Every Device Amazon Announced in September 2019

At two events in September, Amazon announced many new devices expanding both the Echo and Fire TV families as well as introducing completely new products. The focus appears to be on expanding the capabilities of Alexa.

By Shainur Ahsan

Amazon Continues Expanding Products Lines

Following last year’s device event where many new products where announced, Amazon has continued the trend in September 2019 with a presentation at IFA 2019 and its own device event at Amazon HQ. In the last several years, Amazon has been working incredibly hard to develop new products to expand the presence of Alexa in consumer’s lives. In addition, they have also acquired Ring and eero to bring security and networking products within its in-house catalog. So how does the new lineup look?

At first glance, it seems customer feedback has been taken into account into upgrading existing products and adding to the product lines. Others are more experimental and seem to be geared towards offering the consumer a choice in how they want to access Alexa. It will be interesting to see the buying trends once these products fully release to see if they compete with each other.

Most of the devices are available for pre-order now. Others will release next year or are available by invitation only. Here’s a quick rundown of the new device’s Amazon has announced this month.

New And Updated Amazon Devices

Visible Timers!

Echo Dot (3rd Gen) with Clock

The Smart Assistant Gets a Display

The Echo Dot gets even better with a display to show the time, temperature, or timers. Use it as an alarm clock and tap the top to snooze.

Available October 16, 2019

Back to Fabric

Echo (3rd Gen)

Updating the Classic

The Echo receives upgraded speakers to improve upon the previous generation.

Available October 16, 2019

360° Audio

Echo Studio

A Premium Experience

The Echo Studio is designed with five speakers to deliver truly immersive audio. With potential support for the Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 formats, the Studio can fill the room and take your listening experience to the next level.

Available November 7, 2019

Middle Child

Echo Show 8

More Options for Smart Displays

Amazon is offering a third option to the already available 5 and 10 inch screen options of the show. The Show 8 is similar to the 5 except that it has an HD display and stereo speakers.

Available November 21, 2019

Color Pop

Echo Glow

Interactive Smart Lamp

Pair with an Echo device to add some flair to a kids room. Control the color and brightness and create colorful routines for timers and alarms.

Available November 20, 2019

WiFi Coverage

eero mesh Wifi Router/Extender

Improve Your Home WiFi

Add a mesh network router to your home to provide consistent signal throughout and reduce dead spots. Take advantage of intelligent routing to improve streaming and reduce buffering.

Available Now

Basic Echo

Echo Flex

Add Alexa Anywhere with an Outlet

Amazon lets you add Alexa to any room without clutter. The device plugs directly into an outlet and has a built in USB-A outlet to charge a device or to pair with future add-on modules (sold separately) including a motion sensor or nightlight.

Available November 14, 2019

Anywhere Camera

Ring Stick Up Cam

Watch Over Your Home

This new camera is versatile with the ability to be placed inside or outside and being powered by outlet, battery, or solar power. Enjoy two-way communication by pairing with an Echo device.

Available October 23, 2019

Compact

Ring Indoor Cam

Add Security Room by Room

The indoor camera is compact and can help you keep an eye on things at home. Pair it with an Echo display or the Ring app to get a live view anytime.

Available Now

Ask Alexa to Cook

Amazon Smart Oven

Get More Help from Alexa in the Kitchen

The Smart Oven is a combination microwave, convection oven, air fryer, and food warmer. The oven will let you know when it has preheated and when cooking has been completed. Use the Alexa app to scan compatible food packages to automatically send instructions to the device.

Available November 14, 2019.

Alexa in Your Ear

Echo Buds

Alexa To Go

Equipped with Bose Active Noise Reduction Technology, the Echo Buds gives you access to music, audio books, and more with Alexa. The Buds have 5 hours of charge on their own and up to 20 hours when stored in the included case. The Buds are sweat-resistant and will have support for Siri and Google Assistant.

Available October 30, 2019.

Improve Your Audio

Nebula Soundbar

Home Theater Upgrade

Partnering with Anker, Amazon is releasing a soundbar with Fire TV and support for 4K HDR content. The sound bar has two speakers and two subwoofers built-in to provide an upgrade to TV speakers.

Available November 21, 2019.

Cube Improved

Fire TV Cube (2nd Gen)

The Living Room Controller Improves

Though the appearance remains the same, the processing power of the second-generation Cube gets doubled with added support for Dolby Vision and HDR 10+. Local Voice Control allows for some Alexa commands to be processed locally rather than on a server leading to a four-fold speed improvement.

Available October 10, 2019.

Smart Glasses

Echo Frames

Alexa in Your Glasses

These eyeglass frames are outfitted with speakers near your ears as well as a touchpad, control buttons, and a status indicator. Use Alexa hands-free and setup for use with Google Assistant. The frames come with a charging cable.

Available by Invitation.

One to Rule Them All

Echo Loop

Alexa on Your Finger

The Loop is an Alexa-equipped ring that is activated by a button on the side. The Loop has a built-in microphone and speaker to listen to your commands and feed you information. Available by invitation only. If Amazon accepts your invitation, they’ll send you a kit to get your ring size. The ring comes with a charging cradle.

Available by Invitation.

Other Devices and Announcements

Amazon announced a number of additional products adding to the Fire TV and Ring product lines. They’ve also announced useful features and development news to give an idea of where Alexa will go next year.

Other Products

Other Features and Announcements

Here is a brief description of some additional announcements from Amazon. I have left out items talking about specific software developments.

Privacy Setting to Auto-delete voice recordings after 3 month period
Multilingual Mode for Alexa (US - English and Spanish)
Celebrity Voices for Alexa (Samuel L. Jackson will be the first)
Frustration Detection when You Communicate to Alexa
Alexa Guest Connect to Allow Guests to Load Their Amazon Profile
FreeTime Experience for Echo Show Devices (kids mode)
Certified-for-Humans (a standard for frustration-free device setup)
Alexa Control of WiFi Routers (eero, Asus, TP-Link)
Alexa Hunches (to remind you of upcoming or routine tasks)
Improvements to Alexa Guard
Amazon Sidewalk (a low power, low bandwith network to connect devices needing a longer range than WiFi and Bluetooth)
General Motors Alexa Integration
Day 1 Edition Products - designed for limited release to receive customer feedback to launch in larger quantities later

Conclusion

Amazon has been busy this year and has an ambitious plan to get more of its devices into your home. I’m happy to see that they are using customer feedback and usage information to make improvements even if they are only incremental.

For example, the echo dot with a clock will most likely be the preferred option for buyers as you can also see that the timer is active on your dot. Being able to see the time is another convenience. Improvements in other products appear to better integrate into your network and offer performance upgrades.

Other products like the Loop and Frames are experimental products. Even Amazon has acknowledged this by releasing them as Day 1 edition products for limited release. Amazon will use early feedback to determine if in fact these products will be viable. This should help Amazon from falling flat on its face for product release (remember the Fire Phone?).

Although it wasn’t at the center of their announcements, Amazon is continuing to improve on offering the ability to make privacy setting adjustments. This is important as these devices multiply in our home and become more connected to each other and our lives.

With it’s Fire TV lineup and the multilingual mode, Amazon is continuing to push to international markets. It will be interesting to see how Amazon grows their presence worldwide.

Here are the top three products that I am interested in. I’d definitely would want to see some reviews before considering buying them.