Amazon unveiled a bunch of new products today. Five
of the products are Echo related and the last is a new Fire TV.
Amazon Echo 2nd Gen
The Amazon Echo was the first Alexa powered device
released by the retail giant in 2014. Then it announced the Amazon Tap and Echo
Dot. While the Echo Dot already got a second gen model almost a year ago, the
Echo is just getting its own three years later.
The new Amazon Echo is smaller with a height of
148mm but wider with a diameter of 88mm. The biggest change is in its
appearance as it now comes in six new styles – Heather Gray Fabric, Charcoal
Fabric, Sandstone Fabric, Oak Finish, Walnut Finish and Silver Finish.
It still has 7 microphones that can pick up
instructions from all corners of the room in addition to 360° audio. The top is
different as you now have volume buttons in addition to the microphone off and
Action buttons. You also do not have a microphone grille for the 7 microphones.
The 2nd Gen Amazon Echo will sell for US$ 99.99 and
will start shipping in November.
Amazon Echo Plus
The Echo Plus is just like the first gen Echo.
However it has a built-in ZigBee smart hub for controlling your home. It is
perfect for those who do not already own a smart hub.
The Echo Plus is priced at US$ 149.99 and is available
in black, white, and silver. It will ship next month and buyers will get a free
Philips Hue bulb.
Amazon Echo Spot
The Echo Spot is a blend of the Echo Show and Echo
Dot. You get a smaller circular screen in a compact body along with other
features of the Show such as the front camera.
It has a 2W speaker but external speakers can be
connected via the 3.5mm audio jack. It comes in black and white and will sell
for US$ 129.99 and will be available in December.
Echo Connect
The Echo Connect is a black rectangular box for
voice calling. Since Amazon already added voice calling to its Echo speakers,
those who have a home phone service and want to connect it to their Echo device
need to buy this. All you have to do is plug in your phone line into the Echo
Connect and sync your contacts with the Alexa app.
Ask your other compatible Echo devices to call a
contact and it places the call using your home line number. It will sell for US$ 34.99 and be available in December.
Echo Buttons
The Echo Buttons are a fun way to use Alexa. They
are the first of the Alexa Gadgets and are deigned to provide users with a
physical way to interact with other Echo devices.
Other Alexa gadgets will be released and they will
be able to perform actions just like the buttons, sync, react to notifications,
and send input to your echo device.
The Echo Buttons for now can be used during an Alexa
trivia game just like on a Quiz shows. It will come in a pack of two for US$ 20.
Fire TV (4K)
Details of the new Fire TV leaked two weeks ago. The
Chromecast-like device will provide 4K content at 60fps as well as HDR and
Dolby Atmos audio. It comes with the same remote we saw in the image which has
voice control for Alexa once you pair any of your Echo devices to the TV.
The RAM of the new Fire TV has been doubled to 2GB
but storage remains 8GB. It now features an Amlogic quad-core processor clocked
at 1.5 GHz. It will sell for US$ 69.99 and will be available on October 25.
