Echo Archives - Gizmochina

Amazon’s older Echo speakers now have Matter smart home support

Jeet — Wed, 03 May 2023 06:51:40 +0000

Last year, Amazon pledged support for Matter smart home standard for its devices, and the company had provided a timeline for the devices to get support for this standard.

Now, in line with that, some of the older Echo speakers from the brand are getting support for Matter smart home standard through an over-the-air update.

The update being rolled out by Amazon turns the second-generation Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Plus devices into Matter controllers. The fourth-generation Echo can serve as a Thread border router with support for adding Matter-compatible Thread devices.

Along with support for Android to set up Matter gear, it now also supports iOS, which in turn means support for Apple HomeKit. The Matter over Thread update also brings Alexa control to a range of Eve hardware, and it will also support Alexa setup for Eve Door & Window, Eve Energy, and Eve Motion later this month.

Last year, when Amazon announced support for Matter, the company promised that 17 Echo products would support Matter over Wi-Fi by the end of 2022 and a total of 30 Echo and Eero models by early this year.

Amazon to hold a launch event on September 28, new Echo products expected

Habeeb Onawole — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 15:37:30 +0000

Even with less than two weeks to go before the end of September, there are still several products scheduled to launch this month. Now Amazon is trying to squeeze a last-minute launch into the calendar.

The e-commerce giant has announced that it will hold an event on September 28. The event is slated to begin at 12 PM Eastern Time and Amazon is expected to announce a handful of new hardware products, some of which should launch under its Echo line. The Verge reports that the invite says there will be “news about our latest Amazon devices, features, and services.”

Among the new Echo device expected to launch is a new Echo Show that can be wall-mounted. The device was first revealed in a Bloomberg report in February, and it mentioned a likely release by the end of this year or next year. The new Echo Show is reported to be between 10 – 13 inches in size and will serve as a sort of command center for the home. It is expected to have a price tag between $200 and $250.

Amazon may also launch its first Ring Car Dashcam which leaked back in June of this year. Ring is an Amazon-owned company that deals in home security. It already sells several home security products such as doorbells, alarms, and smart cameras, but last year, Amazon, announced a new line of products targeted at car security.

Unlike other manufacturers, Amazon’s events are not usually live-streamed, so there is no way for the public to watch the September 28 event.

Amazon sends out invites for September 24 event

Habeeb Onawole — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 23:07:09 +0000

Amazon is one-upping Google by announcing its product launch a week before Google’s own. While Amazon’s smartphone making days are over, it is its new smart home products that will be taking on Google’s.

Invites which have been sent to the press says the event is scheduled for September 24 and will begin at 1 PM Eastern Time. The invite doesn’t tease what to expect but The Verge reports that it says the Amazon Devices and Services Team will share “some news”.

Last year, Amazon announced a bunch of products such as its very first TWS earbuds called the Echo Buds; the large Echo Studio home speaker, the third-gen Echo Speaker; and an Echo dot with a clock. It also announced some invite-only products such as the Echo Frames smart glasses and a smart ring called the Echo Loop.

Seeing as Google will be announcing a new smart speaker and a new Google Chromecast powered by Google TV, we presume we will get a new Echo Speaker(s) and a new Fire TV Stick too from Amazon.

We expect some of the new Amazon products will also make their way to India but most likely not immediately.

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Amazon announces new Echo Studio and Echo Show 8

Jeet — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 06:48:38 +0000

Along with the launch of Echo Buds, all-new Echo, and Echo Dot with clock, Amazon also launched a couple of more devices in its Echo lineup, including the new Echo Studio and an updated Echo Show 8.

Echo Studio

The new Amazon Echo Studio aims to offer an immersive sound and compete against the likes of Google Home Max and Apple HomePod. It comes with 1″ tweeter, three 2″ mid-range speakers, and a 5.25″ woofer. This set produces powerful bass, dynamic midrange, and crisp highs. With 33W of peak power, it offers deep and rich bass by using the bass port at the bottom.

It comes with Dolby Atmos technology, making it the best sounding Echo lineup device so far. It has 24-bit DAC and a power amplifier with 100KHz of bandwidth for high-res, lossless music playback.

The company says that a couple of Echo Studio devices can be paired with the Fire TV Stick 4K for audio playback with multi-channel sound and support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio 5.1, and stereo audio. It automatically senses the acoustics of your space and fine-tunes playback to deliver optimal sound.

You can also use voice commands to control music as well as smart home devices. With support for Alexa skills, the company says that the Echo Studio is built with users’ privacy protection in mind. The Amazon Echo Studio costs $199 (₹22,999 in India) and is now up for pre-orders, with shipping scheduled to start from November 7.

Echo Show 8

Months after the launch of Echo Show 5, Amazon has today launched the new Echo Show 8, which is an 8-inch version of the Amazon Echo Show. The company says that the user will be able to watch Food Network TV shows on the device and there’s a new feature that enables users to ask Alexa to save a recipe.

