NEW PRODUCTS...
There is an all-new line-up of Echo devices that give you even more ways to add Alexa to your daily life, whether at home or on-the-go. Amazon also announced new Alexa features, smart home experiences, and devices and services from eero, Ring, and other Alexa device makers.
There is an all-new line-up of Echo devices that give you even more ways to add Alexa to your daily life, whether at home or on-the-go. Amazon also announced new Alexa features, smart home experiences, and devices and services from eero, Ring, and other Alexa device makers.
There are now even more ways to access Alexa at home with the all-new Echo, Echo Flex, Echo Dot with clock, and Echo Show 8.
Echo Studio is their best-sounding Echo ever and the first smart speaker to deliver an immersive, three-dimensional audio experience with Dolby Atmos. With five built-in directional speakers, Echo Studio has been purposefully engineered to create premium sound with space, clarity, and depth. Its 5.25-inch woofer and 330W of peak power produce deep, rich bass by using the bass port at the bottom to maximize airflow and bass output from the woofer. Echo Studio has a 1-inch tweeter and three 2-inch midrange speakers delivering dynamic midranges and crisp, high frequencies. Plus, it has a 24-bit DAC and a power amplifier with 100 kHz of bandwidth for high-res, lossless music playback, available via Amazon Music HD. Echo Studio also automatically senses the acoustics of your space and fine-tunes audio playback to deliver optimal sound—no matter where you put the device in the room. Echo Studio is the first smart speaker to deliver an immersive three-dimensional (3D) audio experience using Dolby Atmos and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. It brings listeners closer to their favorite artists and songs, allowing them to experience music the way artists intended it. Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment are bringing a growing library of new music, current hits, and legendary tracks to these immersive formats. Native 3D music will be available on Echo Studio with a subscription to Amazon Music HD, a new tier of the highest quality streaming audio available. Coming next year, it will also be available through TIDAL HiFi. To sample native 3D music on Echo Studio and Amazon Music, simply ask “Alexa, play the best of 3D music.” One or two Echo Studio devices can be paired with select Fire TV devices for audio playback with multi-channel sound and support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio 5.1, and stereo audio. Echo Studio also has a built-in Zigbee smart home hub which can be used to control compatible smart home devices—making it the perfect addition to your family or living room.
All-new Echo Buds join Echo Auto as another option for customers who want to bring Alexa with them on-the-go. They have Bose Active Noise Reduction Technology and hands-free access. Designed for wherever your day leads you, Echo Buds are an easy way to access Alexa hands-free while on-the-go. Each earbud has two outer microphones and one inner microphone that work together to reduce ambient noise so Alexa can hear you whether you’re walking to class, on your lunch break, or commuting home on the train. All you have to do is ask to hear your favorite playlist, find the nearest coffee shop, or order an Uber. Coming later this year, ask Alexa if Whole Foods Market has what you want and she will tell you if it’s in-stock and which department and aisle to find it in. Echo Buds have two premium, balanced armature drivers in each earbud—the driver design is inspired by in-ear monitors used by professional musicians, to deliver crisp, clear vocals and dynamic bass. This design makes Echo Buds perfect for listening to your favorite music, Audible book, podcast, or radio station. Plus, with Bose Active Noise Reduction Technology, you can choose to minimize the noise around you. If you’re in a crowded coffee shop or working in an open office space, double tap either earbud to turn Active Noise Reduction on. When you are walking down a busy street or at the train station—places where you want to hear the world around you—double tap either earbud again to turn Passthrough Mode on. Echo Buds come with three different sized ear tips and wing tips for a secure fit you can wear throughout your day. Each earbud is IPX4-rated to withstand splashes, sweat, or light rain. And with one full charge, Echo Buds have up to five hours of music playback or four hours of call time. The included charging case holds up to three additional charges—15 hours of music playback or 12 hours of call time. Echo Buds connect to Alexa through the Alexa app on your mobile device and use your existing device’s data plan to access a range of features such as music, navigation, calling, and more. You can also tap and hold your Echo Buds to access your phone’s native voice services—Siri or Google Assistant.
