Echo Dot Max, Blink Arc and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft: Hands-on with the hottest new gadgets from Amazon's latest launch

Amazon has revealed its latest devices as it rallies behind its new Alexa+ AI voice assistant. Alexa+ was announced in February and has been available to those in the US in beta and will be reaching new territories like the UK early in 2026.

Amazon says that all these new devices have been designed for Alexa+, expanding the offering of Echo devices, Fire TV, Kindle, Ring and Blink cameras. While Ring has replaced virtually its entire line-up, it was the Blink Arc that really caught our attention.

Elsewhere, the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has been a long time coming, while the new Echo Dot Max is likely to become a firm favourite with Alexa fans. We got to sample all the new devices at Amazon's bumper launch event in New York - and this is the pick of the bunch.

Echo Dot Max: In short…

• New design: Echo Dot Max has been redesigned and matches the new Echo Studio
• More powerful: The new Echo is more power powerful with a new processor
• Better sound quality: There are more speakers for richer sound

The Echo Dot is Amazon's most popular speaker and the new Echo Dot Max takes things up a notch. First of all there's a new design with a concave section at the front that now houses the controls. Previously, the Echo Dot had a couple of buttons on the top, with a light ring around the bottom, but now the light ring rotates around that control section on the front. Yes, it looks a little like the Death Star from Star Wars.

There rest of the speaker is covered in mesh, with a design that fits the older speakers, so when you look at the new Echo Dot Max, you can tell it's an Echo. It also matches the new Echo Studio speaker - which offers a much more substantial Dolby Atmos sound - but costs a lot more.

Speaking of sound quality, the Echo Dot Max has two speakers in it for the first time, so there's now a 0.8in tweeter and a 2.5in woofer. The most noticeable difference this makes is that the bass is more apparent, so the whole thing sounds richer than the older speaker.

I tested the Echo Dot Max alongside the old Echo Dot and the sound was much better - it's an easy upgrade if you want a compact speaker with a little more oomph.

While it's designed for Alexa+ (which won't arrive in the UK until early 2026), it still offers all the usual Alexa features you're used to, like asking questions, controlling your smart home and playing music. The Echo Dot Max is available for pre-order now and costs £99.99, which is a little expensive compared to the old £54.99 Echo Dot.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft: In short…

• Colour screen: Colour comes to the Kindle Scribe for the first time
• Thinner and lighter design: 5.4mm thick and 400g
• New AI skills: New software enhances the offering

The Kindle Scribe launched as a black and white offering, getting updated in 2025 - but you ain't seen nothing yet. The new Kindle Scribe comes in two forms, there's an updated version offering a black and white experience, while colour also comes to Scribe for the first time in the Scribe Colorsoft.

Both new models benefit from a slimmer design - it's now only 5.4mm thick - while the weight has been reduced to 400g. It's a loss to 33g, not huge, but not to be sniffed at. The aluminium rear has a nice premium feel to it, but the biggest change is that there's now a symmetrical design.

Previously there was a strip down one side of the screen and now that's gone - but so has the white frame that previously bordered the screen. Now the frame matches the colour of the rest of the device and we think it looks a lot better as a result.

There's more power in the new Kindle Scribe - with the promise of 40% faster page turns - while the screen has been slimmed down so there's less of a gap between the tip of the pen and the screen where the ink is appearing. That makes for a better writing experience, with a really natural feel.

The Colorsoft version adds colour as the name suggests, meaning you can see colour in books or graphic novels, but the option for highlighting in colour will appeal to those studying books or marking up notes. There are five highlighter shades, ten different ink colours and five brushes, meaning you can write in different styles.

Amazon is also expanding the AI features offered, allowing for more AI interactions, searching in handwritten notes and the ability to write questions for Alexa+ to interpret and reply to. There's also new syncing options for Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, which will make it a lot easier to get notes on and off your Scribe.

The addition helps the Kindle Scribe compete with other note taking devices, but with a price of £569.99, the Colorsoft is really expensive - while the regular model costs £449.99.

Whichever way you cut it, that's a lot of money, but for those who want to open a huge textbook, perhaps add some annotation to it or enjoy colour images, then it certainly feels like a premium device and from what I experienced, offers a great writing experience too.

Blink Arc: In short…

• Wide vision: 180 degree view
• Great value: It's only £89.99 for the cameras and the mount
• Higher quality: Blink now offers 2K resolution

Blink is known for its affordable devices, meaning you can get a Wi-Fi camera for not a lot of cash. While the Blink Video Doorbell, outdoor and indoor cameras have been popular, the Blink Arc is a really innovative solution and a great alternative to a pan and tilt camera.

The Blink Arc is a dual camera solution that combines the view of two cameras into one wide view. That results in a 180-degree view meaning you can cover loads of space out the front or back of your house.

Here's the clever bit: Blink Arc is really the housing that the cameras fit into. This sets two devices at an angle and then uses software to seamlessly stitch together the view into one scene. It's great value for money, with Blink offering two Blink Mini 2K+ cameras and the mount for just £89.99.

First of all, this is price is for Blink's new camera, which replaces the existing Blink Mini with a 2K+ models. This increases the resolution for more detail, but is the same compact size and shape as before. These slot into the Arc housing, which includes wires to keep the power flowing - this is wired solution it can't be battery powered.

All the normal features of the Blink Mini 2K+ remain, but it's the Blink app that's really doing the magic here. Once the cameras are in place, you set them up as an Arc pair for that 180-degree view, and off you go.

If you're wondering if it will work with the older Blink Mini camera - which is 1080p - then the answer is yes. As long as the cameras are the same resolution (you can't mix and match), then Blink Arc will work.

The thing that I love about the Blink Arc is that it's so innovative: if you already have cameras, you can buy the Arc housing on it's own for just £24.99 - and that's a real bargain.

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