Sep 25, 2019 - Technology

Amazon brings Alexa to more devices

Ina Fried
Photo of Amazon Echo devices on sale in an Amazon store.

Last year's Echo lineup on sale in a Washington, D.C. Amazon store. Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Amazon unveiled a slew of new Alexa-powered devices Wednesday, updating its smart display and smart speaker lines and adding earbuds and other new products to the lineup.

Why it matters: Getting Alexa in more places is a key to the company's broader strategy, and competition from Google and others is increasing.

Among the hardware introduced at a Seattle event (per The Verge):

  • Echo Buds, $129 Alexa-powered earbuds with built-in Bose noise reduction. Shipping in time for the holidays.
  • A new Echo Dot with a built-in clock.
  • A $199 high-end speaker, Echo Studio.
  • Echo Glow, a $29 smart lamp/nightlight — tap it and it changes colors.
  • A new 8-inch Echo Show for $129.
  • A new 3rd generation Echo, the flagship smart speaker, for $99.
  • A new Echo Flex "smart plug" for $25.
  • A cheaper, $99 version of the Eero mesh WiFi system (Amazon bought Eero earlier this year).

Amazon also showed off new Alexa capabilities, including Amazon Guard, which turns some devices into security cameras, a la Google Nest in Home Hub Max.

On the privacy front, you can now ask Alexa to delete certain data.

The big picture: Amazon's latest Alexa lineup comes as Facebook and Google have both recently refreshed their home device offerings.

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