Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) today introduced the next generation of Echo Dot and Echo Auto, giving you more ways to bring the convenience of Alexa to every room of your home and into your car. In addition, Amazon announced a new generation of Echo Dot Kids with new designs, significant audio improvements to Echo Studio, and a host of new features for Alexa—including a new Fire TV experience on Echo Show 15. To learn about all the Alexa features and experiences, visit https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/alexa-news-2022.
“A true ambient experience is there to simplify your day-to-day life when you need it and fades into the background when you don’t. This generation of Echo devices are designed with this vision in mind,” said Nedim Fresko, vice president of Amazon Alexa Devices. “With the upgraded audio and compact form factors, each of these new devices give customers more ways to make Alexa a seamless part of their day. And, with the new sensors and technology built in to Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock, customers can have Alexa do even more on their behalf.”
New Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock—Even Better Audio, New Temperature Sensor, Tap Gesture Controls, eero Built-in, and Upgraded Display
The all-new Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock are the most powerful yet. The redesigned audio architecture features a custom full-range driver and the highest excursion speaker of any Echo Dot, delivering clear vocals and up to double the bass of the previous generation—all within the same compact, spherical form factor.
Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock have new sensors that enable more contextual Alexa experiences—like the ability to ask Alexa to automatically turn on your smart fan when it gets too warm inside. The new generation also adds an accelerometer to enable new tap gesture controls, so you can simply tap the top of the device to pause and resume music, dismiss timers, or end a call. Powered by the AZ2 Neural Edge processor, Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock enable more experiences to be processed on the edge—resulting in even faster responses for tap gestures, ultrasound motion detection, and on-device execution for some of the most common requests to Alexa.
The new Echo Dot with Clock includes upgraded high-density dot technology, offering a more vibrant and dynamic way to see information at a glance. Now, in addition to the time, you can view the name of a song title or artist, the weather, a calculation or unit of measurement, calendar event times, and more features when you ask Alexa for information.
Additionally, for the first time, Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock feature eero Built-in, which makes them the first Echo devices to serve as eero mesh wifi extenders and improve coverage in your home. After account linking, eero Built-in can add up to 1,000 square feet of coverage to your existing eero mesh wifi network. eero Built-in will roll out to 4thGen Echo on October 20. 4th Gen Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock will also receive over-the-air updates to receive eero Built-in functionality in the coming months, so you can get more value out of the devices you already own.
Echo Dot Kids—New Designs and Interactive Features
Echo Dot Kids, our most popular kids’ smart speaker, now comes in new Owl and Dragon designs, and soon will feature new Alexa voices to help bring Owl and Dragon to life for Amazon Kids+ subscribers. Kids can hear greetings, jokes, facts, songs, and more from the perspective of an Owl or Dragon, transforming Alexa into a fun, immersive experience. Parents and guardians can access easy-to-use parental controls to set daily time limits, filter explicit songs, and review activity in the Amazon Parent Dashboard. Echo Dot Kids comes with a two-year worry-free guarantee and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, the only kid-focused content service that gives families access to thousands of ad-free books, games, videos, Audible books, songs, and Alexa skills.
Echo Studio—Now with Enhanced Audio Technology
Echo Studio is already the best-sounding Echo speaker—and now it’s getting even better with new spatial audio processing technology and frequency range extension. Our custom-built spatial audio processing technology is designed to enhance stereo sound, making music and movie soundtracks feel closer to the listener with greater width, clarity, and presence. It mirrors the performance of a hi-fi stereo system, so vocal performances are more present in the center, while the stereo panned instruments are better defined on the side, creating a more immersive sound experience that reproduces the artist’s intent. Additionally, frequency range extension technology delivers better performance, improved mid-range clarity, and deeper bass. Along with Echo Studio, this spatial audio processing technology is available on Echo Show 15 and will roll out to other compatible Echo devices in the future. To learn more, visit https://www.amazon.science/blog/the-science-behind-amazons-spatial-audio-processing-technology. These upgrades are in addition to Echo Studio’s existing support for both Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio.
Echo Auto—Compact Design and Flexible Mounting Options to Enable Smart Features in Your Car
Echo Auto comes in a new, slimmer design and includes a new adhesive mount for more placement flexibility in your car. The device is built with five microphones designed to hear your requests over music, the air conditioner, and road noise. With Echo Auto, add Alexa to your car to listen to music, make calls, and even get roadside assistance hands-free when you run into vehicle trouble. Just say, “Alexa, call Roadside Assistance” to connect with an agent who can request help on your behalf, and you’ll only pay for the services you need, like if you get a flat tire or if you run out of gas.
Built with Privacy in Mind
Echo devices are designed with your privacy in mind and include multiple layers of privacy controls. Echo devices include a microphone on/off button and the ability to view and delete your voice recordings. With Amazon Kids, parents can view their child’s activity and manage parental controls in the Parent Dashboard.
To learn more about the features that provide transparency and control over your Alexa experience, visit the Alexa Privacy Hub at http://www.amazon.com/alexaprivacy.
Climate Pledge Friendly
All the new devices announced today have the Climate Pledge Friendly badge. The new generation of Echo Dot is Carbon Trust certified and built with 100% post-consumer recycled fabric, and device packaging is 100% recyclable in the U.S. Additionally, 99% of this device’s packaging is made of wood fiber-based materials from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources. In addition to using sustainable materials, these Echo devices have a Low Power Mode to intelligently conserve energy during periods of inactivity and deliver energy savings over the lifetime of the device.
Pricing and Availability
Echo Dot is available in Deep-Sea Blue, as well as the original Charcoal and Glacier White for $49.99. Echo Dot with Clock is available in Cloud Blue, and the original Glacier White for $59.99. Echo Dot Kids is available in all-new Owl and Dragon designs for $59.99. Echo Studio is available for $199.99 in new Glacier White and Charcoal. Preorders start today and devices begin shipping next month. Echo Auto will be available for $54.99. To learn more, visit www.amazon.com/echodevices.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