All-new Echo: Featuring an updated fabric design and even better sound. The next-generation Echo features an updated fabric design with color options for any style—including Twilight Blue, Charcoal, Heather Grey, and Sandstone. Echo has the same audio architecture as Echo Plus, including a 3-inch woofer and increased back volume so the bass feels stronger, and the mids and highs are clearer.
Echo Studio is their best-sounding Echo ever and the first smart speaker to deliver an immersive, three-dimensional audio experience with Dolby Atmos. With five built-in directional speakers, Echo Studio has been purposefully engineered to create premium sound with space, clarity, and depth. Its 5.25-inch woofer and 330W of peak power produce deep, rich bass by using the bass port at the bottom to maximize airflow and bass output from the woofer. Echo Studio has a 1-inch tweeter and three 2-inch midrange speakers delivering dynamic midranges and crisp, high frequencies. Plus, it has a 24-bit DAC and a power amplifier with 100 kHz of bandwidth for high-res, lossless music playback, available via Amazon Music HD. Echo Studio also automatically senses the acoustics of your space and fine-tunes audio playback to deliver optimal sound—no matter where you put the device in the room. Echo Studio is the first smart speaker to deliver an immersive three-dimensional (3D) audio experience using Dolby Atmos and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. It brings listeners closer to their favorite artists and songs, allowing them to experience music the way artists intended it. Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment are bringing a growing library of new music, current hits, and legendary tracks to these immersive formats. Native 3D music will be available on Echo Studio with a subscription to Amazon Music HD, a new tier of the highest quality streaming audio available. Coming next year, it will also be available through TIDAL HiFi. To sample native 3D music on Echo Studio and Amazon Music, simply ask “Alexa, play the best of 3D music.” One or two Echo Studio devices can be paired with select Fire TV devices for audio playback with multi-channel sound and support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio 5.1, and stereo audio. Echo Studio also has a built-in Zigbee smart home hub which can be used to control compatible smart home devices—making it the perfect addition to your family or living room.
All-new Echo Buds join Echo Auto as another option for customers who want to bring Alexa with them on-the-go. They have Bose Active Noise Reduction Technology and hands-free access. Designed for wherever your day leads you, Echo Buds are an easy way to access Alexa hands-free while on-the-go. Each earbud has two outer microphones and one inner microphone that work together to reduce ambient noise so Alexa can hear you whether you’re walking to class, on your lunch break, or commuting home on the train. All you have to do is ask to hear your favorite playlist, find the nearest coffee shop, or order an Uber. Coming later this year, ask Alexa if Whole Foods Market has what you want and she will tell you if it’s in-stock and which department and aisle to find it in. Echo Buds have two premium, balanced armature drivers in each earbud—the driver design is inspired by in-ear monitors used by professional musicians, to deliver crisp, clear vocals and dynamic bass. This design makes Echo Buds perfect for listening to your favorite music, Audible book, podcast, or radio station. Plus, with Bose Active Noise Reduction Technology, you can choose to minimize the noise around you. If you’re in a crowded coffee shop or working in an open office space, double tap either earbud to turn Active Noise Reduction on. When you are walking down a busy street or at the train station—places where you want to hear the world around you—double tap either earbud again to turn Passthrough Mode on. Echo Buds come with three different sized ear tips and wing tips for a secure fit you can wear throughout your day. Each earbud is IPX4-rated to withstand splashes, sweat, or light rain. And with one full charge, Echo Buds have up to five hours of music playback or four hours of call time. The included charging case holds up to three additional charges—15 hours of music playback or 12 hours of call time. Echo Buds connect to Alexa through the Alexa app on your mobile device and use your existing device’s data plan to access a range of features such as music, navigation, calling, and more. You can also tap and hold your Echo Buds to access your phone’s native voice services—Siri or Google Assistant.