You’ll also be able to ask Alexa about any ingredients that might show up in a recipe. The Show 8 will also include the new Drop-in On All feature, which lets users create a large group chat with family and friends.

Aside from the display size change, no much information on the distinctions between the 10-inch and 8-inch models were shared. Priced at $129, the Amazon Echo Show 8 is now up for pre-order and will start shipping ahead of the holidays.

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Amazon introduces new Echo and Echo Dot with clock; shipment starts next month

Jeet — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 05:16:40 +0000

At an event in the United States, along with the all-new Echo Buds, Amazon has also introduces its new Echo smart speaker, a new Echo Dot with a clock and Echo Studio for an immersive studio quality sound.

All-new Echo (3rd Gen)

It comes with a new fabric design and offers an improved sound quality along with all-in-one access to Alexa. The company has included a new premium speakers with 2.5″ woofer and 0.6″ tweeter powered by Dolby. Thus, it can play 360-degree audio with crisp vocals and dynamic bass response.

Thanks to Alexa, you can also control music and can stream it from Amazon Prime Music, Apple Music, JioSaavn, etc. You can also use your voice to adjust equalizer settings. It can also be used to call or message family and friends having an Echo device or the Alexa app and use Alexa to make Skype calls.

The voice control can also be used to control smart home devices, including lights, plugs and more with compatible connected devices. The new Echo has built with multiple layers of privacy protections and controls, including a microphone off button that electronically disconnects the microphones.

The all-new Echo comes in a new Blue color as well as Black, Grey, and White for a price of $99 or ₹9,999. It is now available for pre-orders and will start shipping from 16th October.

Echo Dot with clock

The Amazon Echo Dot now comes with an LED display that shows time, outdoor temperature or timers, whatever you choose. For audio output, there’s a 1.6″ speaker and you can operate it through voice commands.

The light sensor in the device can automatically adjust the display’s brightness during the daytime and night. Along with operating via voice commands, it can also control music the same way. It comes with support for Alexa skills and the company says that it is also designed to protect privacy.

As for the pricing, the new Echo Dot is priced $10 more than the standard model — $59. It is now available for pre-order and will start shipment from 16th October. In India, this Echo Dot with clock is priced at ₹5,499.

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Echo Horizon Exceeds Expectations in Europe, Horizon Lite Coming Soon

Habeeb Onawole — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 23:17:04 +0000

French smartphone manufacturer Echo launched the Horizon smartphone last month. The device which has a 18:9 display has exceeded expectations resulting in the company following with another model, the Horizon Lite.

The Horizon Lite has an aluminium build with a brushed metal finish. Though it has a full screen display, it still packs thick bezels at the top and bottom.

Like the name says, the Horizon Lite is a less powerful version of the Horizon. It keeps the 5.7-inch HD+ display but is now powered by the MT6737 SoC. RAM is down to 2GB and storage has been cut to 16GB.

The Horizon Lite has a single 8MP rear camera with a dual tone LED flash. Below the setup is a fingerprint scanner, and for selfies, the phone packs a 5MP camera.

There is a hybrid dual SIM slot (nano only) which lets users put a microSD card (32GB max) in the second SIM tray. It also has Bluetooth 4.0, single band Wi-Fi, 3.5mm audio jack and a USB-C port to recharge the 3,000mAh battery.

The Horizon Lite has support for FDD LTE bands 800/1600/2600. It measures 153.3 x 73.19 x 35 mm and comes in Titanium and Silver Gunmetal. Echo says it will sell for €129.99.

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Amazon Takes Alexa To India, Launches Echo, Echo Plus & Echo Dot

Habeeb Onawole — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 11:05:51 +0000

Amazon’s Alexa AI assistant has become very popular since its launch but is available in a few markets. It is available on a bunch of devices including Amazon’s own Echo line. In order to expand its reach, the retail giant has launched three of its Echo devices in India, its first Asian market.

The Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and the just released Echo Plus will be available in India. They will provide a user experience that is customized for the Indian market. Alexa will speak in English but with an Indian accent.

Amazon says there are up to 10,000 skills available already including support for popular services like ride booking platform Ola, food delivery service Zomato, and even professional services request from UrbanClap. It can also play songs from Saavn, Amazon Prime Music, and Tunein. Amazon’s Alexa app has also gained support for Indian names, places, music and local knowledge.

Users will also be able to set reminders, update shopping lists, and control smart appliances using their Echo device.

To purchase any of the Echo devices, you will have to request for an invitation first. After a few weeks, you will receive an email confirming your invitation, after which you can then purchase your Echo device.

The Echo Dot will retail for INR 4,499 (~$70), the Echo will sell for INR 9,999 (~$154) and the Echo Plus has a INR 14,999 (~$230) price tag. Those who get invited to purchase the device will get a 30% discount and a one year Amazon Prime subscription.

Amazon says its next market is Japan and a launch should come later this year.

(Via)

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