Amazon held its annual hardware event for the press today. In addition to its new Alexa-based generative AI services that will roll out soon, there were a number of new hardware devices that were announced.
In its press release, Amazon revealed it is launching a new version of its Echo Show 8 smart display. It includes a new centered camera, new spatial audio processing technology, and a new UI feature that shows more general info at first but gets more detailed when you get closer to the screen. It is available for preorder now at $149.99 for shipment in October.
Amazon revealed three new Fire TV devices. The new Fire TV Stick 4K is 30 percent more powerful than the previous version, claims Amazon, with support for Wi-Fi 6, and it will go on sale soon for $49.99. The new Fire TV Stick 4K Max (shown above) has Wi-Fi 6E support and adds the Fire TV Ambient Experience. It will include "helpful information like your family calendar, local weather forecast, and reminders on your screen when you’re not streaming" It will be available soon for $59.99.
There will also be a new Fire TV Soundbar, which offers the Fire TV OS in a 24-inch soundbar for $119.99.
Amazon is also launching its new eero Max 7 WiFi router. Amazon says:
It combines the company’s patented TrueMesh networking technology with the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard to dramatically increase speeds, avoid interference from neighboring networks, and improve mesh latency—and with 10 Gigabit Ethernet, it’s now possible to download a 4K movie in 10 seconds or a 50 gigabyte video game in less than a minute.
The router will be priced starting at $599.99 and it will come in one, two, and three packs.
Amazon also announced a new Echo Hub device. It has an eight-inch touchscreen display that you mount on your wall to keep track of all of your smart home devices. It will go on sale later in 2023 for $179.99.
You can check out more of Amazon's new hardware products, including new Kids Fire tablets and new Echo Frames smart glasses, at the company's press release. Amazon did not make any mention of a replacement for its current hardware head Dave Limp, who has already announced he is retiring from that role. Unconfirmed rumors claim Microsoft's former Surface and Windows head Panos Panay will be the new hardware leader at Amazon.
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