Amazon event LIVE — Alexa+, Echo Studio, color Kindle Scribe, Fire TV, 4K Ring and more announced

Welcome to our Amazon event live blog!

Come one, come all — Amazon is getting ready to unleash some brand new devices at an exclusive event happening today in Tribeca, New York. Unlike some other high-profile tech launches, this one won't be livestreamed.

However, the Tom's Guide team have secured our invites and will be there to check out firsthand what Amazon is going to reveal. We'll keep this live blog going all day, so you'll get the latest build-up and up-to-the-minute information on what new products are arriving.

More Alexa+ news?

We would be very surprised if Amazon didn’t say anything about Alexa+ at tomorrow’s event. We haven’t heard much since the AI-powered assistant was announced in February, except that it was being released to early adopters.

We’ve been using it since the late spring — I spent two weeks trying Alexa+ when it first came out, and my colleague Amanda Caswell has also used Alexa+ in her home to see how well it worked with her family..

Now that Alexa+ has had a few months to be road tested, we think that Amazon will roll it out more fully to all users.

Alexa+ ads...

While we're on the topic of Alexa+, I've got my fingers crossed that ads on Alexa+ is something Amazon won’t announce.

Back in August, CEO Andy Jassy broached the possibility that Alexa+ might start delivering ads. We haven’t seen this yet, though Alexa+ is still in its testing phase.

But as we start introducing more smart tech into our homes, we shouldn't be surprised if we see extra adverts as a result. Samsung has already confirmed it's going to start posting adverts to the screens on its smart fridges.

New Echo devices

This prediction seems pretty obvious. As we’ve noted, it’s been a few years since Amazon has released a new Echo device, so we think its lineup of smart speakers and displays is due for a refresh.

While there’s nothing wrong with the best Echo speakers, we think Amazon would want to unveil new devices to go along with a refreshed Alexa+. One possibility is that the new smart speakers will have updated processors to allow for more on-device AI features. That way, they can respond faster to requests.

Fire TV devices seem likely

Just last week, we saw a leak that Amazon is going to replace the Android-based OS on its Fire TV devices with a new operating system called Vega OS. If that’s the case, Amazon might also use today's event to reveal new Fire TV devices.

Like Amazon’s smart speakers, the company’s streaming sticks are also a couple of years old — the Fire TV Stick 4K was released in 2023, and the third-gen Fire TV Cube came out in 2022.

Smart glasses?

Now, this would be really something. Amazon has had Echo Frames smart glasses for a while, but they’ve lacked a camera and have really fallen behind rival Meta and all of its smart glasses. And now Meta has announced the Ray-Ban Display, it behooves Amazon to respond in kind.

Indeed, reports have found that Amazon is working on some smart glasses to compete with Meta. Now that Alexa+ is far more capable, it makes more sense than before.

A Kindle Scribe color edition could be revealed

Amazon announced four new Kindle e-readers last year, including the Colorsoft Signature Edition, the first Kindle to support a color display. It would make sense that Panos Panay continues the Kindle momentum at today's event.

Rumors suggest we could see a color version of Amazon's Kindle Scribe. The second-generation version was released last year, but kept the monochrome screen.

And if you look at the invite for today's event (pictured below), you'll see the Kindle logo in color with a few words in the top-right corner. Those words include “stroke of a pen” which makes me think this Scribe rumor is absoloutely on the money.

What about a smaller Kindle?

Last month, a Redditor spotted what looked like a prototype of a smaller Kindle, allegedly called the "Kindle Petit Color".

The Redditor, Successful_Bear4855, writing in Portuguese, shared a couple of images and suggested this device will have a better screen than the Kindle Colorsoft and would be released in November. If true, then I'd almost certainly expect it to be revealed at today's event.

The Kindle ColorSoft is among the best Kindle e-readers, but has been hard to recommend because of its much higher price. So this could either be a smaller and more pocketable version or a stripped-back edition that compromises on some features to keep the price down.

Decoding Amazon's event invite

Even though Amazon won't be livestreaming this event, the company has sent us a nicely cryptic invite to the event in New York today. We've already examined one quarter of the invite on the bottom right — probably a new Kindle Scribe. But what about the rest of the image?

Top left is likely a reference to a new Amazon Echo speaker, which could be a standard Echo or possibly an updated Echo Studio? We haven't seen a new one since 2023.

