Amazon launches biggest lineup of new devices as Alexa invades every corner of your house

Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) introduced a dizzying array of new Echo devices, Echo companion devices, and Amazon smart-home devices on Thursday, making the home assistant Alexa omnipresent by inserting it into any room in the house — and even in your car.

“We want you to have access to Alexa everywhere — in your kitchen, in your living room, in your office, and now in your car or truck,” said Tom Taylor, the senior vice-president for Amazon Alexa.

Amazon held an event in Seattle to introduce its latest smart devices. They include the All-new Echo Dot, now with a new speaker for louder and crisper sound, an updated fabric design, and still only US$49.99. There is the Echo Plus, with a built-in Zigbee hub, plus an upgraded speaker and a new design, for US$149.99

There is also the Echo Show, which has an upgraded speaker, a 10-inch HD display, and a built-in smart home hub, for US$229.99. There is also the Echo Wall Clock, which connects to your Echo device to visually enhance timers, alarms and reminders for US$29.99.

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Then there is the Echo Auto, which brings Alexa right into the car. 

Echo Auto is an easy way to add the power of Alexa to the car or truck. With an eight-microphone array designed for in-car acoustics and speech recognition technology, Echo Auto lets Alexa hear you over music, A/C, and road noise, Amazon said.

The device is powered by the car’s 12V power outlet or USB port and connects to the stereo system through a 3.5 mm audio jack or Bluetooth connection. It connects to Alexa through the Alexa app on your smartphone and uses the existing phone plan to access a range of features such as music, navigation, calling, and more.

The company has also introduced Alexa Guard, which can send alerts about the sound of glass-breaking, smoke detectors, or carbon monoxide alarms detected in your home.

Alexa can also intuitively turn lights on and off to help deter intruders using Away Lighting and can integrate with alarm systems from Ring and ADT to keep your home safe. This feature will be available on select Echo devices later this year.

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The new home devices include the AmazonBasics Microwave, a compact countertop microwave that connects to your Echo device to make cooking easier for US$59.99. The Amazon Basics Microwave connects to the Echo device and makes cooking easier.

You can ask Alexa to reheat, defrost, or microwave for your desired cook time and power level. There are also a variety of quick-cook voice presets such as, “Alexa, microwave two potatoes” or “Alexa, reheat a cup of coffee” and the AmazonBasics Microwave takes care of the rest.

Since Alexa is always getting smarter, new quick-cook voice presets will be added regularly.

“We’re excited to expand the number of ways that customers can add Alexa to their homes and their vehicles, so they can use Alexa to make their lives more convenient and easy — whether it’s asking for the traffic on your drive home, checking your email in the morning, or simply saying ‘Alexa, good night’ to turn off your lights and lock your door,” said Taylor.

The other devices include the Echo Input, which adds Alexa to an existing speaker for US$34.99. The Echo Sub will add rich bass to music playback on Echo devices for US$129.99.

Next is the Echo Link, which connects the home stereo system to stream high-fidelity music for US$199.99. There is the Echo Link Amp, a 60W, 2-channel built-in amplifier to stream high-fidelity music to active or passive speakers for US$299.99.

The Amazon Smart Plug will control compatible lights, fans, coffee makers, and more for US$24.99

Amazon is the world’s biggest online retailer. The company is based in Seattle, Washington.

Story by ProactiveInvestors