Amazon Unveils Next-Gen Echo Devices Optimized for Alexa+

Amazon unveils new Echo devices, powered by its Al, Alexa+ | TechCrunch

At its annual hardware event, Amazon introduced a new lineup of Echo devices, built specifically for its AI assistant, Alexa+, which has already rolled out to millions of customers through its early access program. To showcase the AI's capabilities, Amazon is releasing four new Echo devices with improved processing power and memory: the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 11. Key to the devices are the Alexa+ integrations, allowing the speakers to respond to more queries than earlier models, offering support for natural language conversations, more complex questions, and soon, more add-ons and capabilities. This will later include an Alexa+ Store, where users can explore services from brands like Fandango, GrubHub, Lyft, Priceline, Taskrabbit, Thumbtack, and Yahoo Sports. The devices will also be able to manage new or existing subscriptions with Amazon's own services like Amazon Music, Amazon Kids+, or Alexa Emergency Assist and customize their Alexa experience. The new Echo devices launching today run on Amazon's custom-designed silicon chips, the AZ3 and AZ3 Pro, which include an AI Accelerator designed to run AI edge models. The AZ3 enables better conversation detection on the Echo Dot, letting people talk to the device from anywhere in the room, while still filtering out background noise. The chip also improves detection of the wake word by over 50%, Amazon claims. The other three devices -- the Studio, Show 8, and 11 -- use the AZ3 Pro, which adds support for advanced language models and vision transformers. Plus, the AZ3 Pro-enabled devices include Ominisense, a custom sensor platform for ambient AI that uses the 13-megapixel camera on our new Echo Show devices, audio, ultrasound, Wi-Fi radar, accelerometer, and Wi-Fi channel state information (CSI). With this feature, the devices allow Alexa to act on events happening in the home, like delivering a reminder when a particular person walks in the room or alerting you to an open garage door before you go to bed at night. The new Echo Dot Max, $99.99, adds nearly three-times the bass for better sound. The two-way speaker includes a woofer for the deep bass and a custom tweeter for the high notes. The $219.99 Echo Studio, meanwhile, features a new spherical design, allowing it to be 40% smaller than the original, says Amazon. The Echo Studio also includes a high-excursion woofer, spatial audio, and Dolby Atmos, and an upgraded light ring for better visual understanding of what Alexa is doing or processing. The company notes consumers can connect up to five Echo Studio or Echo Dot Max devices with compatible Fire TV sticks for an immersive sound system in their home, and it plans to sell products in Alexa Home Theater bundles. Also new are two smart displays, the Echo Show 8 ($179.99) and Echo Show 11 ($219.99), which both have a new design, improved picture quality, a 13-megapixel camera, a larger screen area, new front-facing stereo speakers, a custom woofer, and Alexa+ powered features. The AI assistant will run a new smart home experience called Alexa+ Home, which combines things like event summaries from Ring camera feeds and a smart home hub that supports Matter, Thread, and Zigbee. As Alexa devices with a screen, the displays also work well for accessing entertainment, like streaming audio and video, managing home organization and family activities, and managing household shopping needs. The latter integrates with Amazon, Whole Foods, and Amazon Fresh to make re-ordering favorites and delivery tracking easier. Plus, Amazon is teaming up with smart ring maker Oura to bring personalized health and wellness suggestions to Alexa devices. This could help do things like add workout reminders or nudges to head to bed to get the best sleep. Other devices from Withings and Wyze will be supported in the future.

