Like all other tech companies, Amazon puts together a huge event in the fall to show off its latest Amazon Echo products. On September 24, the company showed off updates to its Echo family, as well as some very interesting (and controversial) new products. Here’s a look at everything the company announced.
The classic Echo smart speakers have got an impressive update. Amazon has updated the design to a fresh new orb-like look. That’s because the company decided to pack in some new speakers. The 4th Gen Echo now has a 3-inch neodymium woofer and includes two 0.8-inch tweeters. It is also powered by an AZ1 neural edge processor, for faster speech recognition and power efficiency.
Other updates include moving the light ring to the bottom of the device and Dolby audio processing. This generation is also the first to come with support for Zigbee and Bluetooth Low Energy. There’s also a dedicated mute button if you don’t want your Echo spying on your conversations.
The Echo Dot with Clock is exactly the same, but with an LED display on the front to tell you the time, weather, timers and alarms. The 4th Gen Echo Dot also gets a spherical update. Despite being a miniature Echo, it still packs 3 drivers for sound. If you use the alarm function on your Echo Dot, you can now tap to snooze.
That’s not all though. Amazon has also added an LED Clock version to the Echo Dot. There’s also a Kids Edition variant with tiger and panda skins. Talk about choice! The Echo will start at £89.99, the Echo Dot st £49.99 and the Echo Dot with Clock at £59.99 and are all available for pre-order now.
Inspired by Apple’s HomePod, the Echo Show is a cylindrical speaker with a display. It does kind of look like the iMac G4. That imitation though, has a purpose. Amazon has managed to add 2.1 channel audio. It also allows the screen to rotate and follow you as you move around the room. If that sounds creepy, you can disable it. It also helps the device serve in “Sentry Mode”, i.e. as a security camera. The 10” screen also features a 13MP camera.
The Echo Show will set you back £239.99 when it launches. We don’t have an exact date yet, but Amazon promises that it will be available before the end of the year.
Ring’s home security smarts are now coming to your car. The Ring Car Alarm is a small device that plugs into your car’s OBD-II port. That gives you an additional couple of sensors and alarms. Ring will also connect to Amazon’s Sidewalk to help you locate your car. It will launch in early 2021 in the US for now at $59.99. There’s no word on when it will be available in the UK yet.
If you want a more sophisticated system, the Car Cam offers recording, a siren and emergency crash assistance. It will cost $199.99 when it launches in 2021, again only in the US.
If you already have a car with built-in cameras, Ring Car Connect is an API that allows you to see the cameras using the Ring app. Right now, it is compatible with Tesla’s Model S, 3, X and Y. Amazon will be pushing it out to all other manufacturers. Like Car Cam, it will cost $199.99 when it launches in 2021.
The star of the show was without doubt Amazon’s new cloud game streaming service. A direct competitor to Google Stadia, Luna will allow subscribers to play on PC, Mac, smartphones, tablets and FireTV devices. Like Xbox Game Pass, subscribers will get access to a library of titles.
At launch, Resident Evil 7 Control, A Plague Tale: Innocence, and Yooka-Laylee, and The Impossible Lair will be available to play. Users will get gameplay at up to 4K at 60fps and the ability to play on two separate devices at once.
To play though, you will need a Luna Controller. Just like the Stadia Controller, the Luna controller connects to your Wi-Fi network so you can play. Right now, Luna is available on an early access invitation-only trial in the US. The subscription, called Luna+ will cost $5.99/month and the Luna Controller will cost $49.99.
Amazon’s voice assistant wasn’t left out. Amazon announced some interesting new features coming to its voice-driven devices. These include:
Of course, as with all things Amazon there are a lot of privacy issues built-in. The company has done its best to reassure customers that the updates are all safe, but we will take that with a pinch of salt for now. If you want to grab any of these latest goodies, you should probably wait for Black Friday, where Amazon typically discounts its latest products.