Amazon adds new Echo and Fire TV products to its collection

Amazon has added a bunch of new products to its portfolio today, including new Amazon Echo speakers and new Fire TV sticks. There’s a new Fire TV user interface rolling out soon too.

Please see the press releases below…..

LUXEMBOURG—Sept. 24, 2020—Today, Amazon introduced its all-new line-up of Echo devices, featuring completely new designs, enhanced audio, more powerful hardware, and experiences that make Alexa even smarter, more engaging and helpful. To learn about all the products, features, and services that Amazon announced, visit our blog post here.  

“These are the best Echo devices we have ever made,” said Eric Saarnio, Vice President Amazon Devices EU. “Echo and Echo Dot look beautiful and sound even better, and Echo Show 10 completely reimagines Alexa with a screen—the display moves with you, staying in view as you move around. It’s as natural as having a conversation. Plus, Alexa continues to get smarter—just ask to watch Netflix, make group calls and much more.”

The New Echo—New Spherical Design, Dolby Stereo Sound and Built-in Zigbee Hub

The next-generation Echo combines the best of Echo and Echo Plus into a single device at the same affordable Echo price.  Its all-new design and fabric finish looks great in any space, with a bright LED light ring at the base of the sphere that reflects off of surfaces for added visibility. The new Echo also sounds significantly better; thanks to a 3.0-inch woofer, dual-firing tweeters, and Dolby processing that delivers stereo sound with clear highs, dynamic-mids, and deep bass. As with Echo Studio, the new Echo automatically senses the acoustics of your space and fine-tunes audio playback – just ask to listen to your favourite music and the rich, detailed sound automatically adapts to any room. For the first time, Echo also comes with a built-in smart home hub, with support for Zigbee, and supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

Echo Dot & Echo Dot with clock—New Spherical Design and Crisp, Full Sound

Echo Dot, our best-selling smart speaker is now even better. The all-new Echo Dot has the same spherical design and fabric finish as Echo, making it a stylish way to add Alexa to any space. It’s compact, but packs in a powerful 1.6-inch front-firing speaker, producing crisp vocals and balanced bass for full sound you can enjoy in any room of your home. The new Echo Dot with clock comes with the same enhancements as the new Echo Dot, plus a simple LED display so you can glance at the time, temperature, timers, and alarms. And now, the tap-to-snooze feature that customers love on Echo Dot with clock will also be available on Echo Dot and Echo.

Echo Show 10—Designed to Move with You

The all-new Echo Show 10 is a complete re-imagination of Alexa with a screen, and has been upgraded in every way. It features a brilliant 10-inch, adaptive HD display that automatically stays in view when you interact with Alexa—no matter where you are in the room. Plus, the new brushless motor is completely silent, meaning you won’t hear a thing as Echo Show 10 rotates.

Ask Alexa to make a video call without worrying about being out of frame – as you move, the screen does too, and the new 13-megapixal, wide-angle camera pans and zooms to keep you at the centre of the frame. Plus, with new Alexa Group Calling you can create a group of up to eight friends and family members, and simply say, “Alexa, call my family”.  

As Echo Show 10 moves, so does its dual, front-firing tweeters and powerful woofer, providing premium, directional sound that automatically adapts to your space, making it great for all kinds of music, videos and more. Echo Show 10 will also rotate as you watch the news, flash briefings, or TV shows from Prime Video*. And, coming soon you will be able to watch Netflix* simply by asking Alexa, with the ability to search, browse, and stream the entire catalogue by voice.

“Improving our member experience includes making Netflix available where people want it. We’re excited to partner with Amazon on bringing the Netflix experience that people know and love to Echo Show, making it easier for our members to browse their favourite shows and films using their voice,” Barry Smith, Partner Engagement Manager, Netflix.

Echo Show 10 uses advanced computer vision algorithms to help make your home smarter and more secure. You can also securely access a live feed on Echo Show 10 from another Echo Show device, or the Alexa app, with the ability to remotely zoom or pan the display and camera to see the entire room; or set up a Routine that automatically turns on the lights when someone enters the room. Plus, its built-in smart home hub capabilities include support for Zigbee and BLE.

As with all Echo devices, Echo Show 10 is designed and built with privacy in mind. It uses a fusion of audio-based localisation and computer vision – all processed locally on device – to power the intelligent motion that keeps the screen facing you. Turn motion off at any time by sliding the built-in camera cover closed, adjusting settings on-device or in the Alexa app, or just by saying “Alexa, turn off motion.”