Amazon Brings Out New Echo Speakers with Alexa Plus Onboard, Starting at $100

Amazon's new line of Echo devices, launched at an event in New York City, will feature Alexa Plus integration, as well as upgraded functionality and sound quality. The lineup includes four speakers -- the Echo Dot Max ($100), Echo Studio ($220), Echo Show 8 ($180), and Echo Show 11 ($220). The new range is designed to be used with Alexa Plus which is the company's AI upgrade to Alexa. The speakers includes the new AZ3 Pro chips, while the Dot Max uses the AZ3, and these enable the new "AI Accelerator" for compatibility with future AI models. Also read: Everything Announced at Amazon's Product-Packed September Event Of the new range, the biggest surprise is the Echo Studio, an update to 2019's flagship smart speaker. Amazon says its new Echo Studio is 40% smaller than the original, but it's also very similar in size to the 2020 Echo. The new Studio boasts "premium audio," including Dolby Atmos capability, and comes in a spherical design with a 3D knitted cover for better sound. Meanwhile, the Echo Dot Max ($100) comes with an improved microphone array and can now detect the chosen wake-word up to 50% better. At the event, the company showed off the new Alexa Home Theater mode which enables users to connect up to five Echo Dot Max or Echo Studio to their Fire TV for surround sound. Interestingly, the system has the ability to add a subwoofer, but the existing Echo Sub is no longer available. The new Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 feature Omnisense -- also available on the new Fire TVs -- for detecting when a user is in the room and displaying relevant content. Amazon says the new displays use "negative liquid crystal design" with improved clarity in both bright and dimly lit rooms. The Show screens come with a 13-megapixel camera onboard, in addition to front-facing stereo speakers and a custom woofer for spatial audio. The screens will let users scan their Ring and Blink cameras, as well as watch curated "highlights" of past video feeds. The demo that CNET saw included a "Wildlife" feed of deer playing in front of the camera, as well as others like "Halloween" and "Summer." The new Echo devices are available for pre-order today, and U.S. customers will receive Alexa Plus Early Access. The Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio will be available on October 29, while the new Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 will go on sale on November 12. It's been a while since we've seen new Echo speaker without a screen -- not since 2023's Echo Dot -- so look out for reviews of the new range soon.

Amazon's New Echo Devices Are Specifically Designed for Alexa+

When he's not battling bugs and robots in Helldivers 2, Michael is reporting on AI, satellites, cybersecurity, PCs, and tech policy. Could Amazon's new Echo devices deliver the most natural AI voice conversations for your home yet? The company is pairing Alexa+ with a lineup of Echo devices specifically designed to harness its voice assistant -- the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 11 -- which Amazon describes as "the most advanced Echo devices we've ever built." Although Alexa+ is already rolling out to the latest existing Echo models, the new hardware is optimized to run the voice assistant using Amazon's new AZ3 and AZ3 Pro chips, which help streamline AI workloads. As an example, Amazon said the upcoming Echo Dot Max uses AZ3 "to enable better conversation detection -- one of the most important yet challenging parts of building an ambient AI anyone can talk to from anywhere in the room." The result can create more natural, free-flowing conversations while filtering out background noise, and "improving Alexa's ability to detect the wake-word by over 50%." "Echo Studio, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 11 include the more advanced AZ3 Pro, which builds on the power of AZ3's audio capabilities, adding support for state-of-the-art language models and vision transformers," Amazon says. Other enhancements include Omnisense, the company's custom sensor platform, which detects when you enter the room and can offer proactive alerts, such as notifying you that your garage door is unlocked after 10 p.m. Amazon's smart home lineup also gets a redesign, and the company promises a 3x bass boost for the Echo Dot Max compared with the Echo Dot (5th gen). "The new design eliminates the separate speaker module, integrating the speaker directly into the device housing to double the air space for fuller bass. The result is a compact speaker that packs a huge punch," the company adds. Meanwhile, the Echo Studio has been redesigned to be 40% smaller than the previous generation. Users can also pair up to five Echo Studio or Echo Dot Max devices with a compatible Fire TV Stick to create a surround sound system. The Echo Show 8 and Show 11 smart displays feature improved audio through a new front-facing speaker and custom woofer. Their displays also promise "improved clarity in both bright and dimly lit rooms." Through their 13-megapixel cameras, Amazon's Alexa+ can also recognize a user as they walk up to the device. "You can see Alexa's more visual conversational responses, view your favorite photos, manage new color-coded family calendars, or get intelligent summaries of your Ring video footage -- everything appears incredibly clear, sharp, and vibrant," the company says. The $99.99 Echo Dot Max and the $219.99 Echo Studio are available for preorder now and will launch on Oct. 29. The $179.99 Echo Show 8 and the $219.99 Echo Show 11 are also available for preorder and will launch on Nov. 12. If you purchase one, you can expect to receive early access to the Alexa+ program. However, Alexa+ is only free if you're a Prime member; otherwise, you'll need to pay $19.99 per month. Also today, Amazon announced new Kindle Scribes, Ring and Blink cameras, and Fire TVs.

