Amazon Launches Echo Devices Powered By Alexa+
Amazon just announced four brand-new Echo devices: the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Echo Show 8, and finally the Echo Show 11. All of these new devices are made from the ground up for Alexa+, Amazon’s next general conversation AI assistant. Alexa+ is already seeing 2x more conversations, and these new Echo devices are made to serve as the best way to experience Alexa+, combining hardware, sensors, and AI into one smart home device. This launch is meant to represent Amazon’s biggest leap forward since its start in the smart home ecosystem in 2014.
New Silicon & Omnisense Platform
Amazon announced two new core chips, the AZ3 and AZ3 Pro. The AZ3 chip is used in the Echo Dot Max, making it optimized for speech recognition and conversation detection. The AZ3 Pro, in the Echo Studio and Echo Shows, handles state-of-the-art AI models like LLMs and vision transformers. The key improvements are that it is 50% better at wake-word detection and has stronger noise filtering, which makes Alexa more natural and responsive.
They also announced a new Omnisense Sensor Fusion Platform that combines inputs from the Camera on the Echo Studios, audio, microphones, ultrasound, Wi-Fi radar, Accelerometer, and Wi-Fi CSI, which makes Alex more proactive. Like sending alerts if your garage door is open late, remind you of tasks when you enter a room, ot it can even tailor responses to who is in front of the device.
Echo Dot Max
We also got to see some new products, one of which was the new Echo Dot Max. It is the first Echo Dot with two speakers, a woofer, and a tweeter, which delivers 3x the bass of the Echo Dot 5th gen. It is also redesigned to be more compact to maximize air space, produce deeper bass, and cleaner highs. The Echo Dot Max uses the AZ3 chip for better voice pickup and more natural interaction. It is positioned as an entry-level Echo that feels premium in audio and performance, and is priced at $99.99.
Image:Amazon
Echo Studio
The Echo Studio is a more advanced version of the Echo Dot Max. It has the same small form factor but delivers immersive room-filling sound. It is equipped with Dolby Atmos and spatial audio, which mimics surround sound. Other features include a deep bass via a high-excursion woofer and three full-range drivers strategically placed for better sound. The Echo Studio also has a 3D-knit acoustic fabric and adds a light ring with visual understanding and model feedback. It has a starting price of $219.99 and is targeted at audiophiles and home theater setups.
Image:Amazon
Echo Show 8 & 11
The Echo Show has screens with in-cell touch with a negative liquid crystal design for better brightness, clarity, and viewing angles. Ambient visuals also adapt to lighting conditions. The camera features a 13MP camera that recognises you, greets you, and surfaces relevant info personalized to you. With AI in the Echo Show, it can make color-coded family calendars with conflict resolution, a to-do list with task assignments, smart shopping widgets for Amazon, Whole Foods, and Freshords, and lastly, intelligent summaries of your Ring camera footage. The Shows are also an entertainment hub with a central page for music, podcasts, books, and media playback. You can also do Health and wellness things on the Shows with the Oura and Alexa partnership for sleep and wellness recommendations. There will also be integrations with others, like Withings and Wyze, coming soon. The Shows also get a new sound upgrade with front-facing stereo speakers and a woofer for the best sound quality in any Echo Show yet! The Echo Show 8 will be priced at $179.99, and the Show 11 will be priced at $219.99.
Image:Amazon
Alexa+ Ecosystem & Store
Amazon is also launching Alexa+ Store, a central hub for services, add-ons, and integrations. The supported partners include Uber, Lyft, GrubHub, Bose, Samsung, LG, and BMW, to name a few. Amazon is positioning Alexa+ as a universal assistant across multiple devices, not just a smart home speaker. All of these new AI features compete directly with others like Google Assistant, Siri, and Samsung’s Bixby in a more ecosystem-driven way.
The Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio will be available on October 29th, and the Echo Show and Echo Show 11 will be available starting November 12. Alexa+ Early Access is also included automatically when buying any of the new devices. Amazon’s vision for Alexa+ is to be an ambient AI that fades into your daily life. The new Echos deliver upgrades in design, performance, and intelligence.
Will customers embrace AI, or find it too intrusive in their homes? Would you pay more for Alexa+ features compared to regular Alexa? How do you think Alexa+ stacks up against Siri and Google Assistant in 2025? Let us know in the comments!
Images and Source: Amazon