Amazon is set to take the (virtual) stage tomorrow and is likely to unveil a whole host of new hardware alongside the next generation of Echo speakers and more. While Amazon has been largely tight-lipped about what’s next, we have seen some early FCC listings pop up today alongside general assumptions that allow us to paint a picture of what’s likely on the way. I’ll take a deeper look at five products expected to come out of the Amazon virtual keynote tomorrow and explore how those announcements might shape the Black Friday shopping season.
Amazon virtual keynote: What’s likely to be unveiled?
At least year’s event, Amazon unveiled nearly 15 different devices at last year’s event, and you can likely expect 2020 to be more of the same. The big question is: Will Amazon go down the experimental road as far as it has in recent years or stick with the more sure-thing products?
Last year’s event delivered new speakers but also offered broader swipes by Amazon with its Alexa-enabled Frames and Oven, which has largely been hit or miss in adoption at this point. That’s largely due to its initial beta period that didn’t attract a lot of attention.
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s event, there’s a handful of likely additions on the way that should expand Amazon’s lineup of Alexa-enabled devices. Here are our top five predictions from tomorrow’s Amazon virtual keynote.
1) New Fire TV Stick
This one we’re pretty certain of: Amazon has already submitted its Fire TV Stick Lite to the FCC, so it’s been pretty widely known that this addition is likely on the way. It will replace Amazon’s current $40 dongle and is slated to be the beneficiary of the Alexa remote other streamers in the brand’s stable have received. Be sure to keep an eye on the price here. If it falls to under $30, then that means a likely holiday price of $20, which would be particularly notable.
2) Echo Dot gets another reboot
It’s been two years since we got a true Echo Dot reboot. Last time around, Amazon introduced the Echo Dot with Clock, but the fabric design is starting to get a bit long in the tooth. Look for Amazon to do something new here, but hold steady at the $50 price point, since Echo Flex is now holding down the bottom of the lineup.
3) More smart lights
Last year, Amazon introduced Echo Glow, which is a direct Philips Hue Go competitor. But this time around, I think Amazon is going to come to the party with even more smart lighting. They recently expanded Ring’s lineup of outdoor lights, but I’d expect to see Amazon-branded lights this time around.
4) Echo Studio becomes more affordable
It’s hard to know exactly how much of a hit the Echo Studio has been with buyers, as Amazon largely keeps those numbers close to the vest. However, I think it’s safe to say it was the high-end market disruptor that Amazon envisioned. I think that Amazon will largely keep the lineup the same tomorrow but do some price adjusting, including dropping the Echo Studio down a notch in MSRP.
5) The wild card? A Fire TV gaming system
I think it’s within the realm of possibility that Amazon releases an affordable Fire TV gaming system with a slew of titles available on its digital storefront. Of course, you won’t likely find any AAA titles here, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Amazon take another hack at the gaming world.
What would you like to see at tomorrow’s event? Sound off in the comments below. We’ll be covering all the announcements and more on Thursday.
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