Amazon plans to rebuild its devices around Alexa Plus and introduce premium products

Amazon’s senior vice president of devices and services, Panos Panay, aims to transform gadgets with Alexa and create a new ecosystem around the recently introduced Alexa Plus assistant with premium devices, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

Panay is focused on creating new premium gadgets that will complement products in the mid-range and budget price categories. With the launch of more expensive devices, Amazon hopes to give customers more options and revive interest in Alexa, which has begun to lose popularity in recent years.

Panay plans to completely reengineer the hardware, from the chips inside to the design and materials. He says that no matter what price point the new products fall into, they will be built with the same care and attention. This includes improved speaker sound, extended battery life, and enhanced security.

The foundation of the new ecosystem will be the AI assistant Alexa Plus, which Amazon offers for $19.99 per month or as part of an Amazon Prime subscription. With updated chips with "edge processing," the new devices will be able to perform more calculations on their own, which will reduce response times and improve privacy.

Panay also hinted that Amazon's future gadget lineup could include augmented reality glasses and wearables. He also didn't rule out an update for the Astro home robot. The first products in the new series are planned to be introduced in the fall of 2025.