If you thought Amazon’s smart microwaves and smart wall clocks would be their wildest products yet, you need to be more open-minded about what they’re willing to shove Alexa into. At a recent event Amazon revealed a slate of over a dozen pieces of new Echo hardware showing that their vision of the internet of things really does include everything. Let’s get connected.
To ease us into things Amazon announce some expected upgrades to existing Echo products. The tiny new $60 Echo Dot now has a convenient digital clock. There’s a new mid-tier $130 Echo Show 8 smart touch display. The flagship $100 Echo smart speaker gets a modest revamp with better sound and new colors. And the $200 Echo Studio is an even better speaker capable of adjusting its sound based on the room itself. It also integrates with Amazon Fire TV sticks.
Other new Echo products weren’t surprising but did seem pretty nice. The $30 Echo Glow is a colorful smart lamp targeted toward kids. The Echo Flex is a $25 device you plug into an outlet solely to have another way to talk to Alexa. You can also upgrade it to a nightlight or motion sensor for an extra charge. And like with all Alexa products, you’ll soon be able to get new celebrity voices like Samuel L. Jackson, complete with cursing.
But now let’s talk about the weird stuff. Move over, Google Glass. Amazon wants to put Alexa in your dang eyes with Echo Frames. Instead of using cameras or digital displays, these $180 glasses just position a microphone in such a way that you can talk to Alexa more discreetly than using a phone or shouting across a room. For even more subtle notifications you can also get Echo Loop, a smart ring that vibrates your finger.
The Echo Buds are Amazon’s first headphones, emphasizing noise cancelling with Bose smart isolation. The $130 earbuds that not only work with Alexa but rivals like Siri and Google Assistant as well. And speaking of playing well with others, the new $100 Eero works with your router to manage existing device connections and guest Wi-Fi networks.
As the owners of Ring, Amazon is a major player in smart home security. There’s a new $60 Ring indoor camera that’s small, runs on batteries or an outlet, and can stop recording video if you say so. For $200 you can also purchase a kit to upgrade your existing home security with Ring smart functionality.
And yes, there’s a new $250 Amazon Oven. While it’s technically still a microwave, this is a more substantial home appliance with more traditional oven features like air frying and convection cooking. For that added tech touch, it scans food barcodes to estimate cooking times.
For more on Amazon here are our Geek Picks for the Amazon Smart Plug and Echo Show 5.
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