Ahead of the holiday shopping season, Amazon today unveiled a refreshed lineup of smart home devices, including updated versions of its Echo smart displays and speakers and Fire TV media streamers. Its Ring and Blink divisions also showed off new security cameras, while AI found its way to Amazon's Alexa voice assistant.
Most of these devices won't launch in time for Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days on Oct 10-11, but you can preorder a lot of them now for a late October delivery. Here's what you can get.
Echo Devices
Echo Show 8 (Credit: Amazon)Echo Show 8
The new Echo Show 8 features a rounded edge and a newly designed bump-out on the back, which makes it slightly bigger. The 13MP front-facing camera is also centered versus off to the side. The main internal upgrade here is the built-in Zigbee smart home hub and Amazon's AZ2 Neural Edge processor instead of a MediaTek MT 8183. There are also some audio upgrades and a feature that will sense where you are in the room to display fewer things when you’re far away and more detail as you walk closer. Preorder the Echo Show 8 now for $149.99; it ships on Oct. 25.
Echo Show 8 Photos Edition and Photos
For those who use their Echo Show primarily as a digital picture frame, a photo-centric version of the Echo Show 8 will rotate through user-picked photos every 30 seconds and includes 25GB of Amazon Photos storage. Prime members already have free, unlimited, high-resolution photo storage, but they’re limited to 5GB of free video storage, so Amazon is pitching that 25GB as extra video storage space for Prime members. Buyers also get a six-month subscription to PhotosPlus and $1.99 per month after that. It launches this fall for $159.99.
Echo Hub (Credit: Amazon)Echo Hub
This scaled-down Echo Show 15 looks like a thermostat or home security system, but it’s an 8-inch touch-enabled display where you can manage smart cameras, organize widgets, or just check the time. It's $179.99 and not yet available for preorder; sign up to be notified when it launches.
Echo Pop Kids (Credit: Amazon)Echo Pop Kids
This kids version of the Echo Pop smart speaker features Marvel or Disney Princess characters and comes with six months of Amazon Kids+. Preorder for $49.99 ahead of an Oct. 25 launch.
Echo Frames (Credit: Amazon)Echo Frames
Want to talk to Alexa through your glasses? The third-gen Echo Frames promise extended battery life (up to six hours of continuous media playback), better Alexa performance, and a more stylish look, starting at $269.99. No launch date was announced; interested buyers can sign up to be notified when they go on sale.
Amazon Fire Tablets
Fire HD 10 Kids (Credit: Amazon)Fire HD 10 Kids
Amazon promises 25% faster performance over the previous version, a one-hour battery life boost to 13 hours, and a 5MP front-facing camera, up from 2MP. Preorder today for $189.99 ahead of an Oct. 18 launch.
Fire HD 10 Kids Pro
This one gets the same upgrades, but it’s geared toward kids ages 6 to 12 versus 3 to 7. It’s also $189.99 and launches on Oct. 18.
Fire HD 10
For the adults in the room, the non-kids Fire HD 10 tablet gets that speed boost and a lighter frame. It’s available for preorder for $139.99. (The 2021 version earned our Editors’ Choice award.)
Eero Max 7
Eero Max 7 (Credit: Amazon)The Eero Max 7 is Amazon's first Wi-Fi 7 mesh system. Theoretically, this supports super-fast data transfer (download a 4K movie in 10 seconds or a 50GB video game in less than a minute), but Wi-Fi 7 is still an emerging technology. (Qualcomm on Wednesday teased a new Wi-Fi 7 ISP gateway that it says will be available starting next summer to select fiber internet customers.) If your home is full of bandwidth hogs, though, the eero Max 7 will support the 2.4, 5, and 6GHz radio bands for speeds up to 4.3Gbps and wired speeds up to 9.4Gbps on compatible devices. That won't come cheap: a 1-pack is $599.99, a two-pack is $1,149.99, and a 3-pack is $1,699.99. It's listed as "coming soon"; sign up to be notified when it's released.
