Smart home
Amazon Alexa Is Finally Getting Generative AI
Here’s a roundup of all the major announcements Amazon made at its fall hardware launch event on Wednesday:
All-new Echo Show 8 smart display launched
Amazon kicked off its fall event by announcing the all-new Echo Show 8. The new smart display features spatial audio support and smart home hub functionality. Echo Show 8 can also ‘sense’ acoustics in a room, and adjust the sound output accordingly. It features a new proximity sensor, a front-facing camera at the top with a physical switch to turn off its microphone. The all-new Echo Show 8 is available for pre-orders in the US starting today, priced at $149.
Amazon Alexa gets generative AI capabilities
Amazon Alexa is finally getting generative AI. The company’s generative AI models will be available across all Echo-enabled devices, including the first-generation Echo smart speakers. Amazon says its generative AI model is designed and optimised for voice, and focuses on offering real-time information besides letting consumers control their smart home products more efficiently.
Alexa’s generative AI model will offer a much deeper conversational experience. Amazon will open up its API to allow third-party developers to add their own LLMs to Alexa. The AI model will enable Alexa to offer personal reminders based on user interactions. For example, Alexa will be able to recommend recipes based on your grocery purchases.
Amazon’s outgoing SVP of devices and services division, Dave Lim said that Alexa will now be able to understand conversations and reply back with proper context. Alexa will also be able to respond to multiple requests from one command.
Customers in the United States will get access to these new generative AI features on Alexa via a free preview soon. Amazon hasn’t announced when Echo users in other countries will be able to access these features.
New Fire TV Stick models, Fire TV Soundbar launched
Amazon also announced the launch of its next-generation Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and a new Fire TV Soundbar. The new Fire TV Stick models are powered by upgraded processors, and promise faster performance compared to previous generation models. Fire TV Stick 4K comes with support for Dolby Vision, Wi-Fi 6, HDR10 and HDR 10 Plus. Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which is just $10 more expensive than the standard 4K stick, offers twice the amount of storage (16GB) and Wi-Fi 6E support.
Fire TV Stick 4K Max is Amazon’s first streaming media player to support the Fire TV Ambient Experience. The feature was earlier limited to customers using Fire TV Omni QLED series TV models. Fire TV Stick 4K is priced at $49.99 and Fire TV Stick 4K Max ($59.99).
Fire TV Soundbar launched
Amazon also announced its new Fire TV Soundbar alongside new Fire TV updates. The new model comes in a compact 24-inch design, and is compatible with all existing Fire TV devices. It also supports Bluetooth connectivity, allowing customers to pair their devices when they’re not streaming content on the TV. The new Fire TV Soundbar is priced at $119.99 in the US.
An upgraded Fire TV experience powered by generative AI
Just like Alexa, Fire TV is also getting generative AI. The new Fire TV experience promises to improve search and recommendations by combining Fire TV’s extensive library with generative AI. Amazon says the new Fire TV experience will make it easier for customers to discover new content in a more conversational way. Customers will be able to ask Alexa to find content based on specific keywords such as actors, specific scenes, genres, etc.
All-new Amazon Echo Frames launched
At its fall event, Amazon announced a new version of its Echo Frames audio glasses. The next-generation Echo Frames now offer up to six hours of battery life. Amazon says you can now pair and switch frames between two devices. Priced starting at $269.99, Amazon’s new Echo Frames audio glass come in five new styles, including prescription-ready and blue light lens.
The new Echo Frames promise a much better audio quality with the new custom-built speakers that can deliver more bass while minimizing outside noise compared to their predecessors. The glasses look much more natural, and are designed to offer a complete hands-free experience.
Amazon Echo Hub smart home control panel announced
Amazon launched its all-new Echo Hub at its fall devices event today. The Echo Hub is the company’s first smart home controller that looks more like a simple touchscreen tablet than a smart display. It can be used to control your smart home experiences. The 8-inch tablet-like device runs the same operating system as the new Echo Show 5. However, it doesn’t come with a camera.
