Amazon continues to bolster its already bulging roster of Alexa-enabled smart speakers with an updated Echo Show 5, the new Echo Show 5 Kids, the vehicle-compatible Echo Auto and, perhaps most excitingly, the all-new Echo Pop smart speaker.
The Echo Pop features a small-form, semi-spherical design, looking all the world like a sliced-in-half Echo Dot. The new smart speaker is powered by the Amazon AZ2 Neural Edge processor, with its front-facing directional speaker offering a sound profile that Amazon bills as being “great for bedrooms, flats, or any small space in the home.”
The Pop also features the usual Alexa voice control compatibility for a range of domestic tasks and tricks, from reading audiobooks to playing music from popular streaming services, controlling compatible smart devices or even ordering your shopping online. Two new colours are also available for the new Pop model, with Midnight Teal and Lavender Bloom joining the established colour options of Charcoal and White.
Added to this ever-extending Alexa family is a new generation of the Amazon Echo Show 5, the screen-and-speaker system that impressed us when it first appeared in mid-2022. The updated Show 5 has an "entirely new speaker system" that claims to deliver clearer sound and deeper bass, as well as operating 20 per cent faster than the previous generation. A re-engineered microphone array plus the AZ2 Neutral Edge processor, should justify the new model’s £10 increase on the old one. Both the Show 5 and Pop now support the Matter smart platform, too.
Accompanying its bigger brother is the all-new Echo Show 5 Kids, the (obviously) child-friendly version of the Show that offers more kid-appropriate responses, profanity filtering, homework help and pre-approved contact calling. There’s even a Parent Dashboard where the adults can adjust age settings and parental controls, as well as Amazon Kids+ which gives entertainment and educational content for the little 'uns.
It’s also worth mentioning the new generation of the Echo Auto, now available to buy in the UK, a small and inexpensive device that gives you Alexa access in your car. The usual hands-free options such as making calls, playing music and hearing the news are all present and correct, but there’s also the handy boon of being able to control compatible home devices even when you’re not at home. Handy if you set off for work and realise you’ve left the lights on and the door unlocked.
The new Echo Pop is available for £44.99 directly from Amazon and can be fitted with alternative colour options via coloured sleeves (Blue, Red, Orange, Grey, Lilac, Purple, and Glow in the Dark) for £19.99 each. The Pop's base price undercuts the current Echo Dot 5th Gen model (priced at £54.99) by a good tenner, and it will be interesting to see how popular the new model proves to be compared to the established Dot. (USA and Australian dollar pricing is TBC).
The next-gen Echo Show 5 is available in Charcoal, White and Cloud Blue for £89.99, while the Show 5 Kids comes in a colour called “Galaxy” for a rather pricey £99.99. The Echo Auto is available for £59.99. Pre-orders start today and all the devices begin shipping later this month.
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