Amazon unveils next-gen Echo lineup in big revamp

You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search by clicking the button below. During today's event, Amazon revealed four new Echo devices: the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 11. For these devices, the e-commerce giant custom-designed two chips -- AZ3 and AZ3 Pro -- meant to help run the company's AI. The Echo Dot Max was given the AZ3, which Amazon says powers the microphone array, supports free-flowing conversations with Alexa Plus, and filters out background noise and improves Alexa's ability to detect wake-words by over 50%. Meanwhile, the rest of the new product line has the AZ3 Pro chip, which adds support for language models and vision transformers on top of the capabilities of the AZ3.

Amazon's New Smart Speakers Are Even Smarter

* Four new Echo devices include AZ3 and AZ3 Pro chips for on-device AI and better wake-word/mic performance. * Omnisense fuses camera, audio, radar, ultrasound and sensors for context-aware, proactive Alexa+ actions. * New audio and displays: Echo Dot Max (bass), compact Echo Studio (Dolby Atmos), Show 8/11 with HD camera and UI updates. Amazon's lineup of Alexa-powered smart speakers is probably among the most popular, if not the most popular, among households. And now, with the age of Alexa+ getting closer every time, we have new smart speakers ready for Alexa+. Amazon has introduced four new models belonging to the Echo range -- the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 11. At the heart of the new lineup are two new custom chips, the AZ3 and AZ3 Pro, which feature a dedicated AI accelerator. The Echo Dot Max incorporates the AZ3 chip to power a more sophisticated microphone array, which the company claims improves wake-word detection by over 50% and enhances the device's ability to filter out background noise for more natural interactions. The higher-end Echo Studio, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 11 feature the more powerful AZ3 Pro chip, designed to handle on-device processing for advanced language models and computer vision tasks. This new hardware features what Amazon calls "Omnisense," Amazon's new sensor fusion platform. Omnisense integrates data from a range of sensors -- including the 13-megapixel camera on the new Echo Show devices, audio inputs, ultrasound, Wi-Fi radar, and an accelerometer -- to better understand the context of a user's environment. This allows Alexa+ to perform more proactive actions, such as delivering a reminder when a specific person enters a room or alerting a user if the garage door is left open late at night. The new audio-only devices include the first-ever Echo Dot Max, which features a two-way speaker system with a dedicated woofer and tweeter, delivering nearly three times the bass of the previous Echo Dot. The redesigned Echo Studio, now 40% smaller, sports a new spherical design and supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos. Users can also create a surround sound system by connecting up to five of the new Echo devices with a compatible Fire TV stick through the Alexa Home Theater feature. The smart display lineup has also been overhauled with the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11. Both feature redesigned high-definition displays that reduce lamination layers for improved viewing angles and clarity. The devices use their 13-megapixel cameras and Omnisense platform to recognize when a user approaches, displaying relevant information accordingly. The user interface has also been updated with new dedicated centers for media control, smart home management (with built-in Zigbee, Matter, and Thread support), and home organization tools like color-coded family calendars. New software widgets also provide integrated shopping lists and delivery tracking. Amazon also announced new health and wellness integrations, starting with a partnership with Oura to provide personalized suggestions based on user health data. To centralize the expanding ecosystem, the company will launch an "Alexa+ Store" for discovering and managing compatible services from partners like Uber, GrubHub, and Fandango. The Echo Dot Max is the entry-level option at $99.99. If you need better audio, the redesigned and more compact Echo Studio is also available for $219.99. Finally, the new Echo Show 8 is priced at $179.99, while the larger Echo Show 11 will cost $219.99, matching the price of the Echo Studio. All four of the new Echo devices are currently available for pre-order on Amazon's website, so get yours now if you want one.