Top right is obviously Alexa's iconic blue ring inside a very faint circle. That could be simply a nod to Alexa+ (which I think will make up a lot of the keynote) or, possibly, a nod towards Ring cameras. In June, owners of Ring cameras and doorbells got access to a new AI-powered feature called Video Descriptions. So I wonder if a new lineup of Ring cameras with even more AI power is on the docket for today's event?

Finally, the bottom left looks like a TV screen. Which could mean a couple of things. Most likely, we're getting some new Fire TV devices, but there are also strong rumors Vega OS will be revealed today. Whether this becomes a de facto alternative to Roku OS in the years to come remains to be seen.

Vega OS seems almost certain

Let's stick with Vega OS for just a second here. It seems pretty certain we'll hear about it today and I remember covering its existence myself all the way back in 2023.

If you've not kept up with it (and I admit, I haven't) Vega is a Linux-based OS that Amazon built to replace Fire OS — a fork of open source Android. It's already in use on devices like the Echo Show 5 and Echo Smart Hub displays, but making the jump to TVs (or Fire tablets) hasn't yet happened.

In April 2025, LowPass reported that Amazon will release its “first TV streaming device powered by its still-unannounced Vega OS later this year.” Why has it taken so long? Well, since Vega OS requires all new apps to be written in a web-forward format, Amazon has been busy “courting major publishers" to bring their apps on board.

At present, Google and Roku both have their own TV-based operating systems that compete with Amazon's current Fire TV. Vega could be the opening salvo in a brand new battle for the best TV platform out there. Fingers crossed, we hear more about this long-awaited development today.

The only Kindle I want from Amazon will probably never happen

If you're happy to indulge me for just a second, then let me tell you about the one Kindle that I really, really loved.

Many years ago (2016, actually), I picked up a Kindle Oasis e-reader, and it's become one of my favorite-ever devices. Impossibly thin and light with a great screen, a one-handed wedge-type design, physical buttons and a charging cover that snaps on and off beautifully.

It was a great product. And Amazon killed it back in 2024. Probably because it cost twice as much as the Paperwhite and people just didn't buy it.

Will we ever see another Kindle Oasis? I highly doubt it (and I've been wanting one for years), but even if Amazon just pulled an Apple and refreshed it with a new color and a USB-C port like the AirPods Max, I'd be happy.

It'll probably never happen, but that doesn't stop me wishing for it.

Something we probably won't see or hear about

Although I expect Alexa+ to be the headline act of today's event, I also hope Amazon takes a laser focus to its new tool rather than the scattershot approach it usually favors. Do you remember way back in 2019 (and if you don't, I don't blame you) when Amazon started putting Alexa in basically everything?

Case in point: the Amazon Smart Oven pictured above. Which itself followed on from an Alexa-enabled microwave the year before. We already have a plethora of AI-enabled devices and the last thing Amazon needs to do is crowd the market with more.

I don't think we're going to hear about an Amazon Smart Oven 2 at today's event, but I'll be waiting to understand how Alexa+ is going to make interacting with Amazon devices more accurate and useful. We've just learned today that Google could be working on a way to use AI in the smart home to filter notifications more effectively. Amazon may want to take note.

We have arrived!

The doors are just about to open and we are at the event ready to find out what Amazon has in store for its devices and services. We won't be able to get into for another 20 minutes, but as soon as we do, we'll bring you any news as it happens.

Checking in

We're checking into the Amazon event, and we're excited to see what Amazon has up its sleeve for new devices and perhaps even Alexa Plus.

Is it time for some Echo Buds?

It's been a while since Amazon unleashed its Echo Buds, with the most recent iteration having been released in 2023. Based on the two-year cycle we've seen from the company, 2025 seems like the perfect time to put a new pair out. While we can't say for sure whether Amazon will or won't announce the headphones today, we're hopeful the company does and they include some type of Alexa+ integration.

What has you the most excited?

It's time for you to have your say! Vote in the poll above and let us know which of the rumored Amazon devices you're most excited for!

We're hungry... For announcements!

And some pretty decent food being served at the event!

And we are ready

We've taken our seats in the auditorium and we are ready for whatever Amazon has to show off.

Counting down... And Panos Panay

We're just about 10 minutes away from Amazon's event kicking off, and we're counting down the minutes until we learn more about what Amazon has up its sleeve.

Amazon's executives are arriving now, with Panos Panay walking in as we speak.

Check it out!

As mentioned, we're here, and if you want a glimpse into what's happening at the event, our Global Editor in Chief, Mark Spoonauer, posted a quick video of people filing in, which you can see above.

And here we go!

We're starting off with a video, where a voice highlights Amazon's ethos around Alexa+. "We believe technology should fade into the background...it should all be invisible."

"It's just a simple moment, backed by something magical."

Then Panos Panay takes the stage.

The distraction of phones

"I want to talk about the dinner table...My family tries to have dinner as many times as possible... When we get together, it's a big deal," Panos says.

"And we're trying to have dinner without our phones...One or two extra questions..let me search it up."

You know this feeling? That moment is powerful for a lot of reasons.

Something happens when we pull out our phones - we gets texts, notifications...

Technology may have helped you in one way, but it hurt you in another."

"With Alexa+, there's now a shift of balance at the table."

Panay says that Alexa+ and ambient AI allows family members to still remain present in the moment, while still being able to get answers for things.

Ring up first

"Ring reimagined what the doorbell can be."

A few months ago, Ring video descriptions gives a glimpse of how AI can improve how you can search for video from your home security cameras, Panos says. He uses an example of when he and his son were watching a football game, and the Ring camera recorded "two people jumping on the couch."

Jamie Siminoff, the founder of Ring, who rejoined the company earlier this year, then takes the stage.

Ring RetinalVision

Siminoff announces Ring Retinal Vision - a multistep process that combine video with AI to deliver more powerful and effective devices.

Retinal Tuning - allows you to customize the clarity of the cameras based on its location. AI analyzes your camera for up to two weeks, and then fine-tunes the camera's sensitivity to deliver the best picture.

The first two products announced:

Ring Wired Doorbell Plus 2K ($179.

Indoor Cam Plus 2K ($59)

4K cameras - Finally

Doug then announces a new suite of video doorbells and cameras that have 4K quality - a first for Ring, and a feature that brings it up to par with many of its competitors. The highlight is probably the Ring Wired Doorbell Pro 4K ($249), though he also mentions that there will be Power-Over-Ethernet too.

Alexa+ Greetings

Ring's new 2K and 4K doorbells will soon feature Alexa+ Greetings , which uses AI to recognize familiar faces and deliver customized greetings. In addition, if someone unfamiliar approaches the door, it will ask questions so that you get the best idea of who's knocking. No more solicitors?

This feature will roll out in December. Hopefully it won't deter carolers.

Search Party

Now this is cool - Search Party is new features that helps reuinite lost dogs with their families.

If your dog does missing, you add it to the Ring camera, and then that alert will be sent to other Ring owners near you, so they can see what your pup looks like, and they can then look at their videos to see if he walked

Will roll out in November, and then lost cats and other pets will be added.

Now on to Blink

Amy Wiedemann takes the stage, and shares an anecdote about a family whose house burned down - they were alerted not by a smoke alarm, but a Blink camera that detected the fire.

Now on to the hardware:

Blink Outdoor 2K+ ($89) This looks like an update to our favorite budget outdoor security camera

Blink Mini 2K+ ($49)- This indoor device is its most advanced compact camera yet, Wiedemann says.

Blink Arc: $99 A new dual-lens camera that gives you a 180-degree panorama of your backyard. Stitches two video feeds into one. "No more switching between two camera feeds." This looks pretty innovative.

All three cameras are available for preorder today.

Fire TV time

Amazon is refreshing its Fire TV lineup, with new versions of the Omni, as well as 2- and 4-series.

Omni - Starting at $479, with a 60% brighter screen, 40% faster processor, and OmniSense presence sensor, which will turn the TV when you walk into the room. The TVs will also get Dialogue Boost, which makes it easier to hear what people are saying. The 2-series will start at $159, and the 4-Series will start at $329.

In addition, it's launching a new Fire TV Stick 4K Select for $39.

What's more, all of these devices will use the new Linux-based VegaOS operating system. You shouldn't see a difference between it and the FireOS, though. Developers can use C++ to write apps.

All devices are available for preorder starting today.

Alexa+ on Fire TVs

Early Access Alexa+ users are using it twice as much as those with the old Alexa. You can ask for things like "show me shows with chaotic bosses," and you might get recommendations like "30 Rock."

Alexa+ is also better at finding you live sports across services, and can even give you recaps of games. Even better, thanks to a partnership with MLB.TV, Alexa+ will show you highlights from the game, too.

We now get a request about Clayton Kershaw, complete with highlights from the pitcher's outings.

Amazon has also indexed a ton of sports movies on Amazon Prime, so you can simply say "Show me the scene where Roy Hobbs hits the home run," and it'll jump right to the scene where the ball knocks out the lights. However, it only works with Prime Video.

A color Kindle Scribe

Panos comes back to introduce new Kindles.

We start with a sizzle reel for the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft- an 11-inch paperwhite display, which looks pretty cool.

Panay holds it up in front of everyone - it's just 5.4mm thick, 400 grams, so it's super-light. The stylus looks like it attaches magnetically to the side. Panay seems real jazzed about this.

"When you're writing, it feels like you're writing on paper."

The Scribe is 40% faster, with latency under 12ms when you're writing.

Next, he holds up the Colorsoft version, and it looks amazing. "This brings real-world colors, and doesn't blast your eyes." The model he's holding also has a reddish case,

"This is a product I can't wait for you to use.."

Some new Kindle Scribe tricks and pricing

More on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and its interconnectivity.

Quick Notes - a new digital scratchpad app. A new Workspace tab lets you better organize all your notes.

Now you can import and export from Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive, and sent notes and documents to Alexa+.

AI-powered notebook search: You can use Alexa+ to search through all your notes and notebooks to better find what it is you're looking for.

Two new Kindle features: Using a new beta feature, AI will give you a recap of what happened, in case you put down a book and then picked it up some time later. Ask This Book will let you ask questions about characters, plot lines, and themes. And no spoilers!

The Kindle Colorsoft won't be cheap: $629!

All new Echo devices, built for Alexa+

Amazon is launching four new Echo devices, tailored for Alexa+

The Echo and Echo Dot use a new 3D-knit fabric, and now the volume controls are much more prominent. A light ring encircles the controls.Panos hands off the Echo Dot to a journalist in the front row so they can touch it.

Echos now use new AZ3 and AZ3 Pro chips, which have AI processing built right in. They also have OmniSense built in, which helps give Alexa+ better contextual awareness by getting information from a variety of sensors.

Echo Dot Max: $99 Two drivers (older Dots have just one) for triple the sound.

Echo Studio: $219 Most advanced and best-sounding Echo. Three full-range drivers, designed for spatial audio and Dolby Atmos. It's much smaller than the very old Echo Studio, which looked like a subwoofer.

Echo Show 8 ($179) -

Echo Show 11 ($219) -

13MP camera on both devices. Each has a more rounded backside than previous Echo Shows, designed so that the sound is better at filling a room.

Alexa Home Theater

Alexa+ works with the largest collection of services for the smart home. For example, you can use Alexa+ to more easily create smart home routines, but just using your voice. As a result, it's also leading to a 2x jump in smart home adoption.

Now, Amazon is announcing Alexa Home Theater - now, you can use new Alexa smart speakers to create an ad-hoc surround-sound system. This seems pretty neat, though you could probably get a decent 5.1 system for about the same as three Echo Studios and two Echo Dot Maxes.

Alexa+ in all new devices

Panos comes back on the stage to wrap things up, and announces that Alexa+ will come out of the box with all the new devices announced today.

Now, we're heading to the hands-on section, so stay tuned for all of our posts!

All the new hardware announced at the event

Amazon announced a significant number of products in a very short period. It's hard to keep track of everything, especially with no livestream to watch yourself. Don't worry, though, because we've compiled a list of all the new hardware available, which you will find right here:

• Ring Wired Doorbell Pro ($249.99)
• Wired Doorbell Plus ($179.99)
• Outdoor Cam Pro ($199.99)
• Outdoor Cam Pro (299.98 PoE)
• Spotlight Cam Pro ($249.99)
• Spotlight Cam Pro ($349.98 PoE)
• Floodlight Cam Pro ($279.99)
• Indoor Cam Plus ($59.99)
• Wired Doorbell Elite ($499.99)
• Blink Outdoor 2K+ ($89.99)
• Blink Mini 2K+ ($49.99)
• Blink Arc ($99.99)
• Fire TV Stick 4K Select ($39.99)
• Omni QLED Series (starts at $479.99)
• Omni 4-Series (starts at $329.99)
• Omni 2-Series (starts at $159.99)
• Kindle Scribe ($499.99)
• Kindle Scribe Colorsoft ($629.99)
• Kindle Scribe without a front light ($429.99)
• Echo Dot Max ($99.99)
• Echo Studio ($219.99)
• Echo Show 8 ($179.99)
• Echo Show 11 ($219.99)

Want to know more about Ring?

Amazon announced several new features and details about its upcoming Ring devices. A lot. Thankfully, we've broken it all down in one easy-to-read piece so you can figure out which (if any) of Amazon's new devices are for you.

• Ring announces 4K doorbell with Alexa+ AI greetings and new Search Party feature for pets

Color Scribe looks fantastic

Look at how nice that screen is! Amazon has created what could be one of the best Kindle devices with this new release.

Obviously, we'll need to review it to make a proper judgment call, but it seems promising from our brief time with it.

What happens when Alexa+ helps a busy family?

We've had some time to test Alexa+ and our AI Editor, Amanda Caswell, put it to the test in her home with all of her kids to see if it could help tame some of the chaos.

Based on Amazon's presentation, the features sound incredible, and it turns out, they really are quite impressive, even from the perspective of someone who's seen it all when it comes to AI.

• I upgraded to Alexa+ for my busy family — here’s what it did surprisingly well

Amazon needs to sell a lot of these to pay its $2.5 billion fine

Amazon has been saddled with a massive fine for allegedly misleading customers into continuing its Prime service. As such, Amazon will want its new devices to be quite popular to recoup that cost (not that Amazon is hurting for money). It seems to be off to a good start, as overall impressions from the floor seem pretty positive.

More info on the Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio

If you're intrigued by what Amazon is doing with the Echo devices, you're not alone. Here's a full rundown of the company's plans:

• Amazon unveils new Echo Dot Max and Studio speakers with Atmos and Alexa+ support

Now that event is wrapping up, have some fun!

Give our Amazon devices-themed crossword a puzzle a try and see how well you know Amazon's hardware and software.

And that's a wrap!

Here's a recap of everything Amazon announced at its giant event (between software and hardware, there was a ton).

• Alexa+
• Ring Search Party
• New immersive features to watch the NBA on Prime
• Build your own home theater with Echo
• Ring Wired Doorbell Pro ($249.99)
• Wired Doorbell Plus ($179.99)
• Outdoor Cam Pro ($199.99)
• Outdoor Cam Pro (299.98 PoE)
• Spotlight Cam Pro ($249.99)
• Spotlight Cam Pro ($349.98 PoE)
• Floodlight Cam Pro ($279.99)
• Indoor Cam Plus ($59.99)
• Wired Doorbell Elite ($499.99)
• Blink Outdoor 2K+ ($89.99)
• Blink Mini 2K+ ($49.99)
• Blink Arc ($99.99)
• Fire TV Stick 4K Select ($39.99)
• Omni QLED Series (starts at $479.99)
• Omni 4-Series (starts at $329.99)
• Omni 2-Series (starts at $159.99)
• Kindle Scribe ($499.99)
• Kindle Scribe Colorsoft ($629.99)
• Kindle Scribe without a front light ($429.99)
• Echo Dot Max ($99.99)
• Echo Studio ($219.99)
• Echo Show 8 ($179.99)
• Echo Show 11 ($219.99)

5 bits of new Amazon hardware coming your way

Amazon's fall hardware event revealed that a bunch of cool new products are on the way, and if you want the lowdown on what's happening be sure to check out of list of the 5 coolest new devices that are coming.

We're talking brand new Amazon Fire TVs, plus new Fire sticks, a color version of the Kindle Scribe, brand new Echo speaker, upgraded Echo Show smart displays alongside upgraded Ring doorbells and Blink cameras.

We've got the details on every single one of those new devices, so check out our list of the 5 biggest hardware reveals from the Amazon event to find out more.

What, no smart glasses?

After the event, Tom's Guide sat down with Daniel Rausch, Amazon's vice president of Alexa+ and Echo, to ask him about the latest improvements to Alexa+ and Amazon's new smart speakers. We also asked him if Amazon was working on the next generation of Echo Frames smart glasses to compete with the likes of the meta Ray-Ban Display. Check out our interview to see what he said.