AWS News Roundup: Blackwell GPUs, Corretto Updates & More – January 26, 2026
- AWS customers preparing for GPU-intensive workloads have a significant new option available as of January 26, 2026: the EC2 G7e instance.
- The key to this improvement lies in the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs at the heart of the G7e instances.
- Currently, the G7e instances are available in two AWS regions: US East (N.
AWS customers preparing for GPU-intensive workloads have a significant new option available as of : the EC2 G7e instance. Powered by NVIDIA’s latest Blackwell architecture, these instances promise substantial performance gains over their predecessors, the G6e instances. According to AWS, the G7e delivers up to 2.3 times better inference performance.
The key to this improvement lies in the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs at the heart of the G7e instances. These GPUs offer double the GPU memory of the G6e, and support for up to eight GPUs, providing a total of 768 GB of GPU memory. This expanded capacity is particularly important for running larger, more complex AI models. AWS highlights the ability to run medium-sized models of up to 70 billion parameters with FP8 precision on a single GPU, opening up possibilities for generative AI inference, spatial computing, and scientific computing.
Currently, the G7e instances are available in two AWS regions: US East (N. Virginia) and US East (Ohio). This limited initial availability suggests a phased rollout, allowing AWS to monitor performance and scale infrastructure as demand increases.
Beyond the headline-grabbing G7e launch, AWS also announced quarterly updates to Amazon Corretto, its distribution of OpenJDK. These updates, released on , include critical security patches and performance improvements for several Long-Term Supported (LTS) versions: Corretto 25.0.2, 21.0.10, 17.0.18, 11.0.30, and 8u482. Maintaining up-to-date Java runtimes is crucial for security and stability, and these updates ensure Java developers have access to the latest protections.
For developers working with containerized applications, Amazon Elastic Container Registry (ECR) now supports cross-repository layer sharing. This feature leverages blob mounting to allow common image layers to be shared across repositories. The benefit is twofold: faster image pushes, as existing layers are reused, and reduced storage costs, as common layers are stored only once. This is a practical optimization for organizations managing a large number of container images.
Further enhancements to AWS services include an expansion of Amazon CloudWatch Database Insights to four additional regions: Asia Pacific (New Zealand), Asia Pacific (Taipei), Asia Pacific (Thailand), and Mexico (Central). This feature utilizes machine learning to identify performance bottlenecks in databases and provides specific remediation advice. Expanding regional availability makes this valuable tool accessible to a wider range of AWS customers.
Amazon Connect, AWS’s cloud contact center service, has also received updates. Step-by-Step Guides now support conditional logic, allowing managers to create dynamic guided experiences that adapt based on user interactions. This means interfaces can show or hide fields, change default values, or adjust required fields based on previous inputs. The feature also includes automatic data refresh from Connect resources, ensuring agents are working with the most current information. This enhancement promises to improve agent efficiency and customer experience.
Looking ahead, AWS has announced two upcoming events. The “Best of AWS re:Invent” virtual event will be held on , offering a curated selection of announcements and sessions from the annual re:Invent conference. Separate sessions will be held for AMER, APJ, and EMEA time zones. The AWS Community Day Ahmedabad will take place on , in Ahmedabad, India, providing a community-driven forum for cloud professionals and developers.
AWS continues to emphasize community engagement through the AWS Builder Center, a resource for learning, building, and connecting with other developers in the AWS ecosystem. The Builder Center also lists upcoming in-person and virtual developer events.
These updates, taken together, demonstrate AWS’s ongoing commitment to expanding its service offerings and improving the developer experience. The launch of the G7e instances is particularly noteworthy, signaling a continued investment in GPU-accelerated computing and AI infrastructure. The broader set of updates – from Corretto security patches to ECR layer sharing – highlights a focus on operational efficiency and developer productivity.