Rounding up Amazon’s Alexa event
Amazon's September event saw a mix of new hardware, Alexa updates and other neat additions to existing products. Amazon's push for Alexa integration went above and beyond at this event, as well as, taking the show floor to show off new privacy features and a line-up of kid-friendly hardware. And while mainstream media has highlighted Samuel L. Jackson's voice being lent to Alexa (for only $0.99), here is every other noteworthy feature from the event.
Alexa in everything
The event saw the addition of the Echo Buds, Echo Frames and Echo Loop to Amazon's wearable line of hardware. The smart wireless earbuds, glasses and ring respectively all come with Alexa integration. The $129.99 earbuds come with Bose's Active Noise Reduction, the glasses can be altered according to your prescription while the Echo Loop can be paired with your phone to vibrate whenever you receive a call and other notifications. While the earbuds are available for pre-order already, the Echo Frames and Loop are still "invite only" devices for a select few individuals.
Echo Dot with LED Clock
The Echo Dot now features an LED Clock on the front of the display, showing the time and temperature. It also features a tap to snooze functionality, making it the perfect alarm clock/ Bluetooth Speaker/sentient being which can play your Spotify playlist. The new Echo Dot is already available for pre-order for $59.99.
The new and improved Amazon Echo
The all new Amazon Echo now comes in a new Twilight Blue colour while also being packed with a handful of incremental upgrades. The device now features neodymium drivers and 3-inch woofer, making the mids and highs much clearer than the previous Echoes. The previous Amazon Echo devices' 2.5-inch woofer had a less than ideal bass profile, something that has been taken care of with the addition of an increased back volume profile.
Amazon also announced the Echo Studio, a smart speaker which features Dolby Atmos 3D Audio, the Echo Show 8, a standalone 8-inch HD display with a camera for video calling, a smart lamp for kids called Echo Glow and the new Eero WiFi.