Amazon’s big hardware event as it happened – four new Echo devices, Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, Alexa+, new Ring doorbells and more
All the announcements as they happened
Welcome!
Welcome to our live blog, where we'll be sharing all the news from Amazon's 2025 hardware event as soon as it happens. Our team members Lance Ulanoff and Jakob Krol are on their way to Spring Studios in Tribeca right now, but until then we'll be sharing all our predictions about what's on the way.
Alexa+ on smart speakers
Right now, Alexa+ is only available on the new Amazon Echo Show smart displays, but I’m hoping that might be about to change. The teaser image for today’s hardware event includes the signature blue LED ring of an Alexa smart speaker. I’m curious to see (and hear) what the Alexa+ experience is like without a screen, and hopefully we’re about to see a new Echo speaker that will provide exactly that.
Earlier this year Amazon promised that Alexa+ will be coming to almost all old Echo devices, so it would be great to know what to expect when that happens.
Kindle Scribe with color?
Amazon’s teaser image for this event was quite cryptic, but the bottom right quadrant clearly shows some kind of new Kindle with a color display. The Kindle Colorsoft launched last year, and now that Amazon has resolved a few early teething issues with its display, it may be ready to extend the range.
It might be a coincidence, but the tiny bit of text visible on the screen mentions putting pen to paper. Could this be a color update of the Kindle Scribe? We’re not sure, but so far it’s our best bet.
Fire TV sticks
New Amazon Fire TV Sticks are another possibility. Earlier this year we heard rumors that Amazon might be planning to switch to a new operating system (Vega OS), which would likely prove controversial. It’s not clear whether that would mean new hardware, but it might.
Room for improvement
Reddit users have been sharing their wish lists for Amazon’s next e-reader on r/kindle. Some posters like the idea of a color Kindle Scribe, but others aren’t so sure.
“Amazon has a lot to fix with the Scribe, and adding colour is not top of my list. Just making the note taking usable and useful would be a start.” wrote johnwinstanley.
“I agree,” wrote elizable9. “I'd rather have much more flexibility with the note taking and being able to download templates into the notes first than have color.”
Next-gen Echo Buds
A new set of Echo Buds would be music to our ears. The original set launched in 2019, the Echo Buds 2 followed two years later in 2021, and the Echo Buds 3 in 2023. We’re due an update.
We found the latest buds solid for the price, but unspectacular. In addition to active noise-cancellation and extra bass, we’d like to see less fiddly controls. Will Alexa+ make an appearance too?
Color Oasis
A color Kindle Scribe is one possibility, but what about a color version of the Kindle Oasis? The luxury Kindle makes reading a pleasure with its extra-bright display and physical page-turning buttons, and a color update would make it even better for graphic novels.
The Oasis is waterproof too. so you can enjoy reading while taking a long soak in the bath.
Kindle wish list
Lance Ulanoff, our Editor at Large, has put together a wish list of updates he wants to see in the next Kindle. For example, while he loves the Kindle’s minimalist design, he wishes the power button was in a different place so it’s harder to press accidentally.
He’d also love to see an integrated kickstand that would keep the device steady without the need for a bulky case.
“I bet everyone who loves their Kindle would appreciate it just a little bit more with a simple kickstand made out of the same material as the chassis,” he says.
Alexa+ with ads?
I’m excited to hear about Amazon’s plans for Alexa+, but I’m also a bit concerned after Amazon’s most recent investor call, where CEO Andy Jassy suggested that its answers might soon come with ads.
“I think over time, there will be opportunities, as people are engaging in more multi-turn conversations, to have advertising play a role to help people find discovery, and also as a lever to drive revenue,” Jassy said.
“Basically, if you ask Alexa+ for shopping recommendations, some of its responses might eventually be sponsored.”
Honey, I shrunk the Kindle
Last month, we heard a rumor that Amazon may be testing a smaller version of the Kindle Colorsoft called the Kindle Petit Color. However, the details didn’t quite add up.
“From what I can tell by the leaker's mention of a 150ppi color resolution in the thread, this new Kindle will likely be using the E Ink Kaleido 3 display, which limits the amount of saturation it can sustain,” said our Managing Editor for APAC, Sharmishta Sarkar.
“In my experience, better colors on this screen technology invariably come at the cost of text sharpness. The smaller screen size on this leaked ereader should inadvertently help the text look less fuzzy compared to bigger devices, but this is something I'll need to see for myself before I'd recommend it as one of the best Kindles.
The ‘leak’ also claimed that the new ereader will have removable bezels, which is something no other manufacturer has tried before. Hmm…
We've arrived!
Our Editor at Large Lance Ulanoff has arrived at the conference venue for today's event. Amazon clearly isn't giving away any hints at this stage, but the event is due to start in less than two hours, so there's not long to wait.
