Amazon has just released the new Echo speaker.Getty
At a press event Wednesday, Amazon announced a handful of new products to its Echo family of devices. Here's a breakdown of what Amazon will be releasing soon:
New Echo, Echo Plus Lead Releases
Priced at $99, the new flagship Echo now features a revamped customizable exterior and improved sound quality thanks to a dedicated woofer and tweeter setup. Notably, it also launches alongside Echo Connect, a $35 device that’ll allow for Echos to connect to a landline and be used to make phone calls.
The Echo will also come out alongside the Echo Plus. Physically, the revamped speaker looks similar to the current Amazon Echo but features revamped internal hardware. Along with improved sound quality, the $149 Echo Plus will have improved smart home controls, including the ability to quickly detect and connect to devices and automate multiple functions with a single command. Both devices are available for pre-order now and will begin shipping in October.
Echo Spot, Buttons Adds To Lineup
The Echo Spot is the latest smart home speaker from Amazon.Amazon
Along with the main Echo refreshes, Amazon will add two more Echo products to the series. At $129, the Echo Spot is an alarm clock-sized speaker that also comes with a 2.5-inch screen and video camera that can be used for video playback and calls.
Within the Echo family, the Spot falls between the compact Echo Dot and the touchscreen-enabled Echo Show. At $20, the Echo Buttons aren't necessarily as much of a major release, but the game show-like add-ons can be used to play trivia games and other apps with an Echo via Alexa.
Amazon Fire TV Gets 4K
Amazon also dropped a nice update to its Fire TV set-top device, adding 4K and HDR support to the compact home entertainment device. The refreshed update also comes with standard Fire TV features like Prime Video and Alexa support. The new 4K Fire TV, which follows Apple's similar update for its Apple TV earlier this month, will drop for $69.99 in October.
