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Amazon has updated two Echo speakers with additional home features: the $249.99 Echo Studio with Home Camera adds live video monitoring, and the $99.99 Echo Dot includes a smart home hub and an Eero Wi-Fi extender. The extender works with an existing Eero network, and Amazon has not specified all compatibility and privacy details in the supplied report.
Amazon has introduced two updated Echo speakers with features that extend beyond audio: a new $249.99 Echo Studio with Home Camera can stream live views of a room, while the $99.99 Echo Dot adds a smart home hub and an Eero Wi-Fi extender. The changes put camera monitoring, compatible-device control and network coverage into speaker products, though the extender requires an existing Eero network.
The Echo Studio with Home Camera is a new version of Amazon’s premium speaker. The CNET report says it lets users check a live view of family members or pets. Amazon describes the camera’s software as adaptive vision, which it says can help Alexa respond to objects shown to the camera. The report gives examples including asking Alexa to explain a board game’s rules or identify a cereal box and help reorder it. These are Amazon’s descriptions of the feature, not independent test results.
The camera-equipped Studio is priced at $249.99 and comes in Graphite. CNET reports that customers can also buy an Echo Studio without a camera, although the source does not provide that model’s price. Amazon also lists an optional stand for the camera model at $39.99. The speaker retains features associated with the Studio line, including a high-excursion woofer, three full-range drivers and Dolby Atmos. Amazon has added Advanced Room Adaptation and Adaptive Volume, which the report describes as adjusting sound to room acoustics and changing volume based on the listener’s distance.
The new Echo Dot adds a built-in smart home hub for connecting and controlling compatible devices such as lights, thermostats and locks without a separate hub, according to the report. Its built-in Eero Wi-Fi extender can extend coverage by up to 1,000 square feet on an existing Eero network. The Dot uses Amazon’s AZ3 silicon for on-device processing, which Amazon says supports faster, more natural Alexa Plus conversations. It is listed in Graphite, Glacier White, Agave Green and Coral Pink for $99.99; Amazon Kids versions in Octopus and Penguin designs start at $109.99.
More Jobs for Each Echo Speaker
The changes make Echo speakers serve as more than voice-controlled audio devices. A camera-enabled Studio could reduce the need for a separate indoor monitoring camera for some households, while the Dot’s hub may let users control compatible smart devices without buying a standalone hub. The built-in extender could also help address weak Wi-Fi coverage, but only for households already using an Eero network.
Combining those functions in devices people may already place in shared rooms could simplify a smart-home setup and reduce the number of separate products. It also means buyers will need to weigh the convenience against practical questions about camera placement, household privacy, device compatibility and network requirements. The source does not establish how well the new features perform in everyday use.
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Two Updates in Amazon’s Device Push
The speakers were part of a broader slate of Amazon smart-home announcements this week, according to CNET, which attended a preview at the company’s launch event. Other products mentioned in the report include a revamped Echo Show, Amazon’s first smart photo frame and an alarm clock with an automatic snooze feature tied to sleep detection. Those products provide launch context; the central speaker changes are the new camera-equipped Studio option and the Dot’s added hub and extender.
The two speakers take different approaches. The Echo Studio targets audio and visual monitoring, while the lower-priced Dot adds home-device control and network reach. The Studio camera is optional at the product-line level because CNET says a version without a camera remains available. For the Dot, the reported coverage figure is specifically an extension of an existing Eero network, not a claim that the speaker independently supplies internet service.
“Alexa can “see and understand what’s in front of the camera and help.””
— Amazon, as quoted in CNET’s report
Privacy and Compatibility Details Pending
The supplied report does not give release dates, camera privacy controls or recording and storage details, including whether footage is stored, how long it is retained, or what settings let owners disable the camera. It also does not detail how visual processing works or whether all examples described by Amazon will be available at launch.
For the Echo Dot, Amazon’s reported claim of up to 1,000 square feet of added coverage is tied to an existing Eero network. The source does not list supported Eero models, setup requirements, actual performance conditions or compatibility limits for smart-home devices. It also does not provide a price for the Echo Studio model without a camera.
Availability and Feature Details to Come
Amazon’s launch announcement establishes the listed prices and features, but the source material does not specify when the speakers will go on sale or provide full product specifications. Buyers will need Amazon’s product listings and documentation for release timing, privacy settings, device compatibility and network requirements. Independent testing would be needed to evaluate the camera experience, room-adaptive audio and the extender’s real-world coverage.
Key Questions
Which Echo speaker has a camera?
The Echo Studio with Home Camera adds a camera for live in-home viewing. CNET reports that Amazon will also continue offering an Echo Studio without a camera.
How much do the updated Echo speakers cost?
The Echo Studio with Home Camera is listed at $249.99, and the updated Echo Dot is $99.99. Amazon Kids Echo Dot versions start at $109.99; the source does not give a price for the Studio without a camera.
Does the Echo Dot work as a Wi-Fi extender on its own?
No. The reported Eero extender feature is designed to extend coverage on an existing Eero network. The source does not identify which Eero models are supported.
What can the Echo Dot smart home hub control?
Amazon says the hub can connect to and control compatible devices, with lights, thermostats and locks given as examples. The full compatibility list is not included in the report.
When will the new speakers be available?
The supplied report gives prices but does not state a release date or shipping schedule. Availability timing remains unconfirmed in the source material.
Source: cnet.com
