TL;DR
Get home appliances delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Amazon has updated its Echo speakers with new home features: the $249.99 Echo Studio with Home Camera can provide a live camera view, and the $99.99 Echo Dot adds a smart home hub and an Eero Wi-Fi extender. The Dot’s extender is designed for an existing Eero network, and Amazon also continues to sell an Echo Studio without a camera.
Amazon has added home-monitoring and connectivity features to two Echo speakers: a new Echo Studio with Home Camera offers a live camera view, while the updated Echo Dot includes a smart home hub and an Eero Wi-Fi extender. The changes turn the speakers into more than audio and voice-control devices, though the Dot’s range extension requires an existing Eero network.
The Echo Studio with Home Camera costs $249.99 and is offered in Graphite, according to CNET’s report from Amazon’s launch event. The camera can be used to check on family members or pets through a live view. Amazon also says its “adaptive vision” gives Alexa the ability to interpret objects in front of the camera and respond to requests, such as identifying a board game or recognizing a cereal box.
The camera-equipped Studio is an option, not a replacement for the existing model: CNET reports that Amazon will continue to sell an Echo Studio without a camera. The speaker retains the Studio line’s audio features, including a high-excursion woofer, three full-range drivers and Dolby Atmos. Amazon has also added Advanced Room Adaptation, which adjusts sound for a room’s acoustics, and Adaptive Volume, which changes volume based on how near or far a listener is.
The Echo Dot is priced at $99.99 and comes in Graphite, Glacier White, Agave Green and Coral Pink. Its built-in hub is intended to connect and control compatible smart-home devices, including lights, thermostats and locks, without a separate hub. The built-in Eero extender can extend coverage by up to 1,000 square feet on an existing Eero network. The updated Dot uses Amazon’s AZ3 chip and adds a fourth speaker, CNET reports. Amazon Kids versions, in Octopus and Penguin designs, start at $109.99.
Echo Speakers Take On More Home Roles
The updates bring home monitoring, smart-device control and Wi-Fi extension into products many households already use for music and voice commands. For buyers, that could mean fewer standalone devices: a camera-equipped Studio may serve some of the role of a pet or indoor monitoring camera, while the Dot can act as a hub for compatible devices and extend an Eero network.
Those functions have limits that matter when comparing products. The Dot’s stated coverage extension is tied to an existing Eero network, not a general-purpose Wi-Fi upgrade for any router. The Studio’s camera is an additional feature on a specific model, and Amazon’s descriptions of visual recognition and Alexa assistance are company claims; the report does not independently establish how accurately those features work in everyday use.
Products Worth Considering
Bose Lifestyle Ultra Wireless Home Speaker
LG C2 Series 65-Inch OLED evo 4K Smart TV (OLED65C2PUA, 2022)
Bose TV Speaker (2nd Gen) Compact Soundbar with Bluetooth and HDMI
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Two Echo Models, Different Upgrades
The announcement is part of a broader set of Amazon smart-home product updates reported by CNET this week. Alongside the speaker changes, Amazon introduced a revamped Echo Show, a smart photo frame and an alarm clock with a feature described as detecting deep sleep and automatically snoozing. The source provides limited detail about those other products, so the speaker updates are the clearest confirmed developments in the report.
The new features build on different roles within the Echo range. The Echo Dot is the smaller, lower-priced speaker, while the Echo Studio is positioned as a premium audio model. Amazon’s additions preserve that distinction: the Dot gains connectivity and device-control functions, while the Studio gets a camera-equipped variant and sound adjustments. CNET says it received a preview at Amazon’s launch event; its report is the source for the product descriptions and prices here.
“Alexa “gains visual intelligence to make everyday experiences more personal and helpful.””
— Amazon, as quoted in CNET’s report
Performance and Availability Details
The source does not specify when the updated speakers will ship, which markets will receive them or whether the listed prices apply outside the United States. It also does not provide independent testing of the camera’s recognition, the reliability of live viewing, the speaker’s adaptive audio features or the Dot’s Wi-Fi performance under different home conditions.
Amazon’s stated up-to-1,000-square-foot extension is a maximum claim, not a guarantee of coverage in every home. Actual results may depend on the layout and the existing Eero network. The source also does not detail camera privacy controls, recording options, data handling or how Alexa’s visual processing works. Those points are relevant to people considering an always-present camera in a shared living space.
Buyers Await Release Details
Amazon’s product listings or later announcements will be needed to confirm release dates, regional availability and detailed specifications. Buyers comparing the new models can check whether they already have an Eero network, whether they want a camera in a speaker, and what privacy settings Amazon provides before choosing between the camera and non-camera Studio versions.
Further independent reviews could test how well the camera recognizes objects, whether Adaptive Volume responds usefully as people move around, and how much coverage the Dot adds in real homes. Until those details are available, the confirmed points are the announced features and prices reported by CNET; real-world performance and availability remain open.
Key Questions
Which Echo speaker has a camera?
The Echo Studio with Home Camera has a camera for live in-home monitoring. CNET reports that Amazon will also continue to sell an Echo Studio without a camera.
What new features are in the Echo Dot?
The updated Echo Dot has a built-in smart home hub for compatible devices and an Eero Wi-Fi extender. The extender is designed to work with an existing Eero network and is rated by Amazon to extend coverage by up to 1,000 square feet.
How much do the updated Echo speakers cost?
CNET reports a price of $249.99 for the Echo Studio with Home Camera and $99.99 for the Echo Dot. Amazon Kids Echo Dot models start at $109.99.
When will the new Echo models be available?
The source report does not give a release date or availability schedule. Amazon’s listings or later announcements may provide those details.
Does the Echo Dot extender work with any Wi-Fi router?
The reported feature is a built-in Eero Wi-Fi extender for an existing Eero network. The source does not say that it extends networks using other router systems.
Source: cnet.com
