8 amazing new gadgets Amazon just revealed
Amazon has new toys to play with: this is what you need to know.
Amazon has been busy of late, updating its device line-up for 2022. It’s been a busy year for Amazon - it’s been bolstering its Fire TV line-up with partnerships with the likes of Toshiba and Xiaomi. It’s been tinkering with its Alexa voice technology, revealing a male voice for Alexa and a new wake word (“Ziggy”).
It also launched its biggest-ever Echo device, the TV-like Echo Show 15, a new Kindle range, some upgraded tablets and a Ring intercom system.
If that wasn’t all, it bolstered its Prime Video line-up with the most expensive show ever made - The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power.
But it’s September, always a big month for launches for Amazon. With that in mind, here are 8 amazing gadgets that Amazon has just revealed.
1. Kindle Scribe
Kindle Scribe is the first Kindle that you can actually write on (officially, we're sure you've accidentally added some pen marks to your one) and, according to Amazon, “the best Kindle to date”.
This is a Kindle for those who love to read and write, so you can scribble on it to make notes, bringing note taking and journal writing to the Kindle.
Kindle Scribe has a world’s first front-lint 10.2-inch 300 ppi adjustable and glare-free Paperwhite display. This essentially means more words on the page.
The Kindle Scribe comes with a pen that feels like a pen, according to Amazon. “From the natural grip in your hand to the sound you hear when you write, this pen actually feels like a pen. It's not a piece of technology,” says Amazon.
Kindle Scribe has a display that adjusts to your surroundings to give you an optimal viewing experience and it also lasts weeks without charging.
The Kindle Scribe will be available 30 November, starting at $339.99 / £329.99. And that's with the pen included.
2. Halo Rise
Halo Rise is being billed as a device designed to change the way you sleep. It’s essentially a wake-up alarm and sleep tracker in one.
As Amazon notes: “Halo Rise is a first of its kind bedside sleep tracker, wake up light and smart alarm. It brings all of these features together into one powerful purpose-built tool that works silently and intelligently in the background to help customers understand and improve their sleep.”
There are no apps needed, according to Amazon, and you don’t have to wear anything for it to work - it uses machine learning to track the sleep stages (using patterns in your breathing) and will track the sleep of those closest to the device.
Halo Rise is $139.99 and available later in the year. It comes with a 6-month Halo subscription. There's no word on a UK release date for this one.
3. Echo Studio gets a makeover
Echo Studio is Amazon’s best-sounding speaker and it will now be available in Glacier White. It is also getting some audio upgrades, thanks to over-the-air updates that will give it new spatial audio processing technology and frequency range extension.
The Echo Studio will available for pre-order for £189.99.
4. Echo Dot gets a serious audio upgrade
Echo Dot has been given an audio upgrade. Amazon has had to redesign the entire audio architecture in the thing and there is now a full range driver inside. According to Amazon, the result is its "best-sounding Echo Dot ever".
Amazon has also upgraded the Echo Dot with Clock, adding high density dot technology to the display which allows it to show you more information. This means that you can also see things like an artist name or song title, your snooze countdown or an upcoming calendar event on the display.
Finally, Amazon Echo Dot Kids has two new designs: an owl and a dragon. These go alongside the current tiger and panda line-up.
The Amazon Echo Dot will be $49.99 / £54.99 and the Echo Dot with Clock $59.99 £64.99.
5. Amazon unleashes a guard dog style robot
Astro is already a home robot which can prowl your home and notify you if something out of the ordinary is happening. Amazon revealed the thing back in 2021 but now the robot can act like a guard dog for small businesses.
Essentially Amazon has linked Astro up to its Ring Cam and (US only) Virtual Security Guard service. This means it can patrol an office and when the Ring Alarm is armed, via Amazon's current Virtual Security Guard service, it will be able to proactively deploy Astro to the area where the alarm has gone off so the Virtual Security Guards will be able see just what is going down.
The agents are then able to take control of the robot, so that can get a closer look at what is going on. Then they can use the Two-Way Talk feature to alert an intruder that the police are on the way.
This one is still invitation-only to buy right now.
6. A brand-new Fire TV Cube which upscales HD to 4K
7. A new premium QLED Fire TV has also arrived
Amazon has revealed that you will be able to get Fire TV on the Echo Show 15 which will turn the thing into a streaming behemoth. But if that isn't a big enough sized screen for you, then it has also revealed a Fire TV Omni QLED line-up, which takes advantage of an ambient mode which turns it into a massive art canvas - there will be 1,500 landscapes, motion visuals, impressionist pieces to choose from.
The TVs also come with Dolby Vision IQ, HDR 10+ Adaptive and Adaptive Brightness. The TVs haven't been announced for the UK but they will be coming to the US and Canada, from $799.99.
8. The Alexa Voice remote has just become smarter
Amazon has just unveiled the Amazon Voice Remote Pro. This one has a new remote finder feature where you can ask Alexa to locate the remote - inevitably it will in a couch crevice but it's a fun feature to have.
The new voice remote also comes with the New Backlight which makes it easier to find it using the dark. Perhaps, the most interesting thing about it is that it comes with two programmable buttons that allow you to customise the remote. You can set these programmable buttons as shortcuts for any Alexa commands like routines , so instead of using your voice you can just push a button.
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