What's next for Alexa+
As well as possible new Color Kindles or new smart speakers, we’re really excited to see what happens with Alexa+ today. When it was announced back in March our Senior AI Editor, Graham Barlow said that Alex+ “has much more of a personality than the responses you get from ChatGPT, Siri and Gemini.” He was impressed that the new AI Alexa made jokes and threw in funny comments, but the other chatbots have continued to evolve over the last few months while he’s still waiting for the promised Alexa+ upgrade to his Alexa home devices.
“I’m starting to wonder if I will I ever see Alexa+ in the wild? I really hope it goes on general release soon, and I don’t want it to be for only for the new devices. This is Amazon’s chance to get ahead of Siri before it gets an AI upgrade that could change everything”.
Big deals ahead
If the devices announced at today’s event are too expensive, don’t worry – Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is coming next month, and we’re expecting some big discounts on the company’s current hardware. Amazon Echo speakers, Kindles, Ring doorbells, and Fire TV Sticks are all likely to get hefty price cuts.
The event will run from October 7-8, but if you can’t wait that long, we’ve rounded up a few early Prime Big Deal Days offers available right now.
Not long now...
The mood at the venue is chill right now. Guests have just been admitted, and are being treated to some light bites before the event starts in just over half an hour.
Breakfast bites
Amazon is serving up some tasty breakfast treats before letting attendees into the conference room. The tropical chia bowls look good.
Kindles and accessibility
It might be a coincidence, but Amazon has just updated its official news site with an article about how Kindle supports readers with disabilities. It doesn't name any unreleased devices, but the timing is interesting. Are we about to see a new Kindle that will be more accessible in some way? Perhaps something that's easier to use one-handed, or has differently designed physical buttons?
The final countdown
We're in! The setup of the venue looks similar to the Alexa+ launch event earlier this year, complete with bright blue backdrop.
Familiar faces
We just ran into former Microsoft designer Ralf Groene, who brought us all the Microsoft Surface devices and has been at Amazon for eight months now.
Lance also had a chat with Panos Panay, leader of Amazon's devices and services team. He's excited as usual, and promising some good stuff.
Five minutes...
With just five minutes to go until showtime and laptops at the ready, excitement is building...
It's showtime
Let's get started!
A mysterious start
"We believe technology should fade into the background," says a voiceover. "When we deliver, all the complexity melts away"
Ambient AI
Panos Panay has taken to the stage, and wants to talk about the dinner table. He wants families to put away the phones.
"Something happens when all of us pull out our phones," he says. "Right then, lost in our phones, right then [we] lost the moment."
He says that Alexa+ has created a shift. "The trick, everybody stays present. That is ambient AI."
New hardware incoming
New Ring, Blink, Fire TV, and Echo devices are coming, starting with Ring and a brand new doorbell. We're told that Ring is redefining what home security means, literally.
Higher resolution
Now Amazon is introducing tech called Retinal 2K and Retinal 4K to Ring doorbells. Amazon has been relatively late to the party when it comes to 4K video doorbells, so I'm intrigued to hear more.
Doorbells and cameras
Ring is introducing a new tech called Retinal Tuning, which adjusts the clarity of the camera. It uses AI to sample the video quality multiple times a day over two weeks, then makes necessary adjustments.
Identify individuals
A new Familiar Faces function will identify specific people, and there are new Alexa greetings
The new devices can "Make decisions about how to handle different visitors". The tech will work on 2K and 4K devices, and will roll out in December.
Search Party for dogs
We're now seeing how a "Search Party" can use the Ring app network to find a missing dog. It can see through the network of Ring's camera and use AI to help identify the dog. This is something that "could only happen in a world of AI".
Search party for dogs is rolling out in November, followed by cats and other pets.
New Blink cameras
We're moving a mile a minute! Now it's Blink cameras with with Amy Wiedmann, head of marketing for home security. She starts with a story of a family who were saved by their Blink camera during a fire.
We have new Blink cameras: the Blink Outdoor 2K Plus, with one-year battery life, and the Blink Mini 2K Plus, which Wiedmann says is the most advanced Blink camera to date.
There's also the Blink Arc, which has two precision-engineered cameras, one mount and 180 degrees of coverage. AI stitches the two feeds into a seamless view of your space with no blind spots. Pre-orders are starting today.
Find that dog!
Here's a detailed look at how the new Search Party function will work for Ring doorbells.
Fire TV
Now we're looking at a refreshed Amazon Fire TV lineup. The Omni TV is the top of the line, with Omnisense tech: walk in and it turns on. Leave the room and it powers down. It also has Dialog Boost, which works across services.
There's a new Fire Stick too: the FireTV 4K Select, which is just $39.99. As some predicted, it's rocking a new operating system: Vega OS.
