The News: Amazon recently announced that it is introducing a new line-up of Amazon Echo devices which include the Echo-Pop, Echo Show 5, Echo Show 5 Kids, and new Ear Buds. The company also mentioned that its Alexa-Enabled devices surpassed one-half billion. See Amazon’s Press Release for more information.
Amazon Introduces New Amazon Echo Devices
Analyst Take: Amazon continues to innovate creating new Amazon Echo devices and adding more functionality to them in an effort to make the smart home experience that much richer for each user whether they are inside or outside the home. The new line of Echo devices includes the Echo-Pop, Echo Show 5, Echo Show 5 Kids, and new Ear Buds. Based on the company selling half a billion Alexa-enabled devices, it is clear that the company will be able to capitalize on its installed base whether it’s bits or atoms from Amazon Marketplace or Amazon Prime.
Echo-Pop
The Echo-Pop is a compact smart speaker in a semi-sphere form factor. The device comes in lavender bloom, charcoal, midnight teal and glacier white. The device is perfect for smaller spaces such as dorm rooms, bedrooms, apartments, or the small office home office (SOHO) market. The Echo-Pop also allows you to control smart home devices such as smart lights, smart plugs and more with your voice. The speaker includes a custom-designed front-facing speaker to deliver full sound. When interacting with the device, it turns light blue acknowledging it is hearing your voice commands. The Amazon Echo-Pop is powered by the AZ2 neural edge processor along with built-in Eero that adds up to 1,000 square feet of coverage to an existing Eero Wi-Fi network. Pricing for the Echo-Pop starts at $39.99.
Echo Show 5 & Echo Show 5 Kids
The Echo Show 5 and Echo Show5 Kids are excellent devices for users that want to consume content and control the smart home in a smaller form factor. A key for the smart home is there is no one-size fits all solution when it comes to consuming content and controlling the smart home. The Echo Show 5 has the full utility of Alexa and offers its users to watch news clips, check connected devices such as the Ring doorbell camera, make video calls with friends, family or physicians, and view shopping lists just to name a few. The Echo Show 5 is 20 percent faster than the previous generation and also features an entirely new speaker system that doubles the bass and also delivers clearer sound when listening to content such as books and music. The device has a re-engineered microphone array and the AZ2 Neural Edge processor. The device also includes support for Matter.
The Amazon Echo Show 5 Kids, starting at $99.99, is designed to be a worry-free device for parents that allows them to augment their education while filtering out unwanted content. A key concern for many parents today is the decision to offer their children devices that are connected to the Internet but are worried they may stumble on inappropriate content. Thus, the Amazon Echo Show 5 Kids allows parents to have access to a suite of parental controls via the parent dashboard and adjust settings (e.g., filtering explicit lyrics, etc.), review activity along with setting bedtime limits. The device is a key gateway for kids-focused content such as age-appropriate books, video games to name a few.
Echo Ear Buds
The company also announced its Amazon Echo Ear Buds which are a semi-in-ear design allowing hands-free access to Alexa that starts at $49.99. The Echo Ear Buds allow users to make Alexa voice commands such as initiating music, making calls, and also setting reminders on the go. The device includes features such as the ability to create customizable tap controls, VIP filter, and multi-point paring allowing the Echo Ear Buds to alternate between two devices at once. Although I have not yet tested the Echo Ear Buds, the company mentioned that the device is built with a battery life of up to five hours of music playback and access to Alexa on a single charge. Another key feature of the Echo Ear Buds is the 12mm dynamic driver that offers better sound experiences (e.g., balanced bass) along with dual microphones and a voice detection accelerometer that distinguishes between the person on the call.
My view of Amazon’s announcement of its new Amazon Echo devices is the company continues to make strides in adding devices that are customized for individual experiences. Remember, we all consume content differently and ultimately the company is providing choice and all roads lead to consumers and businesses consuming bits and bytes from the company in the future. This is apparent by its impressive installed base of Alexa-enabled Echo Devices.
Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.
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