Amazon’s annual fall event is on the way, and the rumor mills have begun to spin as people try to guess what new tech the retail giant will launch. Invites to the event have been sent out to select media (us included), so we’re eager to know what’s on the docket. With few details on what Amazon has planned, anything is possible. If it follows last year’s event, we should be in for a huge announcement that covers the entire Amazon ecosystem.
Amazon has officially announced the event for at 10 a.m. PT on September 24, but it’s worth noting that the event will be “invite only.” There will be no public stream available to watch.
Amazon has a proven history of releasing updates to its Amazon Echo line of smart speakers and smart displays. For example, the 2019 fall Amazon event saw the launch of the Amazon Echo Studio, the company’s newest, high-end speaker. Its superior focus on audio quality appealed to users that sought a speaker capable of more than mid-range audio and smart home control.
Last year, Amazon also launched the Amazon Echo Show 8, the in-between version of its popular smart display that sits in the middle of the Echo Show (10-inch ) and Amazon Echo Show 5. Amazon also updated its third-generation Echo Dot with a built-in LED clock, while improving its audio quality and providing new colors. Amazon also launched several new products like the Echo Flex, a tiny smart speaker with more flexible placement options.
All this is to say – expect smart speakers. We don’t know exactly how many we’ll see, but expect a broad range of updates across Amazon’s line-up.
In a world full of subscription services, companies are looking for ways to bundle services together and appeal to customers. One potential change is a service that includes Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, and Audible for a single price rather than splitting the services across multiple subscriptions.
Given the amount of value the recently announced Apple One offers, it’s not far-fetched to imagine the online retailer concocting something similar to compete with it.
Amazon Prime has remained largely unchanged since its inception, with the exception of a price increase and a few additional services. Now is an opportune time for Amazon to introduce additional options to reach even more customers.
Amazon’s domination of the smart home market began with Alexa and the Amazon Echo, but now Alexa has made her way onto a host of other platforms. Last year, Amazon launched the Echo Buds to compete with the Galaxy Buds and the Apple AirPods.
What set the Echo Buds apart was their ability to use not only Alexa, but also Siri and Google Assistant depending on what your phone used. Aside from the default assistant, the inclusion of Alexa made it possible to access any Alexa-focused services from anywhere.
This year’s event could see an updated version of the Echo Buds, or even more widespread availability of the Echo Frames, eyeglasses with Alexa built-in.
A less on-the-nose Amazon gadget that hasn’t seen much publicity since its announcement last year is the Echo Loop. This smart ring had a button that allowed you to call on Alexa whenever you wanted, as well as haptic technology that would buzz whenever you received a call. It was the spy-technology-turned-smart-assistant that no one knew they wanted. We could hear more on Amazon’s plan for Loop at this year’s event.
It’s even possible that Amazon may announce an update to its Alexa-powered microwaves and air fryers. It would be nice to see a 1,000-watt version of the Alexa microwave.
Amazon has kept its announcements close to the vest. With few leaks to hint at what might be on the way, the only thing anyone can do is make guesses based on what the company has launched previously. Digital Trends will closely follow the event and cover any announcements Amazon makes here.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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