Amazon’s Panos Panay to unveil post-smartphone hardware strategy at TechCrunch Disrupt

Amazon Senior Vice President of Devices and Services, Panos Panay, is scheduled to present exclusive insights on the future of hardware and the evolution beyond the smartphone at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. The event will take place from 13 to 15 October at Moscone West in San Francisco.

Panay’s session will focus on Amazon’s strategic shift towards generative AI and the Alexa+ platform. His presentation is expected to explore how daily interactions may move away from smartphone-centric routines towards assistants, glasses, or other undefined form factors.

Panay brings extensive experience in hardware reinvention to the role. He spent more than 19 years at Microsoft, serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer. During his tenure, he oversaw the development of the Surface device line, including the original Surface Laptop and the foldable Duo, as well as Windows 11.

He joined Amazon following the departure of David Limp, the former leader of consumer devices. Under Panay’s leadership, Amazon has pivoted from a primary focus on home hardware expansion to a generative AI revamp of Alexa. This includes the rollout of the Alexa+ platform across several access tiers in the U.S. earlier this year.

TechCrunch Disrupt serves as a venue for industry incumbents to share strategic bets and opportunities for startups. Panay’s appearance offers a glimpse into how major technology firms are adapting their hardware roadmaps as artificial intelligence becomes interwoven into device operating systems.

The specific details of Panay’s vision for post-smartphone hardware remain undisclosed in current reporting. The presentation will delve deeper into upcoming developments for Amazon and the Alexa+ platform, though the exact nature of the new form factors mentioned remains undefined.