New Echo speakers, new Fire TV — and that's just for starters!
We're on hand in Seattle at Amazon HQ, where the company is about to unveil a slew of devices on us. Probably. Almost certainly — but very little has leaked so far. There's been a smattering of mentions of Ring devices going through the FCC, and we wouldn't be surprised in the slightest to see new hardware there.
And we're only a few weeks past Amazon's last event, which took place at the IFA conference in Berlin. That's where we got an updated Fire TV Cub, with Dolby Vision HDR, and the announcement of a bunch of new Fire TV Edition televisions. Most of those are headed for Europe, but the U.S. is getting a new 65-incher from Toshiba, with Dolby Vision HDR on board there as well.
So what's coming today? New Alexa speakers? New smart displays? New clocks and microwaves and other things you never knew you needed Alexa in?
We'll be updating this post throughout the event, so refresh early, and refresh often.
Echo Dot with a Clock
It's an Echo Dot! It's a Clock! It's an Echo Dot with a Clock built in! Amazon says that its customers ask Alexa "What time is it?" a billion times a year, more or less. So this one makes sense for all kinds of reasons. When the alarm sounds, you'll just have to tap the top to snooze it.
Amazon says the existing Echo Dot will continue to be available.
The Echo Dot With Clock is $59.99 and is available for preorder now.
New Amazon Echo
Amazon has taken the sound architecture from last year's Echo Plus and built it in to the standard Echo. It's got new fabric designs — including Twilight Blue.
You can preorder the new Amazon Echo today for $99.99.
Amazon Echo Studio
You want a high-end Amazon Echo? You're getting a high-end Amazon Echo. This one has "unbelievable sound," Amazon says. It's one of those newfangled "3D sound experiences, too, like Dolby Atmos. And Amazon has Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Warner Music Group all on board from the content end of things.
The Echo Studio is roughly the same size as an Apple HomePod. You can pair a couple together and throw an Amazon Echo Sub for a proper Fire TV surround system. It'll model the room with built-in microphones (again, like Apple and Google do) and adjust the sound accordingly.
There's a directional tweeter in the front for the high end. And a 5.25-inch bass driver and port (because you've gotta move air for better bass!) at the bottom.
You can preorder the Amazon Echo Studio today for $199.
Amazon Echo Show 8
You love the 10-inch Amazon Echo Show. You love the 5-inch Amazon Echo Show 5, which is the fastest-growing Echo product ever, Amazon says. Now it's time for the Amazon Echo Show 8.
It'll feature the same privacy shutter over the camera as the Echo 5.
The Echo Show 8 is $129 and up for preorder today. It'll ship in time for the holidays.
The Echo Show line is getting some new general features, too. You'll now be able to drop in on every Echo Show in the house at once — if you dare.
Amazon Echo Glow
So your kid wants something in their room, but you don't want them to have an Echo Show 5 just yet. Enter the Amazon Echo Glow.
It's a $29 night-light that links wirelessly to an Amazon Echo. Lights will play along with the music. Campfire Mode will simulate a campfire. Tap the Glow to cycle through the colors.
The Echo Glow will ship in time for the holidays.
New Eero mesh routers
Amazon purchased mesh-router company Eero earlier this year, much to the chagrin of many. But today we've got new hardware.
The all-new Eero can be set up in 10 minutes or less, Amazon says, which should take most of the frustration out of the router setup experience. (And hopefully not require folks have to more than a basic rudimentary understanding of networking.) The system still provides whole-home mesh coverage, in which multiple nodes work together instead of a single broadcast point.
It's a dual-band setup, has adaptive backhaul, and works with Eero Secure.
The new Eero is $99 today for a single node. You can get a three-pack for $249. It'll come to Europe later this year for €279/£249.
Updates to Alexa
- Celebrity voices are coming! If you want Sam Jackson to be your Alexa, you'll get Sam Jackson. (In family-friendly and NSFW modes, at that.)
- Check that out now at
- More are coming. They'll be 99 cents each.
- A new multilingual mode is coming to Alexa. So she'll be able to respond in multiple languages without having to manually switch between them.
- In the U.S., you'll have access to English and Spanish.
- In Canada, it'll be French and English.
- In India, it'll be Hindi and English.
Amazon has gone a long way toward being more kid-friendly with its products, and we've got some new updates on that front as well in the form of Alexa Communications for Kids with the Echo Show.
Parents will have to turn it on, of course, and then whitelist contacts that the kids are allowed to talk to. And parents on both sides of the conversation will have to approve things.
Also, the Amazon Free Time subscription service is making the leap from Fire Tablets to the Echo Show, which means free games!