Amazon's new Echo devices go all-in on AI, demanding an upgrade for Alexa+

Amazon today unveiled a major refresh to its Echo lineup, and it's all about showing off Alexa+, the company's new AI-powered assistant. The fresh hardware was unveiled at Amazon's Devices and Services event, and each device has been redesigned to fully tap into Alexa's generative AI features, which let you speak naturally, skip the wake word at times, and get context-aware suggestions. Alexa+ is rolling out first in the US as an early access program, free for Prime members during testing and later priced at $20 per month. Notably, it only runs on newer Echo and Fire TV hardware, leaving early-generation devices behind. All-new displays and a smarter sensor suite The star attractions are the redesigned smart displays: the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11. Both feature slimmer bezels, upgraded displays with in-cell touch tech, and much-improved audio with stereo speakers plus a custom woofer. They also pack Amazon's new AZ3 Pro chip and an Omnisense sensor suite, which blends inputs from cameras, microphones, Wi-Fi radar, and motion sensors to better understand the environment. That means Alexa can adjust more dynamically, whether it's fine-tuning sound for your living room or anticipating smart home needs. The Show 8 is priced at $180, while the larger Show 11 lands at $220, with shipping starting November 12. Both support Matter, Thread, and Zigbee, so they're future-ready for smart home setups. For those who prefer smaller speakers, Amazon introduced the Echo Dot Max. Unlike the classic Dot, this one comes with both a woofer and a tweeter, delivering nearly three times the bass of its predecessor. It's powered by the AZ3 chip and designed to handle Alexa+'s AI tasks without breaking a sweat. Preorders are live now, with full availability beginning October 29. Amazon also gave the Echo Studio a sleek update. It's now 40% more compact, wrapped in 3D-knit fabric for better acoustics while still supporting Dolby Atmos and spatial audio. The Studio, along with the Dot Max, ties into Amazon's new Alexa Home Theater feature, which lets you pair up to five speakers into a surround system for Fire TV. The setup automatically calibrates using the Omnisense sensors for room-specific tuning. All these changes point to a bigger goal: Amazon wants Alexa to feel more like a conversational partner that fits naturally into your daily life. However, there are some trade-offs. Some older Alexa privacy settings, such as blocking voice recordings from being stored, are being phased out to support the new AI features. Legacy Echo devices will still work with the traditional Alexa, but if you want the smarter, more intuitive version, you'll need to upgrade to the latest models. Amazon Echo Show 8 (2025 model) Resolution HD Speakers 1 X 2.8" Woofer and 2 full-range drivers Camera 13 MP with auto-framing Dimensions 208mm x 127mm x 150mm Screen 8.7-inch Connectivity Wifi 6E (802.1ax) The Echo Show 8 is built for the next generation of Alexa. With slimmer bezels, upgraded stereo speakers, and Amazon's new AZ3 Pro chip, it delivers crisp visuals, richer sound, and faster responses. Packed with Omnisense sensors, it adapts to your space, making video calls clearer, music fuller, and smart home control effortless. $180 at Amazon Expand Collapse Amazon Echo Show 11 (2025) Resolution Full HD Speakers 1 X 2.8" Woofer and 2 full-range drivers Camera 13 MP with auto framing Dimensions 255mm x 127mm x 182mm Screen 11 inches Weight 1302 grams The Echo Show 11 is Amazon's biggest and boldest smart display yet. With its expansive screen, slimmer design, and powerful stereo sound backed by a custom woofer, it's built to bring entertainment and smart home control to life. The new AZ3 Pro chip and Omnisense sensors make Alexa+ more responsive and intuitive than ever, adjusting to your environment with ease. $220 at Amazon Expand Collapse

