Amazon Introduces Echo 2, Echo Plus, Echo Connect, and Echo Spot Alexa Devices

Beside their “all-new” Amazon Fire TV 2017, Amazon has made a bunch of other announcements mostly related to their Alexa services with four new or updated Echo devices:  the “all-new” Echo, the Echo Plus, Echo Connect, and the Echo Spot.

2017 Amazon Echo (aka Echo 2)

The new second generation of the Alexa based Echo has a new smaller design, improved sound with Dolby processing, and a lower price at just under $100.

Some of the key features include:

• Speakers – 2.5″ woofer and 0.6″ tweeter
• Connectivity
  • Dual band 802.11 b/g/n WiFi for streaming music from Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, etc…, controlling smart devices
  • Bluetooth LE
• Audio
  • 3.5mm audio jack
  • 7-mic array using beamforming technology and enhanced noise cancellation.
  • Improved wake-word (“Alexa”) detection
• Various designs with 6 different fabrics
• Dimensions – 148 x 88 x 88 mm
• Weight – 821 grams

The Echo can make free calls to the US, Mexico and Canada, control smart home devices such as the new Fire TV media player.

Amazon Echo Plus

Echo Plus has similar features to the Echo, but adds a built-in smart home hub to connect your smart devices such a lights, locks, and others. It sells for $149.99 with a Philips Hue smart lightbulb (while supplies last).

Amazon Echo Plus  main features and specifications:

• Speakers – 2.5″ woofer and 0.8″ tweeter
• Connectivity
  • Dual band 802.11 b/g/n/ac WiFi
  • Bluetooth LE
• Audio
  • 3.5mm audio jack
  • 7-mic array using beamforming technology and enhanced noise cancellation.
  • Improved wake-word (“Alexa”) detection
• Built-in hub for simple setup of compatible (Zigbee) smart home devices
• Misc – Light ring, volume ring, action button, microphone on/off button
• Various designs with 6 different fabrics
• Dimensions – 235 x 84 x 84 mm
• Weight – 954 grams

Just like the Echo 2, Echo Plus can make free calls to North America, and control smart devices over WiFi and BLE, but the smart home hub appears to add support for Zigbee too allowing for a wider range of devices.

Echo Spot

Echo Spot is a compact devices with a round screen that works like other Echo, but can also show news, weather, smart home camera feeds, video calls, Alexa skills, and more on its display. Sold for $129.99 with delivery planned for December.

Key features:

• Speakers – 1.4″ speaker
• Display – 2.5″ round display
• Connectivity
  • Dual band 802.11 b/g/n WiFi
  • Bluetooth LE
• Audio
  • 3.5mm audio jack
  • 4-mic array using beamforming technology and enhanced noise cancellation.
  • Improved wake-word (“Alexa”) detection
• Camera – front facing camera
• Misc – Volume up/down, mic/camera on/off button,
• Various designs with 6 different fabrics
• Dimensions – 104 x 97 x 91 mm
• Weight – 419 grams

Echo Spot comes with a single speaker, a simpler 4-mic arrow, and supports all features of the Echo 2 device.

Echo Connect

Echo Connect is a little different. It requires an Echo device, and transform it into a smart landline connected speakerphone, allowing you to call any phone numbers leveraging Alexa service, the microphone array, and your landline, if you still have one…

Echo Connect specifications:

• Connectivity – Dual band 802.11 b/g/n/ac WiFi
• Ports – RJ11 phone jack
• Misc – Reset button, LEDs
• Dimensions – 130 x 90 x 29.5 mm
• Weight – 126.9 grams

Amazon is taking pre-orderd for Echo Connect for $34.99 with delivery scheduled to start on December 13, 2017.

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