It’s been almost two years since Amazon launched the Echo Dot (4th Generation), but today we’ve seen the new Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock, plus some enhanced features coming to existing products.
New Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock
The Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock are two of the most popular Echo smart speakers because they’re relatively cheap and small. With the Echo Dot (5th Generation) and Echo Dot with Clock (5th Generation), Amazon has added new features.
While the previous Echo Dot was a big improvement, audio wide, over its predecessor, the new models promise to be even better. While both look the same as their predecessors, with the spherical form factor, the new models have a custom full-range driver, with the highest excursion of any Echo Dot.
Amazon says that these improvements will deliver clear vocals and up to double the bass of the previous generation.
Both models have a temperature sensor in them, which can be used to trigger an Alexa routine, say turning on a fan when the temperature gets too hot. There’s also an accelerometer inside for new tap gestures.
Tapping the top of the device, you can pause and resume music, dismiss timers and end a call. Since physical action is often easier than a spoken one, being able to do more with a tap makes more sense.
Both new products have an AZ2 Neural Edge processor inside, which Amazon says lets the speakers process more features on the edge without having to go to the cloud. This, the company says, will make the new Dot models faster to respond.
The Echo Dot with Clock has a new 5×21 LED high-density dot technology display, which is easier to read. It will also display more information than on the old model and will show the name of a song and artist, the weather, a calculator or unit of measurement, and more.
The Echo Dot will cost £54.99 from Amazon and will be available Deep-Sea Blue, Charcoal and Glacier White. The Echo Dot with Clock is available in Cloud Blue and Glacier white, and will cost £64.99 from Amazon. Both are available to pre-order from today and will ship next month.
New Echo Studio gets Enhanced Audio Technology
The Amazon Echo Studio was positioned more as a high-end audio device than a smart speaker, built to work with TVs to make the most of film and TV soundtracks. The new Echo Studio builds on that with new spatial audio technology.
This technology enhances stereo sound, and Amazon says that it mimics the stereo performance of a hi-fi stereo system: vocals are more present in the centre, and stereo-panned instruments are better defined at the sides. In addition, the speaker will deliver better mid-range clarity and deeper bass.
As with the older version, the new model works with Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio.
The Echo Studio will cost £189.99 from Amazon and will be available Charcoal and Glacier White. It’s available to pre-order today and will ship from next month.
New Echo Dot Kids
If you want your kids to have a smart speaker, the Echo Dot for Kids is the best product. The two new versions introduce a panda and owl, alongside a tiger and panda. Internally, the speakers are effectively normal Echo Dots.
As with the older models, the new ones come with a two-year worry-free guarantee and a year’s subscription to Kids+.
The Echo Dot Kids will sell for £64.99 from Amazon. Pre-orders are available today and will ship next month.
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