All-new Echo: Featuring an updated fabric design and even better sound. The next-generation Echo features an updated fabric design with color options for any style—including Twilight Blue, Charcoal, Heather Grey, and Sandstone. Echo has the same audio architecture as Echo Plus, including a 3-inch woofer and increased back volume so the bass feels stronger, and the mids and highs are clearer.
Echo Flex: The most affordable way to add Alexa to any space in your home, this plug-in smart speaker is wireless and inexpensive! Echo Flex is the most affordable way to add Alexa to any space in your home. It plugs directly into a standard electrical outlet, making it perfect for those places in your home where cords can be a hassle like the hallway, garage, or bathroom. Simply ask Alexa to control compatible smart home devices, make an announcement, or check the score of a favorite sports team, and responses will come through the small speaker on the device that’s been optimized for Alexa’s voice. Echo Flex also has a built-in USB port so you can easily charge your phone or add an optional accessory, like a Smart Night Light or Motion Sensor, all while using only one outlet.
Echo Show 8: The latest addition to the Echo Show family with an 8-inch display, crisp and powerful sound, and a built-in camera shutter for added peace of mind. With a vivid 8-inch HD display, crisp and powerful audio, and a built-in camera shutter, Echo Show 8 is our most versatile smart display yet. Simply ask Alexa to play your favorite episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel or Carnival Row on Prime Video. Plus, through a new integration with Food Network, you can watch episodes of cooking shows from Bobby Flay, Giada de Laurentiis, and more—and when you see a recipe you like, all you have to do is ask Alexa to save the recipe to view it later. Food Network Kitchen subscribers will also be able to take live and on demand cooking classes from Food Network chefs, get step-by-step cooking instructions, and have access to tens of thousands of recipes.
Day 1 Editions...
The new Day 1 Editions program is designed to bring innovative ideas to customers faster, allowing for increased innovation and invention. Customers who choose to participate in Day 1 Editions will have the opportunity to contribute valuable feedback that informs future product ideas and development.
Echo Frames are prescription-ready glasses that offer hands-free access to Alexa. While wearing the frames, just ask to make phone calls, set a reminder to pick up dry cleaning when you leave work, add call the mechanic to your to-do list, listen to your favorite podcast, or control compatible smart home devices. Echo Frames have a VIP Filter, which allows you to select and hear only the phone notifications that matter most, while filtering out the rest. When an alert comes through, simply swipe on the temple to listen. Designed to look and feel like regular glasses, Echo Frames have no camera or display and are made from durable and lightweight materials for all-day wear. The frames have four beamforming micro speakers that use Amazon open-ear audio technology to direct sound towards your ears, while minimizing the sound heard by those around you. After purchasing Echo Frames, visit your preferred eyewear professional to add prescription lenses or adjust the fit of the frames. Check with your vision insurance provider to see if you’re eligible for out-of-network reimbursement. In addition to Alexa, you can also use Echo Frames to access Google Assistant; simply long press on the temple.
Echo Loop. The first Alexa-enabled smart ring, Echo Loop is packed with ways to stay on top of your day. With access to Alexa at your fingertips, simply click the action button to ask for the right amount to tip at dinner, confirm you locked the front door, or announce you’re on your way home. Plus, Echo Loop can be used for short phone calls—just set a top contact and double click the action button to give them a call. When done speaking to Alexa or the person on the other end of the call, hold Echo Loop up to your ear to hear your phone call or Alexa’s response. Echo Loop has two microphones, the smallest speaker ever on an Echo device, and a piezo haptic that vibrates discreetly when you receive notifications or an incoming call, or to signal the button has been pressed and Alexa is streaming your request to the cloud. Echo Loop can last for an entire day of use with one charge, and the included charging cradle recharges it completely in 90 minutes. Echo Loop is scratch-resistant and water-resistant—meaning it can handle hand-washing and splashing. It connects to Alexa through the Alexa app on your smartphone and uses your existing device’s data plan. To access your phone’s native voice services—Siri or Google Assistant—press and hold the action button for one second. Echo Loop will be available in a black titanium finish. It comes in a limited range of sizes—S, M, L, and XL—and will be available in limited quantities.
