Amazon’s Devices Chief Says the Next Generation Won’t Use Apps, AI Devices Will Just Get Things Done for You

Amazon's devices chief Panos Panay believes the next generation of users will stop asking for apps altogether. Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt on Thursday, Panay said people will expect their devices to "just understand what I need" and get the job done, instead of opening an app for every small task.

Panay, who spent 19 years at Microsoft running the Surface business before joining Amazon, said today's gadgets still depend on the user to remember what to ask for. He wants devices to move to the background, using sensors and AI to work out what needs to be done so that people can stay more present.

Amazon's new Bee wearables are the first step

The comments came on the same day Amazon launched new Bee devices, from the AI wearable startup it bought last year. One is a wrist band that can be detached and worn as a pendant. The other is a card-sized device that sticks magnetically to the back of a smartphone.

Both listen to conversations through the day and turn them into to-dos, reminders and notes. Amazon says the raw audio is processed in real time and deleted, while transcripts are encrypted with keys held by the device, so Amazon staff cannot read them unless the user shares them. "You have to give customers that control," Panay said.

He was also clear that the smartphone is not going away. In his view, these new devices will work alongside the phone, tied together by an AI layer that "has to be useful." Earlier attempts to replace the phone with AI gadgets, like the Humane AI Pin and the Rabbit R1, struggled for exactly that reason.

Alexa+ in India is already testing this idea

Indian users can get an early taste of what Panay is describing. Alexa+, Amazon's AI upgrade to its assistant, rolled out in India in September through early access, with support for Hindi and English in the same conversation.

Instead of opening separate apps, users can ask Alexa+ to order food through Swiggy, book tickets on District, plan trips via MakeMyTrip or reserve a table on EazyDiner. Amazon says it will be free for Prime members once the testing period ends.

That also shows the limits of the "no apps" pitch. Swiggy and MakeMyTrip still do the actual work in the background. What changes is that you talk to one assistant, and it talks to the apps for you.

Amazon has not said whether the new Bee devices will launch in India.