Amazon’s big hardware event live – all the latest news on Echo, Kindle, Alexa, Fire TV and more
We're counting down the hours to Amazon's next big device launch
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.
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…
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.”
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.
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.
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?
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.