Amazon adds Echo Dot hub and studio camera

Amazon announced a fresh Echo lineup that includes the Echo Show 16, Echo Time smart clock and Alexa Photo Frame, along with upgraded speakers. The Echo Dot now has a built‑in smart‑home hub that supports Zigbee, Matter and Thread, while the Echo Studio adds a camera that lets Alexa see its surroundings. Both are available now, with the Dot at $99.99 and the Studio at $249.99. The Echo Dot also comes in a kids edition that starts at $109.99.

Echo Dot becomes a Wi‑Fi extender and smart hub

Echo Dot becomes a Wi‑Fi extender and smart hub. The new Echo Dot can double as an eero Wi‑Fi extender, adding up to 1,000 square feet of coverage to an existing eero network. It also works as a smart‑home hub that can control thousands of compatible devices without a separate hub. Inside, the Dot has Amazon's AZ3 chip, which handles voice commands on the device for more natural conversations. A fourth microphone helps it pick up commands, and a full‑range driver gives 50 percent more bass.

Studio gets a camera. The Echo Studio with Home Camera has a built‑in camera that offers live view through the Alexa app and can recognize objects held in front of it. Users can ask about board‑game rules or a cereal box, and video calls through compatible Fire TV devices are coming later. An LED lights up when images or video are sent to the cloud, and a button turns off the camera and microphones. The Studio keeps its high‑excursion woofer, three full‑range drivers, Dolby Atmos and automatic room tuning.

Echo Time offers a smart alarm clock. The Echo Time is roughly Dot‑sized, with a screen that shows a customizable clock face. It uses ultrasound to monitor breathing and can wake users at an ideal point in their sleep, within 10 to 60 minutes of the set alarm. It also gradually increases light and sound to wake users more gently. A kids version comes in bright colors, and parents can set sleep schedules through the Amazon Parent Dashboard. The Echo Time starts at $199 and the kids version at $209.

Alexa+ and kids features. Some features require Alexa+, which is included with Prime. The Amazon Kids Echo Dot comes with a year of Kids+, which offers ad‑free music, audiobooks, podcasts and the Sleep Studio wind‑down app.