Amazon has skipped a single fall hardware event this year, instead announcing devices weekly through October. According to Engadget, devices chief Panos Panay said the change reflects a lesson from last year's event, when only two products got real attention and everything else was quickly forgotten.
The new lineup includes three Alexa tablets that replace Fire tablets, priced from $230 to $500, with Android 16 and direct access to the Google Play Store. They launch October 14 in North America and October 19 in Europe. Amazon has also introduced new Kindles, Ring smart home gear, and an updated Fire TV Stick 4K, with more Alexa-branded devices teased.
The drip-feed approach may keep each product in front of consumers longer, but it also means buyers have to track multiple announcements. The move to Android and Google Play addresses a longtime Fire tablet complaint, though the new tablets reportedly lack a microSD card slot for storage expansion.