Amazon recently introduced Alexa+, its big AI upgrade to the popular assistant. But there’s a hardware transformation in the works too, per a new report, and it sounds a lot like Amazon’s upcoming devices will follow the Apple playbook.
‘There won’t be a corner cut’ with new Amazon devices
Today at Bloomberg, Mark Gurman reported on Amazon’s plan to transform its hardware division.
Joining Alexa+ as a new era for Amazon software, devices chief Panos Panay is planning a new era for hardware too.
Panay is pledging to reengineer Amazon’s hardware, from the gadgets’ silicon guts to the design and materials. Whether they fall into the “entry, core or signature” tier, he said, they’ll get the same care and attention. The speakers will sound better, battery life will improve, and the devices will boast the best security available, Panay said.
“I want perfection in every single product that we ship — period,” he told Bloomberg News, while providing few specifics. “There won’t be a corner cut.”
Panay was previously head of Microsoft’s hardware division, where he led the launch of the successful Surface line of products.
Now at Amazon, he aims to bring care and attention to the company’s devices in what seems to be a very Apple-like approach.
Some other key tidbits from Gurman’s article include:
- “Panay hinted that augmented reality glasses and new wrist-worn devices could be part of the lineup.”
- Amazon is also reportedly going to be much more selective about the products it launches, by identifying “the ones that matter most” per Panay
9to5Mac’s Take
Amazon has historically been content shipping low-cost, low-quality hardware, so this sounds like a major shift for its device strategy.
We won’t see the fruits of the company’s new approach until this fall, per the report. However, I’m curious to see what the company can achieve under Panay’s direction.
What do you think about Amazon’s new device strategy? Let us know in the comments.
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