Amazon's 2020 hardware event is over, and while we didn't see anything as quite as bizarre as the Echo Frames or Echo Loop from 2019, there were a few announcements that came pretty close.
The big headline news is Amazon Luna, a new game streaming service to rival Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now. It's in early access now, and will get big Ubisoft titles like Assassin's Creed: Valhalla when they launch, as well as over 100 other titles.
Another huge announcement from the event was a new lineup of Amazon Echo speakers – all with strange, soccer ball-like designs, that are a huge departure from the Echo speakers of previous years.
Those were the big-ticket items announced at the Amazon event, but there was plenty more to get excited about, with everything from flying security camera drones to cutesy Echo Dot smart speakers with fun animal prints.
There was more beneath the surface too – Alexa is going to be better able to follow our conversations using acoustic, linguistic and even visual cues.
Overall, the variety of new products announced was pretty surprising – last year's event was largely focused on smart speakers, home appliances, and wearables with Alexa built-in, whereas the 2020 event saw Amazon's products and services become far more diversified – particularly with the announcement of Amazon Luna.
There was also less focus on making every appliance in your home a smart home device (remember the Amazon Smart Oven from 2019?), and more emphasis on making Alexa work better within the products that most of us already have in our homes – our smart speakers, TV streaming devices, and smart displays.
The Amazon hardware event was conveniently timed just a few weeks before we're expecting Amazon Prime Day 2020 to land, in mid-October. That means many of the company's older products could see hefty discounts during the sales event, now that there are new devices to take their place.
Below we'll take a closer look at all the products that were announced at the Amazon 2020 event.
Amazon Luna, the brand-new games streaming service
The world of games streaming just got yet another new contender – and it's called Amazon Luna.
This new service takes on established names in the streaming space like Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now, which allow you to play games straight from cloud servers without the need to download them.
Right now, the service is only available via early access for US gamers, but it's expected to launch worldwide in due course. You can purchase the Amazon Luna controller to play games on the service now – it costs $49.99 (about £40 / AU$70), and connects directly to cloud servers to improve latency (though Xbox and PlayStation controllers will work, too).
- Be sure to check out our guide on how to get Amazon Luna
Amazon Echo speakers get a makeover
Amazon has launched a number of new Echo speakers, with unusual spherical designs that set them apart from most smart speakers you can buy in 2020.
The new soccer ball-esque smart speakers include the new Echo, new Echo Dot, new Echo Dot with Clock, and new Echo Dot Kids Edition – all of which look more like mini basketballs than Alexa speakers.
They're imbued with smarts to make them a true hub for the smart home, as Amazon seeks to embed itself at the heart of everything you control via automation or with your voice.
Alexa itself gets a host of new features, coming to the US first, including an improved and more natural-sounding voice.
Netflix comes to the Echo Show 10
The Amazon 2020 event saw in a brand new version of its flagship smart display; the All-new Echo Show 10, that brings new features like "intelligent movement" and the ability to stream your favorite Netflix shows alongside a host of other video platforms.
The new Echo Show 10 can even turn to face you as you move around the room – and if you're cooking, for example, and walking around your kitchen, this means you can always keep an eye on the recipe your following on your smart display.
A new Fire TV Stick, plus a UI overhaul
There's a pair of new Amazon Fire TV Sticks on the way – and the compact devices could bring big changes for Fire TV users, as well as some impressive improvements over the existing Amazon Fire TV Stick.
The Fire TV Stick Lite will be a big winner, coming for a low cost, and will feature the new and upgraded user interface to make spinning through your streaming world that little bit slicker.
The Amazon Fire TV UI is getting some big improvements too, which should make using it easier and more enjoyable than before. These upgrades include profiles for every member of your family, a Picture in Picture mode, and new Alexa features.
The latest Ring camera can fly around your home
Amazon's love affair with drones has apparently been passed down to its home security company Ring: the new Always Home Cam is an autonomous indoor drone that flies around your home and gives you a live, mobile feed of your dwelling if it spots an intruder or emergency.
The drone will sell for $249 (that's about £200 / AU$350, though we don't have international pricing or availability yet) and launches sometime in 2021.
It cannot be flown manually; however, you can create preset surveillance paths from one room to the next, so you can choose which rooms in your home are guarded.
Ring is here to protect your car
In other Ring news, Amazon has revealed a trio of new auto-focused devices under the Ring home security brand, designed to keep your vehicle safe.
They are the Ring Car Cam, Ring Car Alarm and Ring Car Connect. Prices range from $59.99 to $199.99 and all three will be available sometime in 2021 – but exact release dates and international pricing are yet to be revealed.
One cool feature is the ability to say 'Alexa, I'm being pulled over' and it'll automatically record what happens next, to bring peace of mind to those that are worried about unnecessary police stops.
New affordable Blink security cameras
Not interested in a flying security drone? The Amazon Blink line of security cameras are its affordable recorders, offering specced-down versions of the popular Ring devices for lower prices – and the company has just announced two more products in the line.
The new products, the Blink Indoor and Blink Outdoor, bring several improvements over the brand's older products, and even deliver some of the top features of the Ring smart doorbells too.
New Amazon Eero mesh routers support Wi-Fi 6
Amazon's 2020 hardware event saw in two new mesh Wi-Fi routers that support the latest version of Wi-Fi 6: the Eero 6 and Eero Pro 6 can provide Wi-Fi coverage for more than 75 devices at one time.
Each router contains a built-in Zigbee smart home hub, which means it can connect your smart home devices onto your home Wi-Fi network without the need for a separate Zigbee hub.
Both devices are backwards-compatible with previous Eero generations, so you can expand your network with minimal fuss.
The Eero Pro 6 is designed for homes with Gigabit internet connections, and can cover up to 2,000 square feet – and the more you add, the larger the area it will be able to cover. It will set you back $229 for one, $399 for a two-pack, and $599 for a pack of three – though international pricing is to be confirmed, that works out at about £180 / AU$320 for one, £315 / AU$560 for two, and £470 / AU$850 for three.
Meanwhile, the Eero 6 is more suited to homes with internet connections of up to 500Mbps, and can cover up to 1,500 square feet. Prices start at $129, with packs of two and three available as well – that works out at around £100 / AU$180.