Echo Hub offers a customisable smart home dashboard that lets customers manage their smart home devices using a simple-to-use interface. Echo Hub uses infrared to detect when a customer is nearby, and automatically switches to the Home Screen. When the user is away, it can switch back to a default setting such as a clock. Echo Hub is priced at $179.99 in the US.
Apple TV Set Could Compete With Offerings From Popular TV Manufacturers
Gurman writes that Apple is “evaluating” the development of an “Apple-branded TV set” in his newsletter, which suggests that the company is at a very early stage. However, MacRumors points out that this is not the first time that word of Apple’s plans to make its own TV have surfaced online — the company was rumoured to be developing its own TV as early as 2009.
Apple’s purported TV set would arrive as part of several smart devices being developed by the company, according to Gurman. The journalist previously revealed that the first of these devices would be a wall-mounted smart home hub that could control other devices and offer support for features like video calling.
However, Gurman says that if the smart home hub fails, Apple could “rethink its smart home ambitions once again”. The company is said to be working on a more advanced version of the smart home hub, equipped with a robotic arm, that could arrive with a higher $1,000 (roughly Rs. 84,400) price tag.
If the company is thinking of developing its own TV set, the company would face competition from several manufacturers such as Sony, Samsung, LG, and Sharp — these firms offer a range of TVs across price models, while Apple can be expected to introduce a model with high-end specifications.
Apple’s TV set could also offer support for features available on its TV box that include Siri, HomeKit, and more. It’s currently unclear whether Apple will use the same operating system — tvOS — on the purported TV set.
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Apple’s Wall-Mounted Display Might Not Support Third-Party Apps
According to the report, Apple’s first smart home device powered by Apple Intelligence will comprise a 6-inch display that appears to resemble two iPhone units placed next to each other. It will reportedly be equipped with a camera and built-in speakers that enable support for video calls, and it can be used with optional bases that are equipped with speakers.
Apple is also developing a new operating system for the new wall-mounted display that is codenamed “Pebble”, according to Bloomberg. It will reportedly feature a customisable home screen that shows icons for various apps, while widgets will provide information at a glance.
The first-generation smart home device, codenamed J490, is expected to feature support for the company’s applications such as Apple News, Apple Music, FaceTime, and Safari, but it is unlikely to include an App Store, as per the report.
While the wall-mounted display is expected to operate independently, it will reportedly require an iPhone to be set up. There’s no word on the hardware powering the device, but we can expect to offer performance on par with Apple’s A17 Pro chip or an M1 chip, along with 8GB of RAM.
Apple has spent over three years on developing the new wall-mounted display and the company plans to launch the device in March 2025, according to the report. It could be available in black and silver colourways.
Meanwhile, another advanced smart home device that is equipped with a robotic arm that can move a display is reportedly in development. It is unclear when Apple plans to launch this device, but it could be priced as high as $1,000 (roughly Rs. 84,400). Meanwhile, the wall-mounted display is expected to have a much lower price tag, according to the report.
Apple Picks Goertek to Produce New Products Arriving in 2026
In a post on Medium, Kuo states that Apple is planning to launch its first smart home IP camera device in 2026, which will offer wireless connectivity with Apple’s other devices, as well as software integration with Siri and Apple Intelligence. According to supply chain analyst, the company is looking at a long-term goal of annual shipments of over 10 million, and has picked China-based Goertek to be the sole assembler for the product.
Apple’s second product will be an upgraded version of the company’s AirPods truly wireless stereo (TWS) earphones, Kuo claims. The analyst predicts that the company’s upcoming AirPods will also focus on health-related features, and that these earphones will be assembled by Goertek
Earlier this year, Apple announced that the AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) would be updated with support for using the headset as a hearing aid — the company received approval from the US FDA in September.
In 2023, a patent related to a wireless audio product was spotted online, that suggested Apple was working on AirPods sensors that could measure brain electrical activity, while another report claimed that Apple was designing a new AirPods Pro model that could monitor body temperature using inbuilt sensors.
Citing supply chain reports, Kuo claims that Goertek’s relationship has Apple has “normalised” in the second half of 2024, months after it lost many orders due to “supply compliance issues”. Goertek is expected to be the sole supplier for the smart home IP camera, and the primary supplier for the next-generation AirPods.
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