Echo Link, Echo Show, and All the Coolest Tech From Amazon's Product Drop
Alexa is pretty much everywhere now.
by Danny PaezThursday, Amazon pulled the curtains off of plethora of new devices that support its trademark voice assistant, Alexa. The onslaught of new devices included everything from a smart microwave capable of ordering you popcorn on command to a subwoofer that allows the Echo to blast your playlists even louder.
The device that drew the most attention may have been the smart microwave, which’ll go for a very reasonable $59.99 and is a major step toward bringing Alexa’s A.I. into the kitchen. Zion Market Research projected that market for smart homes would practically double between 2016 2022, as the smart devices move from room to room.
Amazon has been at the forefront of this exploding business, mainly thanks to its Echo speakers. Globally, the company was the top vendor of smart home devices in the second-quarter of 2017, according to a report by IoT Analytics. Amazon already dominates the industry in the United States, taking up 61.9 percent of the market share according to a 2018 VoiceBot.ai Consumer Adoption and Attitudes analysis, giving them lots of ground to build on.
The following products will serve to expand the web of interconnected devices that has made shopping on Amazon as simple as a voice command and brought artificial intelligence to millions of homes around the world.
Amazon 2018 Launch: Echo Link - $199.99
The Echo Link was made for true audiphiles, that want to retrofit their existing stereo set up with Alexa features.
Amazon is letting audiophiles further retrofit their sound systems with Alexa features. The Echo Link allows users to wirelessly control music selection, volume, and multi-room playback on pretty much all kinds of audio setups.
It comes with multiple digital and analog inputs and outputs, making it compatible with any amplifier or receiver. This stereo system augmentation has yet to be given a release date.
Amazon 2018 Launch: Echo Sub - Price To Be Announced
Bump up the bass of your Echo Speaker with the Echo Sub.
If you use Alexa to DJ your parties, the Echo Sub might be what you need the truly crank up the volume at your next rager. The subwoofer amplifies the songs you like to bump off to and should bring a standard Echo speaker to new heights.
All you have to do is wirelessly pair your Echo or Echo Dot using the Alexa app and ask the voice assistant to start playing your favorite tunes. The device is available for pre-order starting September 20.
Amazon 2018 Launch: AmazonBasics Microwave - $59.99
Alexa cheffin' it up.
Welcome, Chef Alexa. Amazon now lets users talk to their microwave with the push of a button. The smart kitchen appliance comes with dozens of quick-cook voice commands, like the ones a standard microwave would have buttons for (i.e. Popcorn and Defrost), but also some new ones as well, like “order me a refill.”
If you want to freestyle you can can also simply ask it to heat things up for a certain time at either low, medium or high. O
Amazon 2018 Launch: New Echo Show - $229.99
Amazon's upgraded Echo Show looks like a picture frame that doubles as a touch screen.
The tech giant has transformed its tablet-speaker hybrid, the Echo Show, to look like a futuristic picture frame. While the previous generation looked a bit like an in-home intercom system — this upgrade looks a lot like an iPad.
The first thing you’ll notice is that it has double the display size of its predecessor. The new Echo Show comes packing a 10-inch high definition screen and an upgraded sound system, to provide clearer video and crisper sound while video chatting with friends and family.
Pre-orders for the Echo Show begin September 20 and it will ship in October.
Amazon 2018 Launch: Echo Dot Third Generation - $29.99
The third-generation Echo Dot comes with upgraded audio capabilities.
Amazon is refreshing its compact Echo Dot. For the same price tag as the second-generation Dot, users can pick up the newly announced smart speaker that the company says is 70 percent louder. It’s touted to pack more of an audio punch compared to its predecessors with lower distortion and enhanced bass.
Interested customers can begin ordering the updated Echo Dot on September 20 and shipments begin in October.
Amazon 2018 Launch: Echo Wall Clock - $29.99
The Amazon Echo Wall Clock can set timers, alarms, and reminders with the help of an Echo speaker.
Set a timer for the pie you’re baking, your weekday morning alarm or a reminder to water your plants with Amazon’s Echo Wall Clock. This device fuses the aesthetic of an analog clock with smart home capabilities allowing it to pair with any Echo speaker via Bluetooth.
Just like any smartphone, it will also adjust to and from daylight savings time without users having manually set the time. The Echo Wall Clock is will ship later this year.
Amazon 2018 Launch: Smart Plug - $24.99
Give any device you plug into the Smart Plug voice-command capabilities.
Amazon wants to turn anything that plugs into an outlet into a smart device with the Smart Plug. This outlet adapter will imbue anything you plug into it voice assistant functionality.
Users can plug in lamps, toaster ovens, or any electronic appliance to be able to switch them on with their voices at home or remotely switch them off using the Alexa app. It can also let you set a schedule for when you want, say, indoor Christmas lights to turn off and on.
Amazon 2018 Launch: Echo Input - $34.99
The Echo Input gives any stereo system voice command capabilities.
Have a speaker that doesn’t come with smart home capabilities? The 12.5-millimeter tall Echo Input lets you add voice command capabilities to any sounds system in your home via Bluetooth or 3.5mm audio cable.
This is ideal for users that have a high-caliber speaker they don’t want to get rid of but toying with the idea of picking up an Echo speaker. Amazon said the device will be available later this year.