The new devices announced today join Echo Dot, Echo Dot Kids Edition, Echo Plus, Echo Show, Echo Show 5, Echo Auto, and Echo companion devices to create the Echo family of devices.“The Alexa service is always getting smarter, whether you’re using the Echo you bought three years ago or an Echo Show you buy tomorrow. We have thousands of engineers and scientists inventing on behalf of customers, and today we’re excited to introduce even more features to help make customers’ lives simpler, safer, and more convenient,” said Tom Taylor, Senior Vice President, Amazon Alexa. “Soon customers can manage their email, easily secure their home, watch the shows they love on Echo Show, and make their daily routines more productive—all just by asking Alexa.”The new Day 1 Editions program is designed to bring innovative ideas to customers faster, allowing for increased innovation and invention. Customers who choose to participate in Day 1 Editions will have the opportunity to contribute valuable feedback that informs future product ideas and development.
Echo Frames are prescription-ready glasses that offer hands-free access to Alexa. While wearing the frames, just ask to make phone calls, set a reminder to pick up dry cleaning when you leave work, add call the mechanic to your to-do list, listen to your favorite podcast, or control compatible smart home devices. Echo Frames have a VIP Filter, which allows you to select and hear only the phone notifications that matter most, while filtering out the rest. When an alert comes through, simply swipe on the temple to listen. Designed to look and feel like regular glasses, Echo Frames have no camera or display and are made from durable and lightweight materials for all-day wear. The frames have four beamforming micro speakers that use Amazon open-ear audio technology to direct sound towards your ears, while minimizing the sound heard by those around you. After purchasing Echo Frames, visit your preferred eyewear professional to add prescription lenses or adjust the fit of the frames. Check with your vision insurance provider to see if you’re eligible for out-of-network reimbursement. In addition to Alexa, you can also use Echo Frames to access Google Assistant; simply long press on the temple.
Echo Loop. The first Alexa-enabled smart ring, Echo Loop is packed with ways to stay on top of your day. With access to Alexa at your fingertips, simply click the action button to ask for the right amount to tip at dinner, confirm you locked the front door, or announce you’re on your way home. Plus, Echo Loop can be used for short phone calls—just set a top contact and double click the action button to give them a call. When done speaking to Alexa or the person on the other end of the call, hold Echo Loop up to your ear to hear your phone call or Alexa’s response. Echo Loop has two microphones, the smallest speaker ever on an Echo device, and a piezo haptic that vibrates discreetly when you receive notifications or an incoming call, or to signal the button has been pressed and Alexa is streaming your request to the cloud. Echo Loop can last for an entire day of use with one charge, and the included charging cradle recharges it completely in 90 minutes. Echo Loop is scratch-resistant and water-resistant—meaning it can handle hand-washing and splashing. It connects to Alexa through the Alexa app on your smartphone and uses your existing device’s data plan. To access your phone’s native voice services—Siri or Google Assistant—press and hold the action button for one second. Echo Loop will be available in a black titanium finish. It comes in a limited range of sizes—S, M, L, and XL—and will be available in limited quantities.
“Over the past year we’ve made incredible scientific advances in Alexa’s Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). We have applied deep neural networks to advance Alexa's ability to detect challenging acoustic phenomena such as whispered speech and anomalous events like glass breaking; made breakthroughs in combining transfer learning and deep learning to teach Alexa new languages and capabilities faster; improved contextual understanding and added memory to help customers discover skills and ask follow-up questions more naturally; and used active learning and unsupervised learning to improve foundational wake word detection, speech recognition, and natural language understanding,” said Rohit Prasad, Vice President and Head Scientist, Amazon Alexa. “We’ve only scratched the surface of A.I.-powered inventions and we’ll continue to invent ways to make Alexa more useful for our customers.”NEW ALEXA FEATURES...
