Amazon, new Alexa speakers arrive, even for the car

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More than half a billion devices with Alexa have been sold globally. Not a goal but a goal of a much longer journey, which today sees the arrival of new Amazon-branded speakers. It’s about Echo Pop. Echo Show 5 and Echi Auto, the last two successive generations of already known models. Instead, it’s a Pop novelty, the latest addition to the Echo family of devices with a hemispherical design and color options in lavender and teal. Priced at $54.99, Echo Pop features a custom-designed front-firing speaker to deliver full sound that’s ideal for bedrooms, apartments, or any small space in the home. Simply ask Alexa to read audiobooks, play podcasts, control compatible lights and smart plugs, or re-order your home essentials.
Echo Show 5 instead enjoys a new speaker system and deeper bass. It costs 109.99 euros and the third generation combines the convenience of Alexa with the convenience of a compact screen to be able to watch the news, control the Ring camera, view shopping lists or easily make video calls with friends and family. According to Amazon, the new Echo Show 5 is 20% faster than the previous generation with better performance thanks to a completely redesigned microphone set. The Echo Show 5 and Echo Pop both support Matter, the new common standard that makes it easier to connect and control compatible smart home devices from different brands.
Finally Echo Auto, decidedly more beautiful from the point of view of design from the predecessor, with compact shapes and flexible mounting options. It connects to the car’s Bluetooth or via cable to make the stereo that is not smart and play, with the speakers of your vehicle, the music that comes from streaming apps, as well as phone calls. In fact, Echo Auto is designed to enable hands-free Alexa features in vehicles that don’t have a built-in voice assistant. Built with five microphones that can identify the user’s voice even with music, air conditioning on or traffic noises.

Privacy and environment

As Amazon explains, Echo devices are designed with several elements for privacy protection and control. For example, they include a dedicated button to mute and unmute microphones and have the ability to view and delete voice recordings. Plus, Echo Shows come with camera covers to make sure you’re not being filmed, even by other family members with webcam access, when you don’t want to. In terms of sustainability, all of the new devices announced today carry the Climate Pledge Friendly badge and are Carbon Trust certified. 99% of Echo packaging is made with wood fiber materials from sustainably managed forests or recyclable sources, while the fabric of Echo Pop and Echo Show 5 (3rd gen) is made from 100% yarn of post-consumer recycled polyester. Echo Pop and Echo Show 5 (3rd gen) also have an energy saving mode to reduce power consumption when they are not in use and ensure long-term savings.