Amazon has officially(opens in a new tab) sold half a billion Alexa-enabled devices globally, and it’s celebrating the only way it knows how: by selling even more devices.
When is Amazon Prime Day 2023? We’ve got some predictions.
The company unveiled four budget-friendly additions to its Echo lineup Wednesday, including the all-new Echo Pop smart speaker, a next-generation Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 5 Kids, and some pared-down Echo Buds. All of them are priced under $100 and available for preorder now:
The new Echo Pop ($39.99)
I just wanna stay in that Lavender… Bloom?
Credit: Amazon
Designed to add a *pop* of color and sound to small spaces, the new Echo Pop is Amazon’s newest, maybe cutest entry-level smart speaker. It packs a 1.95 front-firing speaker, eero WiFi support, and a built-in Alexa assistant into a funky, semi-spherical design that sort of looks like someone hacked an Echo Dot(opens in a new tab) in half (removing $10 from its price tag in the process). Take your pick from two new colors in addition to Amazon’s standard Charcoal and Glacier White: Midnight Teal and Lavender Bloom.
The Echo Pop is priced at $39.99 and is set for release on Wednesday, May 31.
The new Echo Show 5 ($89.99) and Echo Show 5 Kids ($99.99)
Credit: Amazon
Credit: Amazon
Amazon updated its most popular smart display with a sleeker form factor in a new Cloud Blue finish, a snappier AZ2 Neural Edge processor, an extra mic, and an improved speaker system that has clearer sound and double the bass of the 2021 model. Its 5.5-inch, 960 x 480 resolution display and 2MP built-in camera have carried over from its predecessor, which costs $5 less.(opens in a new tab)
Priced at $89.99, the next-gen Echo Show 5 launches on May 31.
Featuring a new Galaxy finish, the kid-friendly version of the new Echo Show 5 comes with parental controls, a two-year worry-free guarantee, and a free one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+(opens in a new tab). (That unlocks a slew of books, movies, and TV shows from brands like Disney, Nickelodeon, and PBS Kids designed for ages 3 to 12.) It $10 more than the standard version, and it also ships on May 31.
The new Echo Buds ($49.99)
Amazon went back to basics with its new Echo Buds.
Credit: Amazon
Amazon’s latest wireless earbuds have a much simpler semi-in-ear design that’s reflected in a much cheaper price. They support multi-device pairing and customizable tap controls and offer a measly five hours of battery life, but you can bump that up to 20 hours using their included charging case and give them two hours of juice with a quick 15-minute charge. They don’t come with active noise cancellation or swappable silicone ear tips like the Echo Buds from 2021 (which are now called “Echo Buds with Active Noise Cancellation(opens in a new tab)“), but they’re also a whole $70 cheaper.
The new Echo Buds will retail for $49.99 when they make their grand debut on Wednesday, June 7, but you can lock in a pair at the introductory price of $39.99 by pre-ordering.
UPDATE: May. 17, 2023, 2:48 p.m. EDT This story has been updated to clarify that the just-announced Echo Buds are brand new earbuds, not a third-generation model.
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