Alexa+ has landed on UK soil, and while customers wait with anticipation to try the AI-powered virtual assistant, it's a great opportunity to look back.

Since the service launched in the US last spring, it's already seen some big changes as customers navigate a new world of assistive smarts and agentic AI. Now, with the service coming to the UK, there's also been a lot of naturalization work to help Alexa+ navigate our regional accents, idioms, and culture — right the way down to understanding some of our favorite snacks.

Having watched some live demos at the launch event this week, I'm most excited to see how natural interacting with Alexa+ will feel — and according to Daniel Rausch, Amazon's VP of Alexa and Echo, the best summary is "it's just more delightful." We sat down to find out more from Rausch about the rollout, learnings, and ambitions for the future of Alexa+.

You can watch the full interview below on our YouTube channel, and make sure to check out the rest of our Amazon Echo and Alexa+ coverage, too!

Rausch says the early results have been quite something behind the scenes. "Engagement with Alexa+ is up two to three times over the original Alexa," he explains, calmly confident as he discusses the road till now. "Even things I didn't think could grow, like music, which goes up 25% in terms of streaming time when a customer turns on Alexa+.

"It's just more delightful... It's not like customers have 25% more time!" he adds, though he was keen to highlight that the overall increase of engagement owes a lot to some of the exciting new features facilitated by a smarter, faster Alexa. "In the US, I'll use it to book rideshare, or we'll book a table for lunch together. The whole thing is what is elevating that engagement level."

Of course, it's never all roses, and certainly not with an Early Access programme. Still, Rausch takes a positive view of these learnings. "I've never shipped a product this easy to report a bug," he jokes, reflecting on what I can only imagine was a hectic first year of service. "You can just say to Alexa what feedback you have, and that helps us to learn there's an edge to sand somewhere."

One example of note was the new Alexa+ voice and cadence. "Some customers — it's a minority of them — they don't like the new voices," says Rausch. So now, Amazon offers a wider range of voices, and when Alexa+ introduces herself, she offers you the chance to change her settings.

Naturally, concerns may remain around always-on devices when it comes to privacy and security, but with 10 years of service in the UK under their belt in addition to their years of US coverage, Rausch seems confident in Amazon's approach. "Customers have the same degree of transparency and control [with Alexa+]... it turns out, if you build products with transparency and control, you also generally speaking meet every regulation and legal requirement."

Customers who already know their way around Alexa's Privacy Hub will be glad to know that the service, with all its features, remains the same for Alexa+. "You can see everything Alexa heard, you can delete things... you can control all of your data settings around training. Everything's in the same place, and it applies to the Alexa service as a whole."

While all US Prime customers with compatible devices can now register for Alexa+ (or pay a standalone subscription of $19.99), for now, the free beta programme in the UK is limited to the Amazon Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11, Echo Dot Max, and Echo Studio. If you've already got one at home, you can sign up for an Early Access invite now.

It'll probably take about the same amount of time for Alexa+ to fully launch in the UK as it did in the US — so about a year. In that time, we'll see the service come to a wide range of Alexa-enabled devices, including your Fire TV, and it will soon be available in a web browser at alexa.co.uk.

• Amazon Alexa+ is now available in Early Access in the UK
• The AI-powered virtual assistant has been fully localised for British life
• It will cost £19.99 a month by itself, but is also included with Amazon Prime

Amazon's AI-powered virtual assistant, Alexa+, is finally rolling out in the UK, promising more natural conversations, more advanced control over your smart home devices, and the ability to understand your accent better.

The assistant launched in the US last spring, and is now available in Early Access in the UK for the new Amazon Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11, Echo Dot Max, and Echo Studio. If you already own one of these devices, you can sign up for an Early Access invite now.

Alexa+ will arrive for other Alexa-enabled devices in the future — which will be a lot. According to Amazon, more people in the UK own an Alexa-enabled device than start their day with a cup of tea. You will also be able to use it with your Fire TV, and it will soon be available in a web browser at alexa.co.uk.

Alexa+ is connected to services used in the UK too, plus British news sources including the BBC, the Guardian, and, yes, TechRadar.

I attended a demo in London yesterday, and heard some Alexa+ interactions for myself. The new assistant is definitely more conversational, and its ability to understand commands is impressive; you don't need to change the way you speak or use a very specific sentence structure for the assistant to understand you.

Alexa+ also sounds more British; not only does it understand the subtle (and not so subtle) meaning of particular local phrases, it uses them as well. Cambridge-based Trevor Wood, Lead Scientist at Alexa, demonstrated the UK localisation by asking about the previous night's football score. Knowing which team Wood supports, Alexa responded: "Fantastic news mate, Arsenal absolutely smashed Leverkusen 2-0 last night at the Emirates."

Wood then asked for an update on behalf of his friend PJ, a Chelsea supporter. "Tough night for Chelsea, mate," Alexa replied sadly. "PSG beