Everything Amazon Announced at Its Fall 2022 Hardware Event

Are you ready for a ton of new Amazon devices? During its Fall 2022 hardware event, Amazon announced a unique Kindle, an upgraded Echo Dot, business-oriented eero products, and even a bedside sleep tracker. Here’s what you need to know.

A New Generation of Echo Dot

We’re overdue for a new Echo speaker, right? Well, Amazon just revealed the 5th generation Echo Dot. It offers improved audio and an upgraded accelerometer for tap controls (tap the speaker to pause music, for example). There’s also a temperature sensor for expanded routines support.

More notably, the 5th gen Echo Dot Clock has a much larger and clearer “display.” It uses improved “dot technology” to show more information, including song titles or messages.

And for those with kids, there’s the new Echo Dot Kids Edition. It offers the same features as the standard Echo Dot, but it features a cute design and comes with a year of Kids+ for tons of free content. As with all Amazon Kids products, the Echo Dot Kids Edition comes with a two-year “no questions asked” warranty.

These new Echo devices also offer “eero Built-In,” meaning that they double as eero Wi-Fi extenders. They’re also confirmed to support Matter when it launches later this year.

Pre-orders for the 5th generation Echo Dot open today. You’ll pay $50 for the Echo Dot, $60 for the Echo Dot Clock, or $60 for the Echo Dot Kids Edition.

Jot Down Notes with Kindle Scribe

Amazon just introduced the Kindle Scribe, its first eReader with stylus support. It lets you make to-do lists, write notes during meetings, or jot down information in books. You can also send PDFs or other documents to the Kindle Scribe for markups.

The stylus included with Kindle Scribe is passive, meaning that it doesn’t use batteries or need to charge. It magnetically attaches to the side of the eReader, so I suggest using a carrying case if you plan to throw it in a backpack. (There’s also a “Pro” stylus upgrade, which you can bundle with the Kindle Scribe or purchase separately. It has a programmable button and a built-in eraser, which you would normally access by tapping an on-screen tool.)

Spec-wise, the Scribe uses a fairly large 10.20-inch 300 PPI display. It has a built-in front light that automatically adjusts to your environment.

Kindle Scribe is similar to products offered by BOOX and Kobo. The difference, of course, is that Kindle Scribe can access Amazon’s eBook store.

Pre-orders for the Kindle Scribe open today for $339.99. The stylus is included, and US customers get a four-month subscription to Amazon Kindle Unlimited with their purchase. (Bundled with the “Pro” stylus, Kindle Scribe costs $370. You can also buy the “Pro” stylus separately for $30.)

eero Gains a Power over Ethernet Boost

Instead of showing off new eero routers, Amazon has an eero Power over Ethernet access point. Called the eero PoE 6, it offers 2,000 square feet of coverage and supports Wi-Fi 6.

Power over Ethernet routers don’t need a dedicated power supply. They’re popular in enterprise environments, where routing cables can cost a ton of money. That said, you could use the eero PoE 6 to add Wi-Fi to your shed, or any remote location in your home that lacks an outlet.

The eero PoE 6 costs $300 and launches early next year. For business customers, Amazon will also sell an eero PoE Gateway, which costs $650, supports 10Gbps connections, and has multiple ports for wired internet.

Sleep Easy with Halo Rise

Wearing a smartwatch to bed sucks. I don’t care if you agree or not—wearing a watch to bed is just weird, and it makes charging your watch a chore. So, Amazon wants to put a sleep tracker on your bedside table.

The new Halo Rise uses “contactless sensors” and AI technology to track your sleep. It doesn’t contain any cameras or microphones, and it doesn’t require any apps. Still, it can give you insight into your sleep and help you build healthy habits.

Plus, Halo Rise can measure ambient light, humidity, and noise. It may tell you how to improve your environment for better sleep. And it doubles as a smart alarm clock, with a “natural” light that can slowly wake you from your slumber.

And if you use Alexa, you can integrate Halo Rise with your smart home routines. Laying in bed can bring down your lights, for example, or lock your doors.

Note that Halo Rise is only intended to track one person’s sleep. Pre-orders open at a later date for $140.

Alexa On the Road with the 2nd Gen Echo Auto

The first Echo Auto had potential, but it was a bit janky and bulky. That’s why Amazon is launching the 2nd gen Echo Auto. It uses a slimmer design, contains upgraded noise-canceling microphones, and comes with an adhesive mounting system.

New Alexa features bolster the Echo Auto’s capabilities. It can tell you when a restaurant order is ready for pickup, or send a warning if you forget to lock your doors when leaving home. (Of course, the latter feature requires a smart lock.)

A new roadside assistance feature lets you use Echo Auto to call for help. If you roll into a ditch or run out of gas, just ask Alexa to call for on-demand support.

The new Echo Auto costs $55. Amazon hasn’t announced pre-orders for this product, unfortunately.

Upgrades for the Astro Robot

Amazon has a few upgrades for its Astro robot. Most notably, Astro can now learn details about your home. You can teach Astro to recognize when your door is left open, for example, and it can warn you if it detects this during its patrol.

Pet recognition is also coming to Astro. The robot will soon recognize your cats or dogs, and can send you photos of them when you’re away from home. It’s a cute and interesting idea that Amazon built using its new Astro APK, which developers can use to enhance the robot’s capabilities.

And Astro will eventually work with Ring. If you have Amazon’s Virtual Security Guard, the Astro robot can respond to disturbances. It will approach and communicate with intruders, call police, or give you a live feed of whatever’s going on. (This feature seems most useful for businesses, and predictably, it will roll out as a business-only feature.)

Secure Your Home with Ring and Blink

First, there’s the new Ring Spotlight Cam Pro. It uses patented Ring Doorbell technology to identify people, objects, and packages with killer accuracy. It supports 3D Motion Detection and Bird’s Eye View, and it has integrated spotlights. Battery and wired options cost $230, while a solar-powered version is $240.

There’s also the Ring Spotlight Cam Plus. It’s a small upgrade over the original Spotlight Cam, though it has a cleaner design and comes in battery, wired, or solar configurations. It launches “soon” for $199.

For Blink customers, Amazon now offers the Blink Wired Floodlight Camera. It’s identical to Blink’s battery-powered floodlight cam, with the main difference being power. Since this new camera is wired, it can reach 2600 lumens—way more than the old model’s paltry 700 lumens. It launches for $100 later this year.

Oh, and Amazon showed off the Blink Mini Pan Tilt, a weird accessory that turns the Blink Mini into a motorized panning camera. It costs $30 and is available for pre-order today.

The Most Powerful Fire TV Cube to Date

For streamers who just can’t get enough, Amazon has a new Fire TV Cube. It has an upgraded design with curved edges and a fabric wrap, plus a processor that provides 20% more power than the previous generation TV Cube.

The new TV Cube supports 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, HDR, and Dolby Atmos. It also packs a new super-resolution upscaling feature, which automatically converts HD content into 4K. (Your 4K TV already does this. But Amazon’s product might be better at upscaling than your TV.)

Hands-free voice control is still the Fire TV Cube’s defining feature, and an upgraded four-microphone array ensures maximum accuracy when speaking to Alexa. Plus, an improved IR blaster interface lets the new Fire TV Cube control other devices in your home.

Amazon also added Wi-Fi 6E to the Fire TV Cube, which should improve its reliability in homes with a ton of internet-connected products. Of course, this feature requires a Wi-Fi 6E router.

Oh, and there’s a new Alexa Voice Remote Pro, which should work with all Fire TV devices. It has new backlit buttons, a remote finder feature, and two programmable buttons that can open streaming apps, run smart home routines, or pull up your favorite shows.

The new Fire TV Cube ships October 25th for $140. Amazon’s Alexa Voice Remote Pro arrives in November for $35.