内容来源：https://www.livemint.com/ai/artificial-intelligence/amazon-is-overhauling-its-devices-to-take-on-apple-in-the-ai-era-11759336755216.html

内容总结：

亚马逊公司硬件业务负责人帕诺斯·帕奈近日在纽约新品发布会上，阐述了其重塑消费电子业务的战略蓝图：通过兼顾高端化与普惠性产品，并深度融合人工智能技术，打造让用户愿意展示并日常使用的智能设备。

这位前微软产品负责人自2023年执掌亚马逊设备部门以来，致力于推动产品设计理念革新。在最新发布的智能音箱、电子书阅读器、家居安防设备等产品线中，既包含采用优质材料的高端系列，也保留了如40美元4K电视棒这类高性价比产品。帕奈强调："将成本控制与卓越设计相结合，才能让优质科技体验触达更广泛人群。"

为实现这一愿景，帕奈组建了融合微软与亚马逊基因的核心团队。设计总监拉尔夫·格罗内透露，公司已打破原有产品研发孤岛，将硬件、软件及用户体验设计师整合为统一团队，并推行"从首日介入设计"与"快速原型验证"的新工作流程。

值得注意的是，AI成为此次产品升级的核心驱动力。全新Alexa语音助手作为默认系统预装在最新设备中，赋予设备环境感知与个性化服务能力。例如新款Echo Show可识别用户身份并自动推送偏好内容，Kindle则能同步用户笔记至云端辅助语音交互。

尽管新产品多数定价上浮——如Echo Show 8涨价80美元，彩色版Kindle Scribe溢价约200美元，但帕奈表示这源于产品本质升级而非单纯使用昂贵材料。他同时透露，团队已制定三年产品路线图，近期目标是通过"环境智能"技术提升现有设备体验，长期则着眼于开发突破性移动设备。

面对苹果、谷歌、Meta等科技巨头的竞争，亚马逊仍需攻克移动设备市场。此前Fire手机的失败经历让公司意识到，成功关键在于打造真正融合AI技术的新型便携设备。今年8月对可穿戴设备初创公司Bee的收购，正昭示着其在该领域的布局。

业内观察人士指出，亚马逊硬件部门正经历从"战略亏损"到"盈利驱动"的转型。虽然整体业务尚未扭亏为盈，但部分产品线已实现盈利。随着CEO安迪·贾西持续推进降本增效，帕奈团队需要在提升产品竞争力与实现商业成功之间找到平衡点。

正如格罗内所言，这场硬件革新"是一场需要时间的旅程"。亚马逊能否通过这轮战略调整，在竞争日益激烈的智能设备市场占据领先地位，仍有待市场检验。

中文翻译：

2023年亚马逊公司聘请微软资深产品总监帕诺斯·帕奈执掌设备部门时，同事们以为这家电商巨头准备大举升级消费电子产品线。在与数千名Alexa、Echo和Fire TV工程师的全体会议上，帕奈否定了这一猜测。但直到本周他在纽约发布会上推出一系列新品，其商业蓝图才逐渐清晰——目标是以不同价位打造令人愿意展示并使用的家居设备。"我们要让每款产品都充满细节，"他在专访中表示。

虽然新一代智能音箱、电子书阅读器、家庭安防设备、电视配件等多数新品确实定价更高，但帕奈强调平价产品同样关键："成本控制的设计能力是稀缺天赋。以此为基础打造优质产品服务大众，才能真正改变世界。"

今年初复出加盟亚马逊的设计总监拉尔夫·格罗内对此深表认同。这位微软前首席设计师表示："材质蕴含精妙工艺，但我们希望它自然融入生活。"他比喻道，就像跑步时忘记鞋子的存在，或弹吉他时"完全沉浸于音乐"。

尽管对流光溢彩的新款Echo音箱和Kindle阅读器感到兴奋，帕奈最引以为傲的却是升级版40美元4K Fire TV电视棒——这个不起眼的外设能让用户在电视上流畅播放节目。他介绍说，这款"最亲民的4K设备"搭载新系统，速度性能全面升级。"这在我心中是伟大产品，因为多数人都能获得超凡体验。"

