Amazon has kicked off its latest hardware season with two headline announcements: the introduction of Alexa Plus, a smarter version of its voice assistant, and the launch of Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, the first Kindle to support colour. Together, these upgrades aim to redefine both the smart home experience and digital reading for millions of users.

Alexa Gets a Smarter Identity

For years, Amazon’s Alexa has been criticized for falling behind rivals like Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri. With Alexa Plus, the company promises a fresh start, positioning it as more of a natural conversation partner rather than a robotic helper.

In its early access phase, Alexa Plus already showcases “agentic” skills. It can connect directly with services such as Uber, OpenTable, and Ticketmaster—letting users book rides, make dinner reservations, or purchase event tickets through simple commands. More impressively, Alexa Plus can remember important details, whether it’s a friend’s birthday or a Wi-Fi password, and even create smart home routines based on natural voice instructions.

Perhaps the most transformative change is that users no longer need to follow rigid phrasing to get results. Instead of memorising exact commands, people can now speak casually, and Alexa Plus will understand. This conversational upgrade could be the breakthrough Amazon needs to put Alexa back at the center of the smart home ecosystem.

The updated assistant will come pre-installed on new Echo speakers and Fire TV devices, many of which are already available for pre-order. Some Echo models are expected to ship later in October. For now, Alexa Plus is available only in the U.S. under an early access program, but Amazon suggests a global rollout is planned for the coming year.

Kindle Scribe Steps Into Colour

On the reading front, Amazon is making one of the most significant changes to its Kindle family in years. The new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft introduces colour to the traditionally greyscale E Ink display. Unlike bright LCD screens, Amazon’s Colorsoft technology is designed to be gentle on the eyes, allowing users to highlight text in multiple colours, sketch with digital pens, and add shading to illustrations.

All new Scribe models feature an 11-inch paper-like screen, a slimmer build, reduced parallax for more natural handwriting, and upgraded processing for smoother performance. Three editions are set to launch:

• A redesigned Kindle Scribe with front light ($499.99, later this year).
• The flagship Kindle Scribe Colorsoft ($629.99).
• A more affordable version without front light ($429.99, early 2026).

European launches in the UK and Germany are also expected in early 2026.

AI Meets Reading

Beyond hardware, Kindle software is getting a major refresh. Features include Quick Notes, integration with Google Drive and OneDrive, and an AI-powered notebook that can search handwritten entries or generate summaries. Amazon also teased new reading tools such as spoiler-free recaps and an “Ask this Book” option, enabling readers to pose contextual questions and receive AI-generated answers without breaking immersion.

Looking further ahead, Amazon hinted at syncing Kindle notes with Alexa Plus, opening up possibilities like asking, “What did I note about Chapter 3?”

With Alexa Plus and the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, Amazon is signalling a bold new era—one that combines AI-driven intelligence with creative, distraction-free digital reading.