Amazon has released an updated portfolio of smart home products.r. It is unveiled the next generation of Echo, Echo Dot with Clock, Echo, FireTV Stick 2nd Gen, and FireTV Stick Lite.
These 2nd Gen devices are powerful and efficient than the last generation and also provide some new features for better user experience.
Echo 4th Gen
The next-generation Echo combines the best of Echo and Echo Plus into a single device at the same affordable Echo price. It comes with a new spherical design with a light ring at the base of the sphere that reflects off of surfaces for added visibility and a fabric finish. It also features a 3.0-inch woofer, dual-firing tweeters, and Dolby processing that delivers stereo sound with clear highs, dynamic-mids, and deep bass. The new Echo also has the ability to automatically sense the acoustics of your space and fine-tune the audio playback. For the first time, Echo comes with a built-in Zigbee smart home hub and supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) that helps conserve energy.
The device will be selling on Amazon India for Rs 9,999 and is slated to arrive pretty soon. It will be available in 3 colours which are blue, black and white.
Echo Dot & Echo Dot with Clock (4th Gen)
The new Echo Dot has the same spherical design and fabric finish as Echo. It packs in a powerful 1.6-inch, front-firing speaker, producing crisp vocals and balanced bass for full sound so you can enjoy in any room of your home. It will retail for Rs 4,499 and the pre-orders for the same have begun today. The device will ship later this year and will be available in black, white and blue colours.
The new Echo Dot with clock comes with the same enhancements like the new Echo Dot, plus a simple LED display so you can glance at the time, outdoor temperature, timers, and alarms. The tap-to-snooze feature that customers loved on Echo Dot with the clock will now also be available on Echo Dot and Echo. The Echo Dot with the clock is coming soon and will retail for Rs 5,499. The device will come in 2 colours which are White and Blue.
Amazon also claims that all the above new echo devices are made of 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.
FireTV Stick 2nd Gen
The Fire TV Stick features an enhanced 1.7 GHz quad-core Processor that makes it 50% more powerful than the previous generation stick. The new Fire TV Stick delivers faster streaming in 1080p at 60fps with HDR compatibility. The device also has Dual-Band Wi-Fi support and 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 TVs, soundbars, and A/V receivers.
Amazon claims that the new FireTV Stick uses 50% less power than the previous generation stick. The new FireTV Stick will sell for Rs 3,999 and the pre-orders have begun today.
FireTV Stick Lite
Fire TV Stick Lite is a new, even more, affordable solution for streaming. Fire TV Stick Lite is 50% more powerful than the previous-generation Fire TV Stick. It features HDR support and comes with Alexa Voice Remote Lite, a new remote that allows you to use voice to find, launch, and control content. The lite variant will sell for Rs 2,999 on Amazon India, the pre-orders for which have begun today.
The New FireTV Experience!
The new version of the FireTV software now centers your Main Menu, and you can scroll through apps that will give you a glimpse of what’s inside the app. Amazon claims that it is now easier than before 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. free, sports, Live TV), and more.
The redesigned Fire TV experience features a dedicated Alexa Explore destination, which displays popular Alexa features and helps you discover new recipes, view stocks, and more. You can also see and control connected smart devices in your home.
The new UI will start rolling out later this year starting with the new 2nd Gen FireTV Stick and Stick Lite devices.