Vega will also power the new Echo speakers.
Alexa+ on your TV
The new Fire TVs have Alexa+ integration. For example, Alexa+ can tell you about a recent baseball game and instantly show you a recap, which sounds handy!
We've just seen our first live demo of the day: Alexa+ on the Fire TV Omni delivering stats from the game and easily bringing up highlights.
Kindle time
Now Panos Panay is back on the stage to talk about Kindles. He says that Kindle sales are up "by double digits".
Kindle Scribe Colorsoft
Meet the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. There are miniaturized LEDs in the front, and Amazon's engineers have created a "whisper-thin antenna" to reduce bulk. There's texture-molded glass so it "feels just like you're writing on paper".
Faster, prettier
The new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has a new customized chip and more memory, making it 40% faster on things that matter, like page-turning and writing.
Our Editor at Large Lance Ulanoff says that the bezel is the same color as his jacket. If that's not a reason to buy one, I don't know what is.
The highlight of the show?
Panos is particularly pumped about the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, and says it's "a product I can't wait for you to use".
Scribe productivity tools
Now we're going into more detail about productivity with Avani Parakh, Director of Kindle Products. New features include Quick Notes, Import and Export, and Workspaces.
You can now Import and export with Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive directly from your Scribe.
Tools for readers
Kindle customers have read an average of 22 billion pages per month, and there are two new features for readers: Story So Far and Ask This Book.
New Echo speakers
It's Alexa+ time, with a brand new Echo smart speaker lineup designed specifically for the AI assistant.
Most powerful Echo devices
Amazon says these are the most powerful Echo devices it's ever made.
The new Echo speaker has no seams, and Panos is passing it around the audience so everyone can see for themselves.
Daniel Rausch is on stage now. He says it all starts with silicon: the Az3 and AZ3 Pro, which "can process AI right here, right on the edge".
This new silicon powers Omnisense (which we just heard about with the Fire TVs).
Kindle software
Hopping back to the Kindle for a minute, here's a better look at the new Scribe Colorsoft's software features.
New Echo Dot and Show devices
Back to the Echo devices. Amazon says the Echo Dot is the most popular smart speaker on the planet, and is introducing the new Echo Dot Max with two drivers. There's also an all-new Echo Studio (which should make our audio editor very happy).
There are new Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 devices too. The screen is viewable from any place in the room, and there's a 13MP camera for video calls. The screen placement helps leave space to deliver audio around the room.
Howdy, partners
There's also a new partner for Amazon: smart ring maker Oura. Yahoo Sports is coming as well, and there are tons more on the way.
Smarter smart homes
Now we're looking at Alexa+ for your smart home, which makes it possible to set up routines with just your voice. Amazon says that the rate of smart home adoption with Alexa+ is double what it was before.
Alexa Home Theater is a new service that lets you connect up to five Echo Studio speakers for surround sound, while Omnisense auto adjusts them. There was a live demo, and Lance says it "mostly went off without a hitch".
Echo Show 8 and 11
And here's a good look at the Echo Show 8 and 11. Alexa+ will come out-of-the-box with all the devices we've seen today.
Wrapping up
After that whirlwind tour, Panos Panay is back on stage to make his closing remarks. He says he's pumped that Alexa+ is coming with everything we've seen today.
Phew! We'll take a second to digest that and bring you more of our thoughts very soon.
Hands-on with new Echo devices
Here are some hands-on photos of the new Amazon Echo Studio, Echo Dot Max, and Echo Show 8 and 11 devices.
The new Fire TV series in depth
Matt Bolton, our Managing Editor of Entertainment, has compiled a complete guide to the new Amazon Fire TV lineup, with in-depth technical specifications and prices.
Home security
Smart home expert Rowan Davies has written a deep dive into the new Ring doorbell and camera lineup, including Amazon's first 4K video doorbell and all the new Alexa+ features.
Kindle Scribe analysis
Jake Krol, out Managing Editor of News, is going hands-on with the new Amazon devices right now, and has shared his thoughts on the new Kindle lineup – including the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. What does it really feel like to write on, and how good does it look in person?
A closer look at the new Echo lineup
Our news writer David Nield has put together a full guide to the four new Amazon Echo devices, including detailed tech specs and prices, plus release dates.
So, what do we make of the new Ring devices?
Our US Managing Editor for News, Jacob Krol, has spent some hands-on time with a couple of the new Ring devices – specifically the Ring Wired Doorbell Pro and Ring Indoor Cam Plus. Check out his video below.
And we've gone hands on with a new Kindle and Echo devices too
Meanwhile our Editor at Large, Lance Ulanoff, was busy spending time with the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and two of the new Echo devices, the Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio. What does he think of them? You'll have to watch to find out…
