Amazon has introduced second generation Alexa o Echo smart speakers – New Echo and Echo Plus. The company also unveiled a Echo Spot alarm clock.
The new Echo sports a compact design and is smaller in size than its predecessor. It has the signature cylindrical shape and features a 2.5 inch downward-firing woofer. The speaker comes with Dolby Digital support and new far-field microphone technology for picking up voice commands accurately. It is available in charcoal, sandstone, heather gray, oak veneer, walnut veneer, and silver variants. The Echo now comes in at $99.99 for the cloth-covered speakers and $119.99 for other materials.
Echo Plus
The Echo Plus speaker also acts a smart hub and makes it easy to connect to compatible smart home devices. The device will automatically discover and set up compatible lights, locks, plugs, switches, and more without the need for additional hubs or apps with a simple “Alexa, discover my devices”, voice command. It comes with enhanced 360-degree omni-directional audio, with Dolby processing, to provide deeper bass and crisper high notes for better audio clarity.
Similar to the new Echo, Echo Plus features second generation far-field technology for even better performance. Finally, the device comes with Alexa Routines which allows you to automate a series of customizable actions using a single voice command of your choice. The Echo Plus starts at $149.99. Amazon will bundle Philips Hue smart lightbulb with every purchase of an Echo Plus.
Echo Spot
Echo Spot is a small alarm clock with 2.5 inch circular display. It comes equipped with the 2nd-generation far-field mix technology with four microphones, acoustic beam-forming technology, and enhanced noise cancellation. In addition it has all of the features from a standard Echo. You can enable skills, utilize its built-in camera to make calls, and much more. Echo Spot can also connect directly to speakers using a 3.5mm stereo cable or Bluetooth to add voice control to your home stereo system.
The Echo Spot is available in black and white for $129.99 and will start shipping in the US this December.