#alexa-plus

#alexa-plus

The latest Show 8 features a slimmer, sleeker profile than its predecessor, with a sharper, more responsive 8.7-inch display and an attractive fabric-covered design. It features a 13-megapixel camera with improved zoom, and can adapt on-screen content based on who's using it. It also features wider viewing angles and new front-facing stereo speakers, allowing for superior sound. Combined, these upgrades make it better for displaying photos, listening to music, checking your calendar, streaming video, and making calls with loved ones.

The majority of Amazon smart speakers lean more into the "smart" than the "speaker," except for the Echo Studio. That device, which arrived in November 2019, was an imposing, sound-quality-first speaker that delivered Alexa functionality alongside impressive sound for a $200 device. But that was nearly six years ago - an eternity in tech product years - and the Studio has been due for a redesign. The 2025 model of the Echo Studio, which costs $219.99, is one of four new Echo devices - alongside the Echo Dot Max, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 11 - designed for Alexa Plus.

Amazon's AI-powered Alexa is on its way to more homes soon. The upgraded assistant will be available straight out of the box with new hardware announced today. New Echo devices will come with Alexa Plus straight out of the box; it'll also be available to those who buy one of the new FireTV. Alexa Plus is still an early access program and only available in the US, but including it on the new hardware marks an important step forward for Amazon's overdue assistant overhaul.