What new hardware will Amazon launch on 28 September?
Each year towards the end of September Amazon announces new Echo hardware along with other gadgets – some of which may or may not go on sale.
This year, the company is holding an event on 28 September to talk about the latest Amazon devices, features, and services. As in previous years, it won’t be live-streamed for everyone to watch but we’ll be there – virtually – to bring you news of the new products.
Last year saw the wackyRing Always Home Cam, a cross between a drone and a security camera, while in 2019 the company unveiled Alexa-enabled wearables including theEcho Frames and Echo Loop, smart specs and a smart ring.
The ring was dropped, but Amazon did unveil asecond-gen pair of Frameslast year – above – with more capabilities (and a significant price hike) – not a huge surprise when so many companies are bringing out smart glasses, includingRay-Ban.
New Echos?
This year, we’re expecting the next-generation Echo devices, likely theEcho 5and Echo Dot 5, though new Echo Shows are less likely, especially given theShow 5 and 8 had a minor refreshback in May 2021.
New hardware may take a back seat this year, though. As we reported back in July,Amazon is bringing lots of new features to Echo and Alexa, including Matter support. This should make it possible – among other things – to choose which digital assistant you want to use on your Echo speakers and displays.
Ring-branded devices
It also looks like a few Ring products will be in the lineup next week. Last year we heard about the Ring Car Cam plus the Alarm and Connect, three devices specifically for in-car use. Strangely, no images were ever shown of the Car Cam, though it was said to feature interior- and exterior-facing cameras.
An image of what looks like a dash cam appeared in June onThe Tape Drive, which could well be the Ring Car Cam. The site didn’t say much about it except that its codename was Jaws. ThenZats Not Funnyposted an un-watermarked version of the image – below – giving us a better look, along with some extra speculation.
The Tape Drive also posted an image of a keyring-type device with the ring logo, calling it the Amazon Fetch. This is likely to be Amazon’s take on an item tracker, a category it has yet to put its stamp on where rivals include Tile andApple AirTags.
Lastly, the article claimed that the Always Home Cam would launch ‘in the coming weeks’ so perhaps we’ll find out an exact release date and price next week.
Ahead of the event, Amazon has launched arange of new Kindle eReadersincluding a new Kindle Paperwhite, a second-generation Kids Edition and brand new Paperwhite Signature Edition which features auto-brightness and wireless charging.
Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor, Tech Advisor
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.
