![]() ![]() The new Echo also comes with another unexpected addition: a temperature sensor. However, the fourth-generation Echo is only slightly faster than the third-generation Echo at answering basic questions in my experience, often only beating it by less than a second. This functionality wasn't available at launch but has since begun rolling out to the fourth-generation Echo and Echo Show 10. Amazon's new AZ1 processor promises to make Alexa faster and more responsive when processing requests. The Echo series may be nearly six years old, but Amazon is only just introducing its own custom processor for its smart speaker line. The Echo also has a leg up over Google in this regard since Google devices don't offer voice setup for smart home devices and require you to connect through the company's app. The third-generation Echo, on the other hand, requires a bridge in order to connect to the same Philips Hue light bulb. I simply screwed the light bulb into my bedroom lamp and asked Alexa to discover new devices.Īfter a few short moments, Alexa confirmed that my Echo had discovered the new light and added it to the "My devices" section of the Alexa app. Getting a Philips Hue light bulb up and running with the new Echo requires virtually no set up since it's compatible with Zigbee. It will also support Amazon's long-range Wi-Fi network called Sidewalk when the feature launches on June 8. That means you can quickly set up devices that use Bluetooth low energy or the ZigBee protocol - one of the major protocols that allows smart home devices to communicate with one another - without requiring a separate hub or bridge. If controlling smart home devices is one of the primary reasons you're interested in Amazon's smart speaker, the new Echo will feel like a step up.Īmazon has built a smart home hub into the device much like it did with the Echo Plus speaker it introduced in 2017. Philips Hue light bulbs and connectivity bridges For a device that most people will be prominently displaying in the living room or kitchen, it would have been nice to see a broader range of color options like those offered by Google. The placement of the glowing ring at the bottom of the speaker rather than at the top also feels less distracting.īut unlike the Nest Audio, which comes in black, white, green, pink, and blue, the Echo is only available in three colors: charcoal, white, and blue. It has more of a standout look that differentiates it from rivals, like the Nest Audio, and the spherical shape enables it to fit more naturally into my home decor. ![]() The new Echo looks less like a traditional speaker than its predecessor, and that's a good thing. Instead, the new Echo takes the form of a compact, fabric-laden orb that glows at its base when Alexa is listening. Gone is the cylindrical shape that's been a hallmark of the smart speaker series so far. To say the new Amazon Echo looks different than its predecessor would be an understatement. The third-generation Amazon Echo (left) vs. Here's a closer look at what it's been like to use the new Echo. Apple, meanwhile, announced a smaller and less expensive version of its HomePod smart speaker for $100 called the HomePod Mini. Just days after Amazon unveiled the new Echo in September 2020, Google introduced its $100 Nest Audio. It's a much more notable update than 2019's third-generation Echo, which didn't add much to the speaker other than improved sound quality.īut the new Echo also launched as Google and Apple have been investing more heavily in their own smart home speakers. Taken together, the improvements represent the most significant upgrade to the standard Echo we've seen in years, helping it stand out in Amazon's lineup. Amazon's most recent entrant to the smart speaker space also features a boost in sound quality, its own dedicated Amazon-designed processor that should make Alexa more responsive, and other extras, like a temperature sensor and a built-in smart home hub. Nearly six years after Amazon quietly unveiled the original Echo, the company has completely changed the speaker's look, marking a big departure from the glowing cylinder that we've come to associate with the Echo since late 2014.īut the latest Echo is far more than just a cosmetic upgrade. Amazon's popular Echo speaker has finally gotten a makeover. ![]()
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