Sustainable

All Echo devices announced today are built with 100% post-consumer recycled fabric, 100% recycled die-cast aluminium, and post-consumer recycled plastic. Plus, all wood fibre-based materials used in Echo device packaging are made entirely from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources. In addition to using sustainable materials, these Echo devices also have a Low Power Mode**, to intelligently conserve energy during periods of inactivity, and deliver energy savings over the lifetime of the device.

Pricing and Availability 

Echo (£89.99) and Echo Dot (£49.99) will be available in Charcoal, Glacier White, and Twilight Blue. Echo Dot with clock (£59.99) will be available in Glacier White and Twilight Blue. Pre-order starts today with new devices shipping later this year. They will also be available at Argos, Currys PC World, very.co.uk, littlewood.com, and Tesco.

Echo Show 10 (£239.99) will be available in Charcoal and Glacier White. You can sign up to be notified when the new Echo Show 10 is available. All new Echo Show features announced today will be available by the end of the year.

LUXEMBOURG – Sept. 24, 2020—With more than 100 million devices sold globally, Fire TV customers are streaming billions of hours every month. Today, Amazon made Fire TV even better, with the next-generation Fire TV Stick, the all-new Fire TV Stick Lite, and a reimagined Fire TV experience that is more personal and customised.

“We are passionate about inventing on behalf of our customers to make it even easier to enjoy the best in entertainment,” said Eric Saarnio, Vice President Amazon Devices EU. “The redesigned Fire TV experience is tailored to each user and makes it even simpler to stream your favourite shows with our more powerful next-generation Fire TV Stick and our even more affordable Fire TV Stick Lite.”

Our best-Selling Fire TV Stick Now 50% More Powerful with HDR and Dolby Atmos Support—Just £39.99

The all-new Fire TV Stick features an enhanced 1.7 GHz quad-core processor that makes it 50% more powerful than the previous generation. The new Fire TV Stick delivers faster streaming in 1080p at 60fps with HDR compatibility. The dual-band, dual-antenna WiFi supports 5 GHz networks for more stable streaming and fewer dropped connections. Fire TV Stick also supports Dolby Atmos for immersive sound with compatible content and speakers, and an Alexa Voice Remote with dedicated power, volume, and mute buttons for easy control of compatible TVs, soundbars, and A/V receivers. The all-new Fire TV Stick delivers improved performance while consuming 50% less power than the previous generation.

Fire TV Stick Lite—Affordable, Full-HD Streaming on Fire TV—Just £29.99

Fire TV Stick Lite is a new, even more affordable way to begin streaming in full HD. It is 50% more powerful than the previous-generation Fire TV Stick and features HDR support. Fire TV Stick Lite comes with the Alexa Voice Remote Lite, a new remote that allows you to use voice to find, launch, and control content.

All-New Fire TV Experience

Fire TV’s most significant experience update is redesigned to offer a more intuitive, simple, and customised experience. The Main Menu is now at the centre of your screen and makes it easy to find what you’re looking for. You can now jump into your favourite streaming service directly, or scroll over supported apps to quickly peek at what’s inside and begin playback. A brand new Find experience makes it easier than ever to discover great movies, TV shows, and more, with browsing capabilities that allow for broad and specific searches based on genre (e.g. comedies, action), helpful categories (e.g. Kids & Family, apps), and more.

Alexa is at the core of the new Fire TV experience, featuring improved voice controls that give you greater control of your entertainment. Just say “Alexa, go to Library” to browse shows. With user profiles, Fire TV now delivers a personalised experience for up to six members of a household, providing individual content recommendations, viewing history, watch lists, preferred settings, and more. Changing user profiles is simple by saying “Alexa, switch to my profile.” After initial set up, Alexa will automatically recognise the voice and switch to your profile.

Alexa is getting smarter every day, and the redesigned Fire TV experience features a dedicated Alexa Explore destination, which displays popular Alexa features, and helps you check the weather, view stocks, and more. You can also see and control compatible connected smart devices in your home. With the new Fire TV experience, Fire TV Cube can be used for video calling with Alexa. Connect a compatible Logitech webcam to stay in touch with friends and family on the biggest screen in your home. Alexa video calling will be available later this year.

Availability

The all-new Fire TV Stick is £39.99 and begins shipping in the UK next week. Customers can begin pre-ordering today at www.amazon.co.uk/firetvstick. Fire TV Stick Lite is £29.99 and also begins shipping in the UK next week. Customers can begin pre-ordering today at www.amazon.co.uk/firetvsticklite. Both the all-new Fire TV Stick and the Fire TV Stick Lite will also be available from Argos, Currys PC World, very.co.uk, littlewood.com, and Tesco.

The redesigned Fire TV experience will begin rolling out globally later this year, starting with the new Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite. Exact features will vary by country.