At its annual new product launch event earlier this year, Amazon announced the new Alexa digital assistant application service, unveiled the new Echo series products, and also updated the previously launched smart glasses device.
In this update of the Alexa digital assistant application service, Amazon said it will connect to its own large-scale natural language model, allowing Alexa service interactions to be closer to the performance of artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT and Bard that connect to large-scale natural language models, while also making human-computer interaction response faster.
Especially for contextual interaction performance, the new version of Alexa will be able to perform more naturally, without the user having to repeatedly wake up Alexa with keywords and ask individual questions.
The new feature will be available for preview on all Echo devices starting in 2024.
Among other updates to Alexa, an accessibility feature called Eye Gaze on Alexa was announced, which allows people with hearing impairments or limited mobility to directly operate specific tablet functions through sight, including waking up Alexa services, playing music or videos, and operating home IoT devices.
Currently, this feature is only available on the Fire Max 11 tablet device. It mainly tracks the user's gaze through the video camera and is expected to be available for free use by the end of this year.
In addition, instant translation will be added to the Alexa calling function this year, and supported languages will include English, French, and Spanish. In addition to being available in the Alexa App, it can also be used on Ech Show devices.
Explore With Alexa for kids
The Explore With Alexa feature, launched for children, also incorporates natural language model applications, but its scale is relatively simplified and designed for children's interactive needs, thereby corresponding to interactive content suitable for children to discuss.
As for the Echo Pop Kids compatible with the Explore With Alexa service, they will be available in Marvel Avengers and Disney Princess series styles, with a suggested retail price of US$49.99. The Fire Kids tablet device equipped with the same service emphasizes durability and has a suggested retail price of US$189.99.
New Echo Show 8
The updated Echo Show 8 features a new screen and camera design, along with spatial audio. Furthermore, the display changes with the user's proximity, allowing for more intuitive viewing. The new Echo Show 8 also includes a new version of Alexa, powered by a large-scale natural language model, which makes Alexa's response faster and allows for contextual questioning and interaction.
The new Echo Show 8 has a suggested retail price of $149.99 and is expected to be available in October this year.
Echo Hub
In addition, the wall-mounted Echo Hub is mainly used for controlling smart home devices. It has an 8-inch touch screen that can directly display and touch-operate various smart IoT devices in the home, or issue commands through voice control. It can also connect to home network cameras to view captured images.
Echo Hub supports Matter or Thread connection protocols, so it can not only connect to Alexa-compatible smart connected devices promoted by Amazon or partners, but also connect and use more products built with the Matter protocol.
If you prefer not to add wall mounts or nails, the Echo Hub can be used with an optional stand. It connects to the internet via Wi-Fi, but can also be wired via an RJ-45 cable via a USB-C port. It also features an infrared sensor that automatically switches the screen to a clock when no one is around.
The Echo Hub will be available for $179.99, but a release date has not yet been announced.
Echo Frames smart glasses
The updated Echo Frames smart glasses mainly improve sound quality and battery life. A full charge can correspond to approximately 6 hours of music playback time, and the Alexa digital assistant service can also make call audio clearer through artificial intelligence computing.
The new Echo Frames smart glasses have become thinner and lighter, with the frame thickness reduced by about 15%, making the appearance of these glasses more ordinary. They also support switching between two devices or directly finding lost glasses through the Alexa digital assistant service.
In terms of suggested retail price, Echo Frames smart glasses will be sold at US$269.99, and can be paired with regular lenses, anti-blue light lenses, or sunglasses lenses. The glasses themselves also support IPX4 level waterproof and dustproof, and the frame is made of scratch-resistant material. In addition, they have collaborated with the eyewear brand Carrera to launch a co-branded design.
However, Amazon has not yet announced the launch date of the Echo Frames smart glasses, and registration is currently only open to the public.
New Fire TV products
The Fire TV Soundbar and Fire TV Stick were launched simultaneously this time. The former can mainly upgrade the sound quality output of TVs or Fire TV series products and can be used via Bluetooth connection. The suggested retail price is US$119.99. The latter is a Fire TV Stick with Wi-Fi 6E connection specifications, supporting 4K picture quality output, and adding HDR, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision technologies. In addition, it uses automatically generated artificial intelligence to make it easier for users to find suitable viewing content through voice control. The suggested retail price is US$59.99. The standard Fire TV Stick is upgraded to support 4K and Wi-Fi 6 connection specifications, with a suggested retail price of US$49.99.
