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Amazon has released an Echo Dot with a built-in smart home hub and an Echo Studio equipped with a camera, priced at $99.99 and $249.99, respectively. The camera-free Echo Studio remains available, and some functions on both new speakers require Alexa+.
Amazon has added a built-in smart home hub to its Echo Dot and put a camera in a new Echo Studio, giving the company’s speakers expanded roles in home control and Alexa+ features. The new Dot costs $99.99, while the camera-equipped Studio is $249.99; both are listed as available now in the source report.
The updated Echo Dot retains the familiar fabric-covered spherical design but adds a smart home hub that supports Zigbee, Matter and Thread. Amazon says compatible lights, locks and thermostats can connect directly to it, without a separate hub. The device also includes an AZ3 chip for Alexa+, a fourth microphone and Omnisense technology, which the report says can detect room temperature and presence.
Amazon claims the new Dot delivers 50% more bass than its predecessor. It also includes an eero Wi-Fi extender that can add up to 1,000 square feet of coverage, but only for people who already have an eero network. A Kids edition starts at $109.99.
The new Echo Studio’s camera is intended to let Alexa+ recognize objects shown to it, such as a board game box or cereal packaging. The camera also supports Live View in the Alexa app. Video calls through compatible Fire TV devices are described as a feature coming later, not one available at launch. The Studio retains its high-excursion woofer, three full-range drivers, Dolby Atmos support and automatic room tuning. A camera-free Echo Studio remains on sale for $219.99.
More Echo Control, More Camera Trade-Offs
The changes give the Echo Dot a larger role in a connected home: people with compatible devices can use its built-in hub rather than buying a separate one. Its support for Zigbee, Matter and Thread spans several smart-home connection standards, though the report does not identify every device that will work with the speaker.
The Echo Studio’s camera adds a different capability, letting Alexa+ respond to visual prompts as well as voice commands. That may make some requests, such as asking about an item held up to the speaker, more direct. It also places a camera in a device designed for shared living spaces, making the included privacy controls and the separate camera-free model relevant to buyers.
For consumers, the announcement is also a product-choice decision: pay more for the camera-equipped Studio or choose the $219.99 camera-free version. The Dot’s hub and detection features could reduce the need for separate smart-home equipment, but the practical value depends on compatibility, existing eero ownership and which features require Alexa+.
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Two Speakers Join Alexa’s New Lineup
The Dot and Studio were announced alongside other products in Amazon’s new Alexa lineup, including the Echo Show 16, Echo Time smart clock and Alexa Photo Frame, according to Digital Trends. The report describes the two speakers as additions to a broader set of Alexa devices, rather than standalone updates to audio hardware.
The report also places the Dot’s hub features in a competitive smart-home market, noting that Apple had recently introduced the HomePod mini 2 and HomeView. That comparison is the outlet’s framing; the supplied material does not provide specifications or pricing for Apple’s products, so it does not establish how the devices compare feature by feature.
Alexa+ is part of the new speakers’ pitch, but the report says some features require it and that it is included with Prime. It does not specify which functions are available without Alexa+, or whether all visual and sensing capabilities work the same way across subscriptions and regions.
“The new Echo Dot has “50% more bass” than before.”
— Amazon, as reported by Digital Trends
Compatibility, Subscriptions and Privacy
The source report does not specify the full list of compatible smart-home products, how setup works across Zigbee, Matter and Thread, or whether every feature is available in every market. It also does not identify which new speaker functions require Alexa+, beyond saying some do and that the service is included with Prime.
Amazon’s stated bass and Wi-Fi coverage figures are not accompanied in the supplied material by test methods or independent verification. For the Studio camera, the report says users can disable the camera and microphones with a button and that an LED lights when images or video are streamed to the cloud. It does not describe image retention, data processing details or additional account-level controls.
The report says Fire TV video calls are coming later but gives no release date. It also does not provide a precise announcement date, availability regions or shipping timelines beyond stating that the products are available now.
Availability and Later Camera Features
The speakers are reported as available now at $99.99 for the updated Echo Dot and $249.99 for the camera-equipped Echo Studio. The camera-free Studio remains available for $219.99, while the Kids Dot starts at $109.99.
The next stated feature milestone is video calling through compatible Fire TV devices, which Amazon says is coming later. The source gives no date. Buyers considering either speaker will need to check local availability, device compatibility and Alexa+ requirements; the supplied report does not provide further detail on those points.
Key Questions
How much do the new Echo Dot and Echo Studio cost?
The updated Echo Dot costs $99.99. The Echo Studio with a camera costs $249.99. A camera-free Echo Studio remains available for $219.99, and the Kids edition of the Dot starts at $109.99.
What smart-home standards does the new Echo Dot support?
Its built-in hub supports Zigbee, Matter and Thread, allowing compatible lights, locks and thermostats to connect without a separate hub, according to the report. It does not list specific compatible products.
What can the Echo Studio camera do?
Amazon says it can let Alexa+ recognize objects shown to the speaker. The camera also supports Live View in the Alexa app. Video calls through compatible Fire TV devices are described as a later feature.
Can the Echo Studio camera and microphones be disabled?
The report says the Studio has a button to disable its camera and microphones, and an LED lights when images or video are streamed to the cloud. A camera-free Echo Studio is also available.
Does the Dot’s Wi-Fi extender work without eero?
No. The report says its extender can add up to 1,000 square feet of coverage only if the user already has an eero network.
Source: digitaltrends.com