当然，效仿苹果打造高端"标志性产品线"以获取更丰厚利润也是重要目标。长期以来，亚马逊硬件部门被视为引流工具，真正利润来自Alexa语音助手促成的订阅与消费。帕奈反驳这种观点，称虽然部门整体仍处亏损，但部分产品线已实现盈利，其他正朝该方向发展。

除Alexa与设备外，帕奈还负责柯伊伯计划卫星互联网和Zoox自动驾驶汽车等项目。近年来该部门将盈利作为首要任务，因CEO安迪·贾西正全力削减成本，改革这个曾近乎研发实验室的单元。"我相信我们的使命是让设备成为亚马逊下一代支柱业务，"帕奈表示要实现这个目标并持续壮大团队，需要启动关键杠杆。

新品或许能推动转型。除Fire TV电视棒外，大多数亚马逊品牌硬件价格均有上调。例如新款Echo Show 8售价较现款高出80美元，彩色版Kindle Scribe更是将电子阅读器价格推高约200美元。帕奈指出提价伴随品质提升，但并非采用高端金属或奢侈面料的全新设计。"首阶段转型是让产品完成世代进阶，这仅仅是个开始。"

据其透露，部门高层每周四举行机密规划会议，已制定三年产品路线图。关键第一步是三月推出AI驱动的Alex语音助手，为"借环境AI提升产品体验"的设备战略奠定基础。虽然Alexa兼容五年前的老设备，但新品首次预装该系统并新增功能。升级版Echo Show结合AI与传感器识别用户，即时显示个人偏好并推送定制播客或照片；Kindle则能上传用户笔记辅助Alexa语音查询。

尽管公司有信心将Alexa设为新设备默认选项，但推广过程并非一帆风顺。用户抱怨部署缓慢、部分家电兼容性差及系统误读指令等问题。帕奈坦言："考虑到数亿人使用现行版本，这并非轻松转型。"但他坚信："配备Alexa的智能家居是我见过最令人振奋的家居产品。"

目前已有数千万用户使用新版Alexa（月费20美元或Prime会员免费），团队正全力优化。帕奈表示："解决各类应用场景问题需要时间，但最终人人都会爱用它。"负责Alexa与Echo的副手丹尼尔·劳施透露，新版界面使用率已达经典版的两到三倍——当然后者仍拥有数亿用户。

在人们紧盯手机电脑屏幕的时代，帕奈希望引导用户走向相反方向——开发在后台运行、减少屏幕依赖的AI设备。但苹果、谷歌、Meta等巨头同样追逐此梦想，就连帕奈的前任戴夫·林普也曾探索此道。

要真正角逐市场，亚马逊必须攻克移动设备难关。十年前Fire Phone折戟沉沙时，帕奈还在微软设计二合一平板电脑。目前公司正研发支持Alexa的耳机与智能眼镜，但真正的突破需要打造全新便携式AI设备。"用户交互模式正面临范式革命，"帕奈坚信，"环境AI让人随时随地进行自然对话，这需要多元设备形态来实现。"

为此亚马逊于八月收购初创企业Bee，其研发的腕带可记录每日活动并向手机应用发送摘要。虽未在周二发布会上讨论该产品，但公司计划最终将其与Alexa整合。

为重塑硬件团队，帕奈不仅引入微软旧部，还重用亚马逊老兵。团队包括去年仍负责Windows业务、现主管电视业务的艾丹·马库斯，Xbox联合发明人现领导新形态设备团队的J·阿拉德，以及今年初回归的Ring发明人杰米·西米诺夫。最重要的增员当属与帕奈同期离开微软的德籍设计师格罗内。

格罗内八个月前入职后，首要任务是将硬件、软件及用户体验设计师整合为统一团队，建立类苹果的产品开发体系。他指出旧模式按产品线各自为政，虽效率可观却形成信息孤岛，导致除微笑商标外产品缺乏统一设计语言。

另两项重大变革是设计全程参与产品流程，以及将快速原型制作纳入核心开发环节。2009年就加入设备部门的劳施表示，最大变化在于草图师、原型师、材料科学家与工程师如今从起点就协同工作。"更早整合、更早迭代、更早设定高标准，最终造就更完善更卓越的产品。"

