Amazon has announced a new range of Echo devices at its October hardware event, putting screens at the center of the lineup while also offering devices without them. The new products include the Alexa Photo Frame, the Echo Time smart alarm clock, a screenless Echo Studio with Home Camera, a fully redesigned Echo Dot and the flagship Echo Show 16 smart display.
According to The Verge, the big news from Amazon's Echo hardware event this year is screens: devices with large displays, and those that lack them entirely. Almost all of the new Echo gear is available now.
The new Echo Show 16, Amazon's latest flagship smart display, comes with eight woofers and can run the full Fire TV experience by touch. The Alexa Photo Frame, which Amazon devices chief Panos Panay described as "the world's smartest photo frame," doubles as a full Alexa speaker and lets users add voice notes to photos.
The lineup also includes the Echo Time, a smart alarm clock that can sense when a person is sleeping, a screenless Echo Studio speaker with a built-in Home Camera, and a redesigned Echo Dot.
Amazon also showcased updates to the AI-powered Alexa Plus, which became available to everyone in the US in February, and gave the Alexa Home Map a smarter 3D redesign.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Amazon is moving Alexa beyond traditional speakers and smart displays into new household objects such as a photo frame and a smart alarm clock, giving the assistant a presence in more rooms and everyday devices.
- The Echo Show 16's ability to run the full Fire TV experience by touch points to a merging of Amazon's smart display and entertainment product lines.
- With almost all of the new devices available now, the announcement quickly becomes a consumer choice alongside other smart home hardware.
Background
Amazon has built its smart home lineup around Alexa-powered Echo speakers and displays. The October event continues that approach with a broader mix of products, from a digital photo frame with voice notes to a redesigned Echo Dot. Alexa Plus is Amazon's AI-powered version of the assistant, which became available to everyone in the US in February.
What to Watch
- Availability of the remaining devices, given that almost all of the new Echo gear is already on sale.
- Further updates to Alexa Plus after its US-wide rollout and the updates shown at the event.
- How the Echo Show 16 performs as both a speaker and an entertainment hub, with eight woofers and touch-based Fire TV built in.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.
Show each claim
- Partly supportedThe headline names the product “Echo Photo Frame.”The Verge: “There’s the Alexa Photo Frame, which Amazon devices chief Panos Panay describes as “the world’s smartest photo frame””
- SupportedAlmost all of Amazon’s new Echo gear is available now.The Verge: “Almost all of Amazon’s new Echo gear is available now”
- SupportedAmazon announced a new range of Echo devices at its October hardware event.The Verge: “Amazon had plenty of new gadgets to share at its Echo hardware event this year”
- SupportedThe lineup puts screens at the center while also including devices without screens.The Verge: “But the big news this year is screens: devices with big, beautiful ones, and those that lack them entirely.”
- Partly supportedThe lineup includes the Alexa Photo Frame, Echo Time, screenless Echo Studio with Home Camera, redesigned Echo Dot and Echo Show 16.The Verge: “There’s the Alexa Photo Frame, which Amazon devices chief Panos Panay describes as “the world’s smartest photo frame” and that doubles as a full Alexa speaker. There’s also the new Echo Time smart alarm clock, the screenless Echo Studio with Home Camera, a fully redesigned Echo Dot, and Amazon’s latest flagship smart display, the Echo Show 16”
- SupportedPanos Panay described the Alexa Photo Frame as “the world’s smartest photo frame.”The Verge: “There’s the Alexa Photo Frame, which Amazon devices chief Panos Panay describes as “the world’s smartest photo frame””
- SupportedThe Alexa Photo Frame doubles as a full Alexa speaker.The Verge: “There’s the Alexa Photo Frame, which Amazon devices chief Panos Panay describes as “the world’s smartest photo frame” and that doubles as a full Alexa speaker.”
- SupportedUsers can add voice notes to photos with the Alexa Photo Frame.The Verge: “Amazon’s first digital picture frame lets you add voice notes to photos”
- SupportedThe Echo Time can sense when a person is sleeping.The Verge: “Spending time with the Echo Time — a smart clock that senses you sleeping”
- SupportedThe Echo Show 16 has eight woofers and can run the full Fire TV experience by touch.The Verge: “Amazon’s latest flagship smart display, the Echo Show 16, which comes with a whopping eight woofers and can run the full Fire TV experience by touch.”
- SupportedAmazon showed updates to Alexa Plus, which became available to everyone in the US in February.The Verge: “Amazon had plenty of new gadgets to share at its Echo hardware event this year, along with updates to the AI-powered Alexa Plus after it became available to everyone in the US in February.”
- Partly supportedAmazon gave the Alexa Home Map a smarter 3D redesign.The Verge: “Amazon’s Alexa Home Map is getting a smarter 3D redesign”
