to bring deep learning to customers and is
now doing the same with the new artificial intelligence tech. The vice
president for Alexa, Heather Zorn, is now taking the stage to talk about
developer tools.
One of the upcoming partnerships on this front has Amazon working with BMW
to develop tools for you to interact with your ride. There's also a new
experience called Character AI, which will let you converse with different
characters, as well as a new AI music tool that allows you to change the
lyrics on songs.
The Alexa experience is also taking a more accessible route with a new
feature called Eye Gaze. This will let users control smart home gear or play
music with just their eyes - delivering a completely voice- and hands-free
experience. It'll be rolling out later this year as a free update. And
speaking of updates, Amazon has a new on-screen translation tool that
supports multiple languages.
Kids take the spotlight with updated Echo Pop and Fire tablets
Now, back to the hardware! Amazon is switching away from software and Alexa
for a moment to talk about the kids' stable of devices. We're getting a new
kid-friendly version of the Echo Pop, updating the new Echo speaker we saw
revealed earlier this year. It launches next month for $49.99 and comes with
six months of Amazon Kids+.
There's also going to be a pair of new Fire Kids tablets coming this fall,
too. Amazon has one for younger children, as well as a pro model for older
kids.
The new Fire HD 10 Kids and Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablets will be starting at
$189.99 and come with a full year of Kids+ access.
New Echo Frames on the way
If you had a refreshed pair of Echo Frames on your bingo card, then you're a
lucky guesser. Amazon is showing off the next-generation pair of smart
glasses that now arrive with six hours of battery life and multipoint
pairing. There are open-ear drivers at the center of the experience, too.
The more conversational Alexa will be getting to go out in the world with
you, offering updated speech processing.
The new Echo Frames will start at $269.99. There's no date yet on when to
expect these.
We're now onto the Fire TV updates. Largely focusing on new software (ugh, I
know, right?), there's a new Continue Watching row coming to the OS, as well
as an improved search that taps into IMDb. It'll be coming later this year
as an OTA update.
Amazon debuts a new Fire TV Soundbar
Amazon today is also showcasing a new Fire TV Soundbar. The hybrid device is
available for pre-order today for $119.99 and comes joined by some other
hardware reveals. The new Fire TV Stick 4K boasts a new processor with
faster Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. It's also going up for pre-order today and
sells for $49.99. Stepping up to a higher-end home theater experience,
Amazon also has a new Fire TV Stick Max in the works. This one sports Wi-Fi
6e support and uses that faster connection to support Dolby Vision, HDR10+,
and Atmos audio. The $59.99 release also includes a better processor than
the original, too.
Returning to the software side of the Fire TV action, there's a new Fire TV
ambient mode that looks to be something of a smart display mode. Amazon also
notes you'll be able to create generative AI art for your TV too. In much
the same vein, you'll be able to use the technology to transform your
existing photos into pieces of art, like turning a landscape picture you
took into a watercolor piece.
Back to hardware, there's also a new dedicated photos edition of the Echo
Show. It's weird we didn't get a mention of this with the Echo Show 8 reveal
earlier in the event, but this new smart display will sell for $159.99.
Ring smart home security up next
Now, it's Ring time. Actually, it's Blink first. We're getting three new
devices today, all headlined by the new Blink Sync Module Pro. This $49.99
add-on is a range extender for your existing cameras and will be shipping
next year. As for gear you can actually pre-order today, there's a new
battery extension pack for the Outdoor 4 cameras, as well as a Floodlight
Camera. The latter sells for $159.99, while the accessory will go for
$29.99.
As for Ring itself, there's the new Stick Up Cam Pro. It comes equipped with
the company's signature Bird's Eye View tech that can track a person's path
across the camera's field of view and arrives for $179.99 today. You'll also
find a solar-powered version for $209.99. Shipping is slated for October 18.
Amazon is taking today's September hardware event to also update the eero
Wi-Fi platform. We're getting a first look at the new eero Max 7 - a mesh
network that Amazon notes has Ethernet-fast speeds. It has a pair of 10Gb
Ethernet ports that can handle as many as 200 connected devices. There's
also 9.4Gb/s wired speeds. Truly a Wi-Fi system built for the smart home
age. It starts at $599.99 and comes in packs of one, two, or three.
Meet the new Echo Hub
Amazon has an entirely new smart home offering out today, deemed the Echo
Hub. The new wall-mounted smart home controller, of course, arrives with
Alexa but also an 8-inch touchscreen display. There's Matter and Thread
support, as you'd expect from a more modern device too. There will be a map
view for controlling lights and other gadgets, as well as a more intuitive
way to view all your live camera feeds. It'll be arriving sometime later
this year for $179.99.
And that seems like a wrap! We'll be updating this post throughout the day
with pre-order links and other tidbits.
9to5Toys.
