Amazon unveils new generation of AI-powered Kindle and other devices

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NEW YORK (AP) — Online juggernaut Amazon Inc. unveiled its next generation of Kindle, Ring and Echo devices, among other gadgets, that are all powered by artificial intelligence and connected to Alexa+, its AI-infused personal assistant, which made its debut in February.

The lineup, announced at a presentation and showcase in New York, includes new cameras for its Ring video monitoring device with a new AI facial recognition feature that allows users to register friends and family and notify them who is at the front door.

Amazon unveiled four new Echo devices revamped with Alexa+ that serve up personalized insights like whether the user left the front door unlocked after midnight. The Seattle-based company also announced a series of Alexa+-infused Fire TVs that offer more personalized searches like finding a specific scene in a movie or getting commentary about last night's football game.

The presentation Tuesday was the first big product event for Panos Panay, who joined Amazon in 2023 to head up the company's devices and services teams after a 19-year career at Microsoft where he served as chief product officer.

Panay told the audience of several hundred journalists and bloggers that Alexa+ and artificial intelligence are allowing technology to work "in the background when you don't.”

“Products creating subtle shifts in all our behavior, driven by AI, integrated into the hardware,” Panay said. “And flowing natural through the products themselves. Whether it’s a camera catching what you missed. Or your Fire TV updating you on a game. Or your Kindle remembering exactly where you left off.”

Amazon’s effort to infuse more AI into its device line-up is part of technology’s latest craze as all the industry’s major players jockey to gain the upper hand.

The battle so far has focused on leveraging AI to make smartphones even smarter and turn digital assistants into more conversational and versatile companions better equipped to help people manage their lives.

So far Samsung and Google have been making more significant strides with the AI features on their devices than Apple has made with the iPhone, which still doesn’t have all the tools that the company promised more than a year ago. Meanwhile, OpenAI has joined forces with former Apple design guru Jony Ive to work on a wearable device built on AI technology

PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore wrote in a note Tuesday that the Amazon offerings were “a much needed refresh to the lineup, as it was starting to look a bit dated.”

“Attention to detail may not grab headlines, but it should not be overlooked, especially how the products look and feel, ” he wrote."The latest generation of devices is designed to blend into users’ lives without them realizing they exist ... Alexa+ is clearly the glue that holds the stack together..."

Here are some highlights:

Amazon has been expanding its home security features since the company bought Wi-Fi-connected cameras and doorbell maker Ring in 2018. Amazon said Tuesday that it's infusing the device with more technology and upgraded cameras that will transform the device into a doorbell attendant and community tool for pet owners among other new uses.

Amazon said the ring cameras with retinal vision now come with 2K resolution for sharper detail and 4K resolution video. Amazon's new AI facial recognition feature called “Familiar Faces,” allows the user to register friends and family. The smart doorbell, infused with Alexa+, will also be able to manage deliveries and provide instructions for delivery workers among other tasks.

For pet owners, Amazon has a new feature that helps owners reunite lost dogs with their families. It works like this: A neighbor reports a lost dog in the Ring app, which would notify people nearby with a Ring camera. The cameras would then use AI to look for a possible match with the lost dog.

Ring Wired Doorbell Pro, priced at $249.99 and Wired Doorbell Plus, priced at $179.99, among other Ring cameras, will be available for pre-order on Tuesday, Amazon said. Ring's “Search Party” for dogs will begin rolling out in November, followed by cats and other pets. And Alexa+ Greetings and Familiar Faces will be offered in December, the company said.

Amazon unveiled new versions of the Kindle Scribe that the company touts as lighter and faster and features an AI-powered notebook search. One of them includes a color screen.

The new Scribes feature larger 11-inch, glare-free E Ink screens — up from 10.2 inches previously. They now weigh 400 grams compared to 433 grams for last year’s version, the company said. Executives noted that at 5.4 millimeters thick, these new versions are thinner than the iPhone Air, which measures 5.6 millimeters.

The new versions of Scribes will allow users to access documents stored on Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, the company said.

Amazon said that later this year in the U.S., Kindle Scribe will be available starting at $499.99 and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft will be offered starting at $629.99.

Amazon unveiled four new Echo loud speaker devices — the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 — that are specifically for Alexa+ and allow for more personalized experiences.

The new offering, which starts at $99.99, comes as Amazon reports that those customers with early access to Alexa+ are engaging with the personal assistant twice as much and relying on it to do tasks like booking reservations and controlling smart home devices.

The new features recognize users and churn out personalized insights such as an analysis of how they slept last night.

The company said that all four new Echo devices are available for pre-order starting Tuesday.

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AP Technology Writer Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report.