Amazon unveiled three new Echo devices powered by the latest generation of Alexa+ today, including the brand’s first alarm clock: Echo Time.
Amazon is showing off a bunch of new and updated products this week, and after drip-feeding reveals over the last several weeks, it’s now announcing its latest Echo devices. There are brand new devices in the mix and not just your typical next-version upgrade. While the Echo Dot is getting such a refresh, the company is unleashing a new Echo Studio speaker with a camera, and the newest item to the Echo catalogue: the Echo Time.
First off, the new Echo Dot refresh comes with an upgraded speaker and an extra built-in microphone (bringing the total to four). Amazon also promises its updates will make the Echo Dot hear the user better; with a new AZ3 chip, it will even deliver better and more natural responses when you ask it things. The new Echo Dot is available now, and it will run users $144.99.
The new Echo Studio delivers everything users expect from an Echo device, except this time Amazon has a camera built in. Instead of the camera being focused on recording your movements for Alexa’s sake, it’s more geared towards families who want to see what antics their dog gets up to when they leave the house. The camera supports face recognition, Voice ID, and it can even recognize things it sees on the camera when you ask it with Alexa+ intelligence. It can also sense how many people are in a room and adjust music to fit that noise with Omnisense technology. The new Echo Studio starts at $329.99 and is available now.
Lastly, the brand new Echo Time is Amazon’s answer to the alarm clock. It’s a smart alarm clock that’s supposed to help users sleep better using a suite of wind-down and wake-up features. Amazon boasts Echo Time has an ultrasonic transducer that can detect when you’re sleeping using Omnisense.
Then, it uses light to help wake you up on a schedule that’s attuned to your circadian rhythm. So, if you tell Alexa+ you need to be awake by a certain time, Alexa detects when you’re in lighter sleep and wakes you at the best moment—anywhere within 10 to 60 minutes of your set alarm. There’s even an Echo Time for kids. There’s also no camera equipped to the Echo Time. The Echo Time starts at $199.99
All of the Amazon Echo products can be purchased today straight from the Amazon website.
