Amazon is about to drop a whole new box of gadgets

Clear your calendars: Amazon has set a date for its big fall hardware event on the 30th at 10am ET in New York City, so it will be 3pm our time. Leading the charge will be Panos Panay, the former Microsoft exec now running Amazon’s Devices & Services team, which all but guarantees some shiny new toys are on the way.

The invite itself is a tease; zoom in and you’ll spot the outlines of an Echo speaker, a Kindle, and a Fire TV. Translation: Amazon is lining up fresh hardware across its three biggest product families.

The Kindle is the strongest candidate for a glow-up. Amazon recently gave the Scribe and the Colorsoft a polish, but it’s been ages since the standard Kindle got a proper refresh. The teaser also hints at a bigger, thinner-bezel screen with stylus support, maybe even a full-colour Scribe. Bookworms, get excited.

On the Echo front, it’s been nearly five years since the flagship speaker got a real redesign. The invite’s telltale blue Alexa light suggests that’s about to change. Expect hardware beefy enough to handle Amazon’s new Alexa+ AI assistant, and maybe even improved 3D audio for those who still use their speaker for more than setting timers.

There’s also the blurry corner of the teaser that looks like a Fire TV set (or possibly a tablet). Either way, Amazon hasn’t dropped new Fire TVs or Sticks in a couple of years, so a refresh is overdue. Rumours point to updated silicon, possibly even a new operating system.

And let’s not forget the Echo Buds. The timing is suspiciously perfect for a fourth-gen pair, and if they don’t come with stronger bass, smoother controls and proper active noise cancellation, Amazon will struggle to keep up with the likes of Samsung, Sony and Apple.

Amazon events are usually a product avalanche. Past years have seen everything from smart glasses to in-car Alexa devices. One thing’s for sure: whether you want to read, stream or ask Alexa to dim the lights, Amazon’s about to give you a lot more ways to do it.

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