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Amazon announced five new smart home devices and a 3D home-mapping feature: Echo Time, Amazon Kids Echo Time, Echo Show 16, Alexa Photo Frame, and Echo Studio with Home Camera. The new Echo Dot is also part of the announcement, bringing the total device count to six; the source headline’s “five” does not match its six-device rundown. Several products are available now, while Echo Show 16 is scheduled to ship later this year.
Amazon announced six new Echo devices and a smart-home feature called Alexa Home Map on Wednesday, adding products for sleep tracking, photo display, home monitoring and device control. The announcement includes the Echo Time, Kids Echo Time, Echo Show 16, Alexa Photo Frame, Echo Studio with Home Camera and a sixth-generation Echo Dot—one more device than the source headline’s count of five.
The Echo Time is a camera-free Alexa Plus alarm clock with sleep-tracking sensors and an optional feature that can wake users during a light-sleep window 10 to 60 minutes before their scheduled alarm. Amazon says its Omnisense sensors monitor room temperature, presence, proximity and breathing. It is available for $200; the adjustable stand costs $40 separately. The Kids version starts at $210 and includes one year of Kids Plus.
The Echo Show 16 has a 16-inch HD screen, Fire TV and a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera with night vision. Amazon says it offers 10% more viewing area, a 40% thinner frame and 20% more computing power than the Echo Show 15. It is available for preorder at a $100 discount and is expected to ship later this year. Its standard price is $500, or $570 for the anti-glare Nanomatte model; stands cost extra.
The Alexa Photo Frame is a 10-inch touchscreen that syncs images from Amazon Photos and starts at $200, including 90 days of Alexa Plus. The camera-equipped Echo Studio is $250, while the standard model remains available for $220. The sixth-generation Echo Dot costs $100 and adds a built-in smart-home hub; the Kids version is $110 and includes a year of Kids Plus. Amazon also announced Alexa Home Map, an interactive 3D map for compatible apps, Echo and Alexa devices, and Fire TVs.
More Home Controls, More Sensors
The lineup expands Alexa’s role from voice control and entertainment to sleep routines, family scheduling, photo browsing and home monitoring. A built-in hub in the Echo Dot could let owners control compatible smart-home devices without buying a separate hub, although Amazon’s announcement does not identify every compatible device or protocol.
The products also bring different levels of cost and privacy trade-offs. The Echo Time is designed without a camera, while the new Echo Studio adds one for visual functions and remote Live View. Amazon says Echo devices have a dedicated button to disable microphones and cameras, with visual indicators when a camera is streaming images or video to the cloud. Buyers will want to check which features depend on Alexa Plus or other subscriptions before choosing a device.
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From Echo Displays to Home Mapping
The announcement came about two weeks after Apple introduced its HomeView smart display and HomePod Mini 2, according to CNET’s report. Amazon’s response spans several product types rather than a single screen or speaker, pairing hardware updates with a new Alexa software feature.
The source report identifies five named new devices before separately describing the sixth-generation Echo Dot, which explains the mismatch between its headline and the full list. It also reports that Alexa Home Map will work with compatible Ring cameras, but the available source text ends before explaining all of the feature’s functions. Amazon’s description of sleep sensing and sound adaptation is company-provided information, not independent evidence of health or performance outcomes.
“Echo Time is a camera-free smart alarm clock powered by Alexa Plus.”
— Amazon, as described in CNET’s report
Feature Rollout and Privacy Details
Amazon has not announced a specific date for the Echo Show 16’s shipment beyond saying it will ship later this year. The report also says a future feature will let users pair the Echo Studio with Home Camera and a Fire TV for video calls on a larger screen, but gives no launch date.
The report does not give a rollout date for Alexa Home Map or a complete list of compatible products. It also does not spell out which Echo Time functions require Alexa Plus, beyond saying that certain features do. Amazon’s sleep-tracking claims, including the wake-up function, are described by the company; the supplied material does not provide independent test results or detail how recorded sensor data is stored and used.
Availability and Feature Rollouts
Customers can buy the Echo Time, Kids Echo Time, Alexa Photo Frame, Echo Studio with Home Camera and Echo Dot at the listed starting prices, according to the report. Echo Show 16 is available for preorder and is expected to ship later this year. Amazon has not provided dates in the supplied material for the Alexa Home Map rollout or the planned Fire TV video-call integration.
As those features roll out, buyers will need to confirm device compatibility, subscription requirements and local availability. The source does not state when the new devices will be offered in every market.
Key Questions
How many new Echo devices did Amazon announce?
The report lists six devices: Echo Time, Kids Echo Time, Echo Show 16, Alexa Photo Frame, Echo Studio with Home Camera and the sixth-generation Echo Dot. Its headline says five, creating a discrepancy with the product rundown.
Which new Amazon devices are available now?
The report says Echo Time, Kids Echo Time, Alexa Photo Frame, Echo Studio with Home Camera and Echo Dot are available now. Echo Show 16 is open for preorder and is due to ship later this year.
What does Alexa Home Map do?
Amazon describes it as an interactive 3D map showing the inside and outside of a home. It is intended for compatible apps, Echo and Alexa devices, and Fire TVs. The report does not provide a rollout date or a full feature description.
Does the Echo Time have a camera?
No. The report describes Echo Time as a camera-free alarm clock. Its sleep-related functions use sensors that Amazon says monitor room conditions, presence, proximity and breathing.
Which products require Alexa Plus?
Amazon says certain Echo Time features require Alexa Plus, and the Echo Show 16 includes Alexa Plus with some features requiring it. The report does not list every feature affected. It says Alexa Plus comes with a Prime membership or can be obtained through a separate subscription.
Source: cnet.com
