Amazon Unveils Spherical Echo Speakers and Wi-Fi 6 Eero Routers
Amazon completely redesigns its Echo and Echo Dot speakers with spherical shapes and upgraded audio, while also introducing new Eero 6 mesh Wi-Fi systems. The new devices aim to improve smart home connectivity just in time for the holiday shopping season.
Amazon hosts its 2020 hardware event and reveals a completely redesigned Echo speaker that features a new spherical shape. The updated Echo includes a 3-inch subwoofer and dual-firing tweeters that automatically adapt to the acoustic qualities of the room. Priced at $99.99, the spherical speaker also serves as a smart home hub with support for Zigbee, Bluetooth, and Amazon Sidewalk.
The tech giant also gives its popular Echo Dot a similar spherical makeover and introduces an Echo Dot with Clock alongside a kids' edition shaped like a tiger and a panda. All new Echo Dot models feature an AZ1 Neural Edge processor that delivers faster and more natural speech recognition for contextual conversations. The standard Echo Dot starts at $59.99 and comes with a one-year Amazon Kids Plus subscription for the children's model.
In addition to the audio upgrades, Amazon launches the Eero 6 and Eero 6 Pro mesh Wi-Fi systems that bring much-anticipated Wi-Fi 6 support to its networking lineup. These new routers promise to deliver faster speeds and more stable internet connections throughout users' homes. Customers can pre-order all of these newly announced devices today, with general availability expected later this year.