亚马逊此时发布新品，正值苹果推出多年最大升级的iPhone系列，证明经典手机形态仍具生命力。而本月初Meta发布带显示屏的智能眼镜，显示非苹果企业也渴望并能开创全新设备品类。就连OpenAI也借前苹果设计师乔尼·艾夫涉足移动硬件，开发多款AI核心设备。

格罗内指出，亚马逊要成为设备领域真正领导者，既需突破现有产品矩阵，更要说服用户为Alexa及其AI服务付费——而非退回旧版。无论如何，公司战略成型仍需数年时间。"这确是场长征，"他总结道，"十二个月后故事会推进新篇章，但远未到终局。一切都需要时间沉淀。"

英文来源：

When Amazon.com Inc. recruited longtime Microsoft Corp.product chief Panos Panay in 2023 to run its devices division, his new colleagues thought the e-commerce giant was preparing to take its consumer gadget lineupscale.
Panay pushed back on the idea duringan all-hands meeting with thousands of engineers from the Alexa, Echo and Fire TV brands. But his vision for the business didn't come into clearer focus until this week, when the executive unveiled a suite of new products at an event in New York. The message: Panay aims to build devices that people want to show off in their homes and use — at every price tag. “The idea is putting a lot of detail into every product,” he said in an interview.
Though most of the new devices, including updatedsmart speakers, e-book readers,home security tools,TV accessories and other offerings, do carry higher prices, the company’s more affordable products are equally key, Panay said. “The superpower of designing for cost is such a rare talent,” he said. “When you just anchor on that and now you’re making great products and you can serve everyone —that’s how we can have impact on the world.”
RalfGroene, a former top designer at Microsoft who came out of retirement earlier this year to become head of design at Amazon, echoes that sentiment. “There’s lots of sophistication in the material, but we don’t want you to be like, ‘Oh, it’s so sophisticated.’ It needs to blend in.” He compares it to not noticing your shoes when you run. Or when you play the guitar and are “just into the music,”Groene said.
While Panay is thrilled with Amazon’sslick-looking new Echo speakersand Kindle e-readers, he talks most proudly about an updated $40 4K Fire TV stick —an unglamorousperipheral that lets people stream programing on their television. That product has a new operating system with improved speed and performance “on the cheapest possible 4K device,” he said.
“In my heart, that’s a great product,” Panay said,“because so many can afford that and get an incredible experience.”
Still, making more premium hardware —something Panay calls the “signature” line — to generate higherprofit margins, a la Apple, is also a major part of the goal. Amazon’s hardware division has long been seen as a loss leader —with the real money coming from subscriptions and purchases made through the Alexa voice assistant.Panay disputes that view.While the overall division continues to lose money, some product lines are profitable, and others are heading in that direction, he said.
Panay also oversees Amazon’s efforts beyond Alexa and devices, including its push into satellite internet through Project Kuiper and autonomous vehicles with Zoox. Theprofit drive has been a priority for the group in recent years as Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy seeks to cut costs and reform a unit that sometimesoperated as a borderline research lab.
“My belief is that our job is to make devices the next big business at Amazon,” Panay said. To accomplish that — and continue building the organization —certain levers need to be pulled to make the business more successful, he said.
The revamped devices could help. Other than the Fire TV stick, most of the new Amazon-branded hardware has a higher price tag. The latest Echo Show 8, for instance, is $80 more than the current model.And the new color Kindle Scribe is the priciest Amazon e-reader by about $200. With those higher prices, you’re also getting a much better product, Panay said. But you’re not getting an overhaulbuilt around high-end metals or the world’s priciest fabrics.
“The first transformation is just elevating those products to the next generation of what they should be,” Panay said. “It’s just the beginning of that.”
His department’s top leaders assemble every Thursday for confidential planning discussions, and they’ve created a road map for thenext three years of products, Panay said. A key first step was releasingan AI-fueledversion of Amazon’s voice assistant, Alexa , a rollout that began in March. That setthe stage for a device strategy: “Great products made even better through ambient AI,” Panay said.
Though Alexa can run onAmazon gadgets dating back more than five years, the latesthardware isthe first to include the system already installed. The devicesalso havenew features.The updated Echo Show —a smart speaker with a screen —combines AI with sensors to know who just walked up to the device. It then immediately displays a person’spreferences andcan serve uptailored podcasts or photos. The Kindle, meanwhile, can upload a user’s notes to help fulfill Alexa queries made on speakers.
While the company is now confident enough to include Alexa as the default option on its new devices, the rollout hasn’t been entirely smooth. Users have complained about slow deployment, broken compatibility with some appliancesand the system misunderstanding commands. Still, Panay is all in.
