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Amazon announced six Echo and smart-home products or features on Wednesday, with prices ranging from $99.99 for the upgraded Echo Dot to $569.99 for a Nanomatte Echo Show 16. Some products are available to preorder or buy now, while Alexa Home Map is planned for a preview later this year. Several capabilities rely on Amazon’s own descriptions and have not yet been independently evaluated.
Amazon announced six Echo and smart-home updates on Wednesday, including an upgraded Echo Dot with a built-in smart-home hub, an Echo Studio with a camera, a redesigned Echo Show 16, and a planned interactive map of connected devices. The announcements add new hardware and home-control features, with prices starting at $99.99; Amazon says some products are available now, while the map is expected in preview later this year.
The largest screen announcement is the 16-inch Echo Show 16, which Amazon says is nearly 40 percent thinner than its predecessor. It adds an optional Nanomatte display to reduce glare, a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera and a speaker system with micro woofers and two tweeters. Amazon also says it has 20 percent more computing power and an upgraded Omnisense platform for room-based automations, such as adjusting heating or turning on a light when someone enters. It is available to preorder for $499.99, or $569.99 with Nanomatte.
The Alexa Photo Frame is a separate 10-inch touchscreen that syncs with Amazon Photos. Amazon says Alexa Plus can select pictures using details such as who appears in them, when they were taken and their sentiment. Users can also choose people to feature or request particular photos. The frame costs $199.99 in black and $229 in birch or walnut.
Amazon is giving the Echo Dot a larger smart-home role: the updated $99.99 speaker has a built-in hub intended to control compatible devices without a separate hub. It also includes an Eero Wi-Fi extender, four microphones, an AZ3 chip and Omnisense room sensing. Amazon says its new full-range driver produces 50 percent more bass than the prior generation. The Dot is offered in black, white, green and pink.
The Echo Studio with Home Camera adds a camera that can stream a view of a room when the owner is away. Amazon says users can ask Alexa about objects shown to the camera, citing questions about board-game rules or cereal as examples. The $249.99 device is available in black, with a $39.99 optional stand. Amazon says Fire TV compatibility for video calls on a larger screen is coming, but did not give a date.
The new Echo Time alarm clock has a 3.2-inch circular touchscreen and an optional smart alarm that can sound 10 to 60 minutes before a set wake-up time when the device detects lighter sleep. Amazon says the feature uses temperature and presence data through Omnisense. The clock costs $199.99; a Kids Echo Time starts at $209.99, and an adjustable stand costs $39.99.
The sixth announcement is Alexa Home Map, an interactive 3D representation of a home and its connected devices. Amazon says users can enter their address, scan rooms with a compatible iPhone, and place devices on the map. The feature is planned to appear in preview later this year in iOS versions of the Alexa Home Map, Alexa and Ring apps, as well as on certain Echo Show devices, the Ember Artline Fire TV and new Alexa Tablets.
Echo Moves Beyond Voice Control
The announcements extend Amazon’s Echo lineup from voice-controlled speakers and displays toward a more integrated smart-home system. A hub inside the Echo Dot could make compatible devices easier to set up without extra hardware, while Home Map is designed to let customers see and control devices through a spatial layout rather than a list of products.
The additions also bring cameras and more sensing into Amazon’s home devices. That may offer new functions, including remote room viewing and automated responses to room conditions, but it puts more weight on privacy, permissions and customer control. Amazon’s announcement describes the intended features; it does not establish how well they work in daily use or how customers will respond.
Prices vary considerably across the lineup, and the Echo Show 16 and Photo Frame overlap in offering a screen for visual content. For buyers, the practical differences will depend on whether they want a smart-home controller, a photo display, an alarm clock or a camera-equipped speaker.
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Six Announcements, Different Timelines
The announcements form part of a series of Amazon fall hardware releases, with Wednesday’s news centered mainly on Echo speakers and displays, alongside new home features. The six updates are not all devices: Alexa Home Map is a software feature, and the Echo Studio’s planned Fire TV video-call support is a later addition.
Amazon’s listed launch schedules also differ. The Echo Dot and Echo Time are available now, while the Echo Show 16 is open for preorder. The source report lists prices for the Photo Frame and Echo Studio, but does not specify a shipping date for those products. Home Map is planned for a preview later this year rather than a full launch date.
““widest field of view” on an Echo Show device so far”
— Amazon, describing the Echo Show 16 camera
Performance and Rollout Details
Amazon’s announcement gives product specifications and intended functions, but independent testing is not available in the supplied report. It remains unclear how reliably Omnisense will identify presence or room conditions, how the smart alarm will determine lighter sleep, and how the camera’s object-related responses will perform across different situations.
The company has not supplied a specific date for Fire TV video-call support or a complete shipping schedule for every announced product. Details about data handling, storage and privacy controls for the new camera, photo selection and home mapping are also not set out in the source material. Alexa Home Map’s supported devices and preview availability may become clearer as its rollout approaches.
Sales and Preview Rollouts
Customers can buy the Echo Dot and Echo Time now, and preorder the Echo Show 16, according to the announcement. The Photo Frame and Echo Studio are listed with prices, but the supplied report does not provide their release dates. Amazon says the Alexa Home Map preview will arrive later this year across specified iOS apps and selected Amazon screens and tablets.
Further details to watch include product shipping dates, the timing of Fire TV video calls and which devices will work with Home Map. Reviews and hands-on testing should help establish whether the new sensing, audio and camera features perform as Amazon describes.
Key Questions
What are the six updates Amazon announced?
They are the Echo Show 16, Alexa Photo Frame, upgraded Echo Dot, Echo Studio with Home Camera, Echo Time smart alarm clock and Alexa Home Map.
How much does the new Echo Dot cost?
The updated Echo Dot costs $99.99. Amazon says it includes a built-in smart-home hub and Eero Wi-Fi extender, as well as Omnisense sensing.
When will Alexa Home Map be available?
Amazon says the feature will begin rolling out in preview later this year. The announcement does not give a specific date.
Does the Echo Studio have a camera?
Yes. The Echo Studio with Home Camera includes a camera for viewing a room remotely and asking Alexa about what it sees, according to Amazon. Fire TV video-call support is planned for a later date.
Which products are available now?
The announcement says the Echo Dot and Echo Time are available today, and the Echo Show 16 is available for preorder. The source report does not specify shipping dates for every other product.
Source: theverge.com