Guard. Alexa can help keep your home safe when you’re away with Alexa Guard–just say, “Alexa, I’m leaving” to activate Guard. When you enable Guard, Alexa can send you Smart Alerts about the sound of glass-breaking, smoke detectors, or carbon monoxide alarms detected in your home. Alexa can also intuitively turn lights on and off to help deter intruders using Away Lighting and can integrate with alarm systems from Ring and ADT to keep your home safe. This feature will be available on select Echo devices later this year.
Hunches. As you interact with your smart home, Alexa learns more about your day-to-day usage and can sense when connected smart devices such as lights, locks, switches, and plugs are not in the state that you prefer. For example, if your living room light is on when you say “Alexa, good night,” Alexa will respond with “Good night. By the way, your living room light is on. Do you want me to turn it off?” This feature will be available later this year.
Frustration Free Setup. They want to remove the frustration of connecting new smart home devices to Wi-Fi by making it as simple as plugging them in. As a first step toward realizing this vision, they're rolling out Wi-Fi simple setup so customers can connect smart devices to their Wi-Fi network and Alexa by simply using their voice or scanning a barcode on the back of their smart device using the Alexa app. Wi-Fi simple setup is initially available with new Echo devices, the new Amazon Smart Plug, and AmazonBasics Microwave. Additional devices will be added in the future.
Local Voice Control. When there’s an internet outage, or if you’re in an area with unreliable internet connection, Local Voice Control allows you to still use your voice to control lights, plugs, and switches that are connected to an Echo device with a built-in smart home hub, such as the all-new Echo Plus or all-new Echo Show.
Video Doorbell. In the coming weeks, Echo Show devices will have a 2-way talk feature that works with Ring and August doorbell cameras. When the doorbell rings or motion is detected by the security camera, just say “Alexa, answer the front door” to see and talk to whoever is there without having to open the door. Additionally, Alexa will be able to play a chime and make an announcement when someone rings your Ring and August doorbell cameras. You can also use Alexa Routines to play custom announcements when the front door camera detects movement or someone rings the doorbell.
New Alexa Routines. Customize your daily routine more than ever before through adding location-based Alexa Routines that trigger when you leave or arrive at home or work. Plus add timed delays in between Alexa Routine actions; add time-limited music—great for white noise or sleep sounds; and add temperature and motion based Alexa Routines that trigger when the temperature in a room is too high or too low, or when motion is detected.
Location-Based Reminders. You can set reminders to trigger when you leave or arrive at home or work. Simply say, “Alexa, remind me to take the chicken out when I get home,” and when you arrive, Alexa will automatically speak the reminder and send a notification to your phone.
Cook with Alexa. Cooking with Alexa makes Echo devices even more useful in the kitchen. Simply ask Alexa for step-by-step cooking instructions from Kitchen Stories, Allrecipes, Epicurious, Food52, TheKitchn, and SideChef. Say “Alexa, let’s start cooking,” and Alexa will walk you step-by-step through your favorite recipe.
Multi-step Requests. Ask Alexa to do multiple things at once within one request. For example, add several items to your shopping list by saying “Alexa, add bananas, paper towels, and cat food to my shopping list;” or turn the Echo volume up and start a playlist by saying, “Alexa, play Pandora at volume 8.”
Email Integration. If you need to manage your personal inbox but aren’t able to sit with your computer or smartphone, all you need to do is ask Alexa to check and reply to email through Gmail, Outlook.com, and Hotmail.com. Simply link your email in your Alexa app and say, “Alexa, do I have emails from Sarah?”