“This is not an easy transition,” he said, given that hundreds of millions of people use the current version. Still, “an Alexa home is probably the most exciting home product that I’ve ever seen,” he said.
Amazonalready has double-digit millions of users running the new Alexa, which costs either $20per month or comes free with a Prime subscription, but the company is working at full speed to improve it, Panay said. “Everybody will want it and use it,” he said, adding that it will take time to resolve kinks across every use case.
Daniel Rausch, Panay’s lieutenant in charge of Alexa and Echo, saidthe results are already promising: The new interface boasts two to three times more usage than the old-school Alexa —for those who have it. (The regular Alexa still has hundreds of millions of users).
In a world where people are glued to their smartphones and computer displays, Panay wants to steer Amazon users in the other direction. That means creating AI devices that work in the background and require less screen time.
But plenty of other companies are chasing that dream, includingApple, Alphabet Inc.’s Google andMeta Platforms Inc. Even Panay’s predecessor, Dave Limp, had been exploring the idea at Amazon.
For Amazon to be a true contender in this market, the company will finally need tocrack the code on mobile devices. A decade ago, it tried and failed with theFire Phone —back when Panay was at Microsoft designing tablet-laptop hybrids. The company is working on future earbuds and smart glasses that tap into Alexa, but the real win will be something entirely new that’sportable and built around AI.
“There’s an entire paradigm shift of user interfaces that’s coming —I think the way people interact with their devices is being challenged,” Panay said. “I am a firm believer in ambient AI and being able to talk to something, have that conversation wherever, whenever, however you want to. I think it’ll take different form factors to accomplish that.”
To help, Amazonacquired a startup called Bee in August. That company developed a wristband that can record a person’s day and send theuser a summary to a phone app. Though Amazon didn’t discuss the idea during its product unveiling Tuesday, it aims to eventually update the deviceand tie it into Alexa .
To reshape Amazon’s hardware group, Panay has brought in collaborators from his Microsoft days,as well asveterans from Amazon itself. The team includes Aidan Marcuss, who worked on Windows until last year andnow heads Amazon’s TV business, as well asJ Allard, the co-inventor of Xbox who nowleads a team focused on new form factors. Ring creator Jamie Siminoff, meanwhile, returned earlier this year. Perhaps the most significant addition is the German-born Groene, who left his Microsoft role when Panay exited.
When Groene joined Amazon eight months ago, his first order of business was bringing all of the company’s designers — across hardware, softwareand user experience — under one roof. That createda structure similar to the way Apple develops its products.
Before the shift, design was implemented on a product-by-product basis by individual product managers. While this structure allowed for efficient product creation, there were silos that prevented teams from building on one another’s achievements, Groene said. It also yielded a slate of mostly utilitarian products that, aside from the Amazon smile logo, shared few common design traits.
Two other major changes: involving design from day one of the product process and making rapid prototyping a core part of development. Rausch, who has worked in Amazon’s devices division since 2009, saidthe biggest change is that sketch artists, prototypers, material scientistsand engineers now work together from the start.
“Bringing it all together much sooner, iterating on the product much sooner, setting the bar higher much sooner lets you end up with something much more complete and just frankly better,” he said.
Amazon is launching its new products just weeks after Apple rolled out new iPhones — some of the company’s biggest updates in years — proving that this decades-oldform factor is here to stay. Meanwhile, Meta released new smart glasses with a display earlier this month, showing that companies outside of Apple are eager and capable of introducing entirely new categories of devices.
OpenAI also looks to become a contender in mobile hardware, withex-Apple designer Jony Ive working on a bevy of new AI-centric gadgets.
For Amazon to become a true leader in devices, it will need breakthroughs that go beyond its current lineup. It will also need to convince users that Alexa and its AI is worth paying for —lestthey revert to or downgrade to the old version of Alexa. In any case, it will take years for the company’s strategy to take shape, Groene said.
“It’s really a journey,” he said. “In 12 months, you’ll see the story one step further, but it’s still not the full picture. It’ll take its time.”
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