Archive photo: A smart speaker, not a device from Amazon’s new lineup. Jonathan Borba/Pexels (cropped)
Amazon announced a new group of Alexa home devices Wednesday, with prices starting at $99.99. For shoppers, the differences include whether a device has a camera, whether it is shipping yet and whether the features they want need an Alexa+ subscription.
The company’s October 28 announcement includes speakers, a bedside clock, a photo frame and a larger smart display. These are Amazon’s descriptions of the products, not independent test results.
What costs what, and what is available?
- Echo Dot: $99.99. Amazon says the new speaker ships starting Wednesday. It adds a built-in smart-home hub and an eero Wi-Fi extender for an existing network. The Kids version costs $109.99 and includes a year of Kids+.
- Echo Studio: $219.99 without a camera, or $249.99 with Home Camera. Amazon says the camera model ships starting Wednesday. It can show a room through the Alexa app and let Alexa respond to objects held in front of it. Planned video calling through compatible Fire TVs is described as coming soon, not available now.
- Echo Time: $199.99. The bedside clock is available starting Wednesday, according to Amazon. It has a camera-free design. Amazon says its sleep-sensing feature can adjust an alarm around lighter sleep; that is a company claim, not a medical finding reported here.
- Echo Show 16: preorder, not shipping yet. The standard model is listed at $499.99 and the Nanomatte version at $569.99. Amazon advertises $100 off preorders and says shipping begins later this year.
Amazon also introduced the Alexa Photo Frame, a 10-inch screen that displays pictures from Amazon Photos. The main lineup announcement does not list a price or shipping date for it.
Which devices have cameras?
Echo Time is specifically camera-free. The standard Echo Studio also remains available without a camera. Echo Studio with Home Camera and Echo Show 16 have cameras.
Amazon says a dedicated button disables microphones and included cameras on its Echo speakers. Its Echo Show 16 announcement also describes a button to disable the microphones and camera. Camera-free does not mean microphone-free.
Does buying the device cover Alexa+?
Not by itself. Some advertised features require Alexa+. Under Amazon’s published U.S. terms, the full Alexa+ experience is included at no extra cost with Prime. Without Prime, the full subscription costs $19.99 a month.
Non-Prime customers can also use a free, limited text-chat version through Alexa.com and the Alexa app. That is different from the full household service across Alexa-enabled devices. Amazon says each Alexa Photo Frame includes 90 days of Alexa+.
JBizNews Desk | New York
© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.