Whisper Mode. Gone are the days of waking up your spouse or partner to ask Alexa for the weather in the morning or turn your alarm off. Whisper Mode is a new feature that allows you to whisper to Alexa, and she will whisper her response back to you.
Even More Calling Options. Skype voice and video calling with Alexa will allow customers to connect with the hundreds of millions of people using Skype around the world. Just say, “Alexa, call Jimmy on Skype” to quickly connect with Jimmy anywhere he uses Skype.
Built-In Web Browser. Echo Show now has a built-in web browser that can be opened by saying, “Alexa, open Silk” or “Alexa, open Firefox.” Once open, you can use the on-screen keyboard to type a URL and visit your favorite website. And like other browsers, you can bookmark your favorite websites for easy access.
New Music Service – TIDAL. Later this year, global music streaming platform TIDAL will be available on all Echo devices. This service leverages the new Music Skill API also announced today. Learn more about the developer benefits of the new, self-service Music Skill API: www.developer.amazon.com/blogs/alexa/
Left-Right Stereo Pairing. With the new left-right stereo pairing feature, you can connect two of the same, supported Echo devices for stereo sound.
Amazon Music New Release Notifications. With Amazon Music’s New Release Notifications, customers will soon be able to ask Alexa to follow their favorite artist, and receive notifications on their Echo device or within the Amazon Music mobile app when an artist releases a new album or track. After asking to hear the new album or track, customers will also be surprised to hear some of their favorite artists’ voices delivering the message themselves on their Echo.
Overlapping Groups. With overlapping groups, you can add one Echo device to several multi-room music groups. For example, the Echo in your kitchen can be included in both the “Kitchen” group for daily listening, and the “Downstairs” group when you’re having friends over on the weekend.
Preferred Speaker Setup. Set your preferred speaker for music playback in your Alexa app—be it an Echo device, a third-party AVS speaker, or a multi-room music group. When you want to play music in that space, simply say “Alexa, play rock music” and it will stream from your preferred speaker.
New Video Services for Echo Show. Integrations with Fire TV Recast, Hulu, and NBC will make live TV viewing and on-demand streaming available on any Echo Show. Simply say “Alexa, watch Good Morning America” to watch the news with your morning coffee, or “Alexa, tune to ESPN on Hulu” to catch up with your favorite sports team.
Skills and Games for the Screen. Tens of thousands of skills are available on the all-new Echo Show, including many visually enhanced experiences. You can get up to the minute stock information and news updates at a glance with CNBC, quickly check your Capital One balance, play Who Wants to be a Millionaire or turn anytime into story time with the Amazon Storytime skill.
Visual Alexa Blueprints. With the new Greeting Card Blueprint, you can create and share personalized greeting cards to celebrate birthdays, friendships, and other special occasions.
Kid Routines. Parents can now easily set Routines with FreeTime on Alexa using a set of simple pre-configured Alexa Routines. For example, parents can enable the Good Night Routine in the Alexa app, and when parents or kids say, “Alexa, good night,” Alexa will offer a parent-customized goodnight message, tell them an interesting fact, turn off the lights, turn on the night light, and start sleep sounds or white noise. After School, Bed Time, and Good Morning Routines can also be customized with white noise timers, smart home controls, music, personalized Alexa messages, and more.
Kid Podcasts. Kids already love listening to Audible through FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa, and soon FreeTime Unlimited customers will have over 1,000 Audible books available to enjoy. To offer even more content, using Amazon FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa, kids can listen to popular kid and family podcasts, including Brain’s On from American Public Radio, Story Pirates from Gimlet Media, and Ear Snacks from Andrew and Polly. These podcasts offer educational and age-appropriate news, stories, and more.
Kid Activity Skills. New FreeTime Unlimited on Alexa skills like Train Like an Avenger and Animal Workout help get families active and moving together, all while using their imagination. Plus new skills like Oregon Trail, Star Wars Missions, and Animal Rescue offer fun and educational content.