At its annual hardware event, Amazon has unveiled a plethora of new products from Kindle to budget-friendly Fire TV Sticks and smart home appliances.
With AI at the heart of almost all the products, and ahead of Alexa+ launching in the UK, we’ve rounded up the key reveals below and explained what we can expect from the upcoming flagships from Amazon.
New Kindle Scribe lineup
Amazon has unveiled its new Kindle Scribe line which includes the first-ever colour Kindle Scribe.
The series is made up of three models, including the Kindle Scribe both with and without a front light and the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.
All models sport an 11-inch glare-free display, and are just 5.4mm thick and weigh just 400g. Amazon not only promises the series feels “just like paper”, but it is also 40% faster than its predecessor for writing and page turns, too.
Perhaps most exciting is the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, which has the same design as the Kindle Scribe but benefits from a full-colour writing experience.
Much as we’ve seen with the likes of the Remarkable Paper Pro, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft doesn’t rely on a traditional display and instead uses Amazon’s Colorsoft technology, which promises “an incredible color writing experience”.
The entire line up is fitted with AI-powered tools which Amazon promises should “help you be more productive”, including AI Search and the ability to send documents to Alexa+. This is alongside new software features which offers support for Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, shading tools and a more organised workplace.
Amazon says the Kindle Scribe with a front light will start at $499.99/£449.99 while the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft will start at $629.99/£649.99. The Kindle Scribe without a front light will, unsurprisingly, be slightly cheaper than the model with, and will start at $429.99/£389.99.
At the time of writing, Amazon is yet to provide an exact launch date for the Kindle Scribe line-up. Instead, the Kindle Scribe and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft are expected to launch in the UK “later this year”, while the Scribe without a front light will launch “early next year”.
Similarly, all three products will be available in the UK and Germany by “early next year” too.
Echo Series
Alongside perhaps more expected Echo devices, including the Echo Show 8 and Show 11, Amazon has introduced the first Echo Dot Max which is said to boast nearly three times the bass compared to the Echo Dot (5th Gen).
The entire Echo series was built for Alexa+, and will all benefit from Amazon’s next generation AI assistant, which promises to offer “deeply conversational and engaging” help straight out of the box (in the US) or once it’s available in the UK.
Other than the Echo Dot Max, Amazon has announced the Echo Studio, which is 40% smaller than the original, and promises to deliver “deep, immersive bass” alongside “immersive sound that fills the room”. Not only that, but Amazon explains the Studio supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, much like its predecessor, for better surround sound.
What’s more is that Amazon says you can connect up to five Echo Studio or Echo Dot Max devices with compatible Fire TV sticks for a more immersive surround sound system, thanks to “Alexa Home Theater”. This is a particularly appealing option for those who don’t want to buy lots of different speaker equipment and would prefer to double up their existing devices.
Finally, the new Echo Show 8 and Show 11 are promised to offer improved audio and video experiences. Both also boast edge-to-edge glass displays with “ultra-thin bezels” too, for a more immersive viewing experience too.
The Echo Dot Max is the cheapest of Amazon’s new series, with an RRP of £99.99/$99.99 while the Echo Show 8 and Show 11 will set you back £179.99/$179.99 and £219.99/$219.99 respectively. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Echo Studio is the priciest of the lot, at £219.99/$219.99. All Echo devices are available for pre-order from today, September 30.
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Fire TV
It’s fair to say that the existing Fire TV Stick line-up is already a relatively budget-friendly way to turn your monitor into a smart TV. However, Amazon has said the new Fire TV Stick 4K Select is the most affordable in the UK.
The 4K Select promises to offer a vibrant 4K picture, HDR10+ support and access to heaps of streaming services all for a bargain price of £49.99/$39.99. Not only that, but the 4K Select will soon support Xbox Gaming, Luna and Alexa+ too.
Alongside the Fire TV Stick 4K Select are three new Fire TVs, ranging from £249.99/$159.99 up to £649.99/$479.99, so there’s guaranteed to be something for everything. For more casual viewing, the Fire TV 2 Series promises crisp HD while the 4-Series boasts up to 4K resolution. Nonetheless, both sport ultra-thin bezels and are promised to be up to 30% faster than their predecessors thanks to a new quad-core processor.
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For a more premium viewing experience, you’re better off opting for the flagship Omni QLED series. Available with a 55- or 65-inch display, Amazon explains the Omni QLED is “60% brighter” than previous models and delivers stunning picture with “brighter whites and crisper blacks”.
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Ring’s first 4K smart home line up
Ring, Amazon’s more premium smart home product line, has just unveiled its “most advanced” line up yet. Behind such bold claims is Ring’s Retinal Vision technology which offers up to 10x zoom and enhanced low-light performance.
Ring promises that its new smart home devices, which include the Wired Doorbell Pro, Floodlight Cam Pro and Outdoor Cam Pro, now brings details to life and provides a much clearer view that’s “like seeing it with your very own eyes”.
Ring’s 4K line-up is available for pre-order now, ahead of the official launch from mid-October. The Outdoor Cam Pro is the cheapest of the new series, at £179.99/$199.99, followed by the Wired Doorbell Pro at £219.99/$249.99 and is headed up by the Floodlight Cam Pro at £249.99/$279.99.
Alongside the 4K line-up, which also happens to be the first of its kind from Ring, the team have also announced that Retinal 2K technology will be available on the new Indoor Cam Plus and Wired Doorbell Plus. This enables users to benefit from more detailed images but at a lower cost than its 4K counterpart.
In fact, the Indoor Cam Plus is just £49.99/$59.99 while the Wired Doorbell Plus is £159.99/$179.99. Remember, this doesn’t include Ring’s monthly subscription fee.
Blink unveils three new security products – all under £100/$100
Blink is known for its more affordable and accessible range of home security products, and its three latest cameras are no exception.
In fact, the most affordable of the trio at just £39.99/$49.99 is the versatile Blink Mini 2K+, hailed as Blink’s “most advanced plug-in compact camera yet”. Not only does it promise up to 2K video resolution but it can be used both indoors and outdoors too, although the latter will require purchasing a Weather Resistant Power Adapter.
Alternatively, you can opt for the Blink Arc for just £89.99/$99.99, which essentially combines two Blink Mini cameras into a single stitched feed. The Blink Arc promises to offer a 180° panoramic view in one simple device, although it will require a Blink Subscription Plus plan.
Finally, UK customers can soon benefit from the Outdoor Floodlight Camera which was previously available in the US. At just £89.99/$89.99 Outdoor Floodlight Camera promises to deliver up to 700 lumens of motion-triggered LED lighting and up to two years of battery life too.
Not sure whether to opt for Blink or Ring smart home appliances? Our Blink vs Ring guide compares the brands to help you decide which one will better suit your home security needs.
