When Amazon.com hired Panos Panay from Microsoft in 2023, senior executives hoped he could bring some of the devices magic he pulled off at the software giant to the e-commerce company. Three years later, Panay is back in his comfort zone.
Amazon on Thursday unveiled an entirely new product lineup: premium Alexa tablets meant to take on devices from Apple and Samsung. The tablets, featuring aluminum casing à la Apple, puts Amazon in direct competition with the iPhone maker after years of offering lower-budget Fire tablets that have primarily served as entertainment devices. Panay, senior vice president of Amazon devices, Alexa, and Leo, led the development of Amazon’s new tablets.