Fire TV Sticks
Fire TV Stick 4K Max (Credit: Amazon)Fire TV Stick 4K Max
The new Fire TV Stick 4K Max offers some small upgrades, like bumping the quad-core processor from 1.8GHz to 2.0GHz, and its networking support from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 6E. It also doubles storage to 16GB. Plus, Amazon adds the Fire TV Ambient Experience from the Fire TV Omni QLED Series to its 4K Max dongle, which turns your TV into a smart display. And Amazon teased a feature rolling out by year's end that will let people ask Amazon to create art that can be displayed on their TV. Preorder now for $59.99 ahead of its Sept. 27 launch.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
The main change to the Fire TV Stick is a Wi-Fi 6 upgrade. It still has a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, but Amazon says it should be 30% more powerful than the older model. It's available for preorder now for $49.99 and ships on Sept. 27.
Fire TV Soundbar (Credit: Amazon)Fire TV Soundbar
The 24-inch Fire TV Soundbar is a two-channel companion device that supports for DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Audio. It's compatible with all Fire TV devices, but also connects to phones, tablets, or other streaming devices via Bluetooth. It's available now for $119.99.
Free MGM+ Video Streaming
Amazon is giving a six-month free subscription to its MGM+ video-streaming service to anyone who buys a new Fire TV streaming media player or smart TV on Amazon or in stores.
Alexa
Alexa, Let's Chat
Amid an explosion of generative AI, Amazon has been working to improve Alexa, which—for many people—has largely been used to set timers or ask for the weather. Going forward, those with Alexa devices new and old will be able to say, "Alexa, let's chat" to have a more human-like back and forth with Amazon's virtual assistant. Similar AI enhancements are coming to Amazon's Fire TV interface later this year, when Alexa should be able to understand "nuanced and open-ended questions about TV shows and movies."
Eye Gaze Mode
Intended to assist those with speech or mobility disabilities, Eye Gaze Mode will let you control an Alexa device with your eyes. Look for it on the Fire Max 11 tablet later this year in the US, UK, Germany, and Japan.
Call Translation
Later this year, the Echo Show and Alexa app will also support real-time translations for audio and video calls in 10 languages, including English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Alexa Emergency Assist
Amazon offers home security features via Alexa Guard and keeps tabs on elderly relatives with Alexa Together, and it's now expanding to emergency assistance. If you're injured, call out to Alexa to contact emergency services for $5.99 per month or $59 per year, or slightly cheaper if you already have Alexa Guard.
Also on Tap for Alexa:
Create custom Routines that start when your favorite team’s game begins.
Email Alexa to add things to your calendar.
Add your favorite people to the Echo Show Top Connections widget
Change Alexa's voice on the profile level versus device level
Ring and Blink Security Cameras
Ring Stick Up Cam Pro (Credit: Ring)Ring Stick Up Cam Pro
The latest Ring security cam features 3D Motion Detection, Bird’s Eye Zones, and Bird’s Eye View. Plus, custom alerts can tell you if someone's on your porch, but not if a neighbor walks by on the sidewalk, for example. Two-array microphones offer echo cancellation, while Color Pre-Roll serves up a history of detected motion, including the seconds before you receive an alert. Preorder now for $179.99; it ships on Oct. 18.
(Credit: Blink)Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera
Amazon's Blink division adds a floodlight camera to the Outdoor 4, which debuted in August. It has 700 lumens of motion-triggered LED lighting, HD live view, a wire-free install, and real-time alerts. Preorder it now for $159.98; it ships on Oct. 17.
Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Mount
Already have a Blink Outdoor 4 and want it to be a floodlight camera? Grab this $40 floodlight mount, which also arrives on Oct. 17.
Blink Sync Module Pro
Have a larger area you want to keep protected? This $49.99 device extends the range of the Blink Outdoor 4 by up to three times, so you can affix one on your front porch but also a faraway fence in the backyard. It won't arrive until spring 2024, but you can sign up to be notified when it launches.
Blink Outdoor 4 Battery Extension Pack
This pack boosts your Outdoor 4's battery life from two to four years for $29.99. Preorder now ahead of an Oct. 17 ship date.