Hands on with Amazon's new AI-enhanced Echo smart speakers and displays

The Echo Studio is back, along with the revamped Echo Dot Max and two gorgeous Echo Show displays. And they're all packing AI chips for Alexa+. Yes, round is still in when it comes to Amazon's refreshed Echo smart speakers, with the high-end Echo Studio and the smaller Echo Dot both getting big Alexa+ makeovers at Amazon's big fall hardware event in New York City. Also on tap were new versions of Amazon's Echo Show 8 and 11 displays, which chopped the chunky design of previous-generation Echo Shows in favor of slimmed-down screens mounted in front of oval-shaped rear speaker components. Available for pre-order now, the new Echo devices pack Amazon's new AZ3 and AZ3 Pro chips allowing for "on the edge" Alexa+ processing, ideal for getting speedier replies while enabling advanced sensors that allow the new Alexa to sense what's going on in the immediate area. First comes the new Echo Studio-pictured up top-that's switching from its previous cylindrical look to a spherical design, same as the new Echo Dot Max. The Echo Studio ($219.99) crams three full-range drivers and a high-excursion woofer into its round shell, which is encased in a 3D-knit fabric and now boasts a "face" housing the volume and "action" buttons. As with the previous Echo Studio, both spatial audio and Dolby Atmos are on board. Meanwhile, the Echo Dot Max lands with the same size and shape as the previous fifth-gen Echo Dot, with the new Echo Dot Max earning its name thanks to the including of two drivers rather than just one. So yes, double the drivers versus the older Dot, but also double the price: $99.99 rather than $49.99. Amazon is promising a completely revamped audio design with the revamped Echo Dot Max, and I'm eager to give it a listen (we didn't get to hear the Echos in action during the hands-on demos). Besides using them as stand-alone smart speakers, you can also pair up to five Echo Studios or Echo Dot Maxes to compatible Fire TV sticks for surround sound, with a new feature-Alexa Home Theater-slated to automatically calibrate the audio according to the shape of the room and the position of the speakers. We also got to see two new Echo Show displays: the Echo Show 8 and 11, both with enticing and slimmed-down designs if missing some of the "wow" factor of the earlier Echo Show 10 incarnations. Both the Echo Show 8 ($179.99) and Echo Show 11 ($219.99) come with slim displays mounted on oval-shaped audio and processing components, allowing the screens to appear as if they're suspended in space. You can tilt the displays up and down, as well as swivel them back and forth-and refreshingly, you can swivel the screens without needing to hold the base as you do so. It's a pleasing design, but there's no eye-popping feature like the motorized display offered by the third-generation Echo Show 10 that could follow you around the room. That motorized screen seemed like an ideal match for Alexa+, but alas, the screen swiveling is all manual with the latest Echo displays. Still, the new Echo Shows do come with built-in 13-megapixel cameras, while the displays themselves offer in-cell touch and negative liquid designs for better viewing at wide angles. The revamped Echo Studio and Echo Dot Max are set to ship October 29, while the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 will arrive on November 12.

Alexa announces four new Echo devices, built specifically for Alexa+

Earlier this year, Amazon pulled the veil off of Alexa+, a new, AI-powered version of its voice assistant. Now, we have some devices that were purpose-built for Alexa+. At an event in New York City on Tuesday, Amazon showed off four new Echo speakers. We'll get to the specifics of each speaker in a second, but the main thing to know is that they all use new in-house AZ3 chips (there's a regular AZ3 and an AZ3 Pro) to run their AI models. These devices also use Amazon's sensor platform Omnisense, which allows the Echo units to proactively respond to events occurring in your home. Examples given included alerts that a specific person has entered a room or that your garage door is unlocked at night. Anyway, here are the four new devices and how much they cost. The first two launch on Oct. 29, and the latter two on Nov. 12: The Echo Dot Max is the smallest and cheapest of the bunch, resembling a sphere but with a little indent with button controls on the front. Amazon says it has 3x the bass of the 5th gen Echo Dot, and was built with two speakers for the first time. The point is that this is a small, relatively affordable smart speaker that, according to Amazon, has big sound where it counts. Of course, you can also have conversations with Alexa+ on it, as is the case with the other three devices. Echo Studio visually looks like a bigger version of Echo Dot Max, though it's apparently 40 percent smaller than the last Echo Studio model. This one has Dolby Atmos and spatial audio support. It should be noted that up to five Echo Dot Max or Studio devices can be linked to Fire TV Sticks for something resembling a home theater audio setup. Beyond that, the two Echo Show devices are similar in theory, though they both have touchscreens and cameras on them. The 8 and 11 refer to display sizes, presumably, in case you were confused as to why devices with those two numbers would launch simultaneously. Amazon says the new displays are better than previous models, and the camera can use AI to recognize whoever walks up to it and proactively show information they might want to see. Needless to say, the Echo Show devices can also act as smart home hubs for all your devices, as well as small entertainment centers for listening to podcasts or audiobooks or what have you. You can even connect an Oura account and get health and wellness tips from the Echo Show. Just don't get too caught up in conversation with Alexa+.