Key Takeaways
- Amazon's upcoming hardware event is known for its surprises and unconventional product launches, featuring products like robot security dogs and domestic drones.
- The event will be held at Amazon HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia, and there will likely be no livestream available, so keeping an eye on media outlets is the best way to stay updated.
- Speculation suggests that the event may introduce a new Fire TV Stick 4K Max, improvements to Kindle Oasis, advancements in AI and Alexa capabilities, and potentially new and exciting home security products.
Big tech launches are predictable. We've just seen the biggest tech launch of the year - the Apple September event - and that yielded almost zero surprises. Leaks, predictability, and intuition lead us to accurate conclusions about what will happen. But this year, Amazon looks decidedly different.
Amazon has surprised us plenty of times at its hardware events. It's rarely as simple as new Echo device, as this is the event that gives us things like Astro the robot security dog thing, it's the event that gives us domestic drones that fly the corridors of your sprawling mansion looking for intruders. It even gave us a connected microwave and Mickey Mouse Echo Clock.
What we do know is that it's taking place at Amazon HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia.
How to watch the Amazon Devices and Services event
In short, you can't. It's unlikely that there will be a livestream from the event. That's just not Amazon's style, so instead you'll have to keep your eyes on media outlets as the information breaks. The Pocket-lint team will be keeping a close eye on proceedings, so your best bet is to stay right where you are!
The event will take place on 20 September.
What might be launched at the Amazon Devices event
We've gone about as far as we can with actual information, beyond this point, we move into speculation. This is where it gets really exciting, because we just don't know.
New Fire TV Stick 4K Max
This is almost a certainty. We've recently seen what looks like new Fire TV Stick device codes leak and while we have no information on what the upgrades might be, it looks like replacements are on the cards. There have also been discounts on the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, suggesting that Amazon might be running the stock down ready for a new model, and in some regions like the UK, it's not even being listed anymore.
My prediction is that speed and connectivity will be the focus, but that might be a little incremental - perhaps some AI magic to serve up better suggestions might appear?
New Kindle Oasis
This I'm less hopeful about, but it's the device I want the most. The Kindle family over the past couple of years have all jumped up - the base Kindle is better, closing the gap with the Paperwhite - but nothing comes close to the Kindle Oasis.
I'd be looking for USB-C connectivity and a move to wireless charging, just like the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. What I'd really like to see, however, is a complete redesign of the Kindle Store, with better tracking of books you've read or borrow through things like Kindle Unlimited or Prime Reading.
I do think the Kindle Scribe will get more updates to try and bring it closer to devices like ReMarkable.
A whole load of AI and Alexa improvements
All big tech companies are flexing on AI. While the phrase as gained popularity of late, there's no shortage of AI that we've seen from Amazon in the past. Alexa remains one of the best personal assistants, but it feels like alongside talk of Google Bard and ChatGPT, good ol' Alexa might be sitting in the shade. Sure, Alexa isn't generative AI (which is what's really hitting the headlines), but there's the opportunity for Alexa to be doing more - to become more of a personal assistant.
Alexa is finding its way into more cars, but the real battle ground is the super computer you have in your pocket, the smartphone. The Alexa app is pretty slow and it plays second fiddle to Google Assistant and Siri on phones - but perhaps, if Alexa was so good that it was essential, customers would change their loyalties slightly. On Android that's pretty easy, but for iPhone users, there's no escaping Siri's dominance on Apple devices.
Something whacky
Having seen Astro and the Ring Always Home Cam, I'm expecting to see more around home security - but that Ring drone is still only aavailable by invitation only. I'd love to see wider release, for something so sci-fi that you have to have it - I'd probably switch my allegiance to Ring just to be able to have that as part of the home security setup.
But this is where Amazon is also its most exciting: there's no telling what we'll see from the company that boosts connectivity and smart home excitement - I'm just hoping it's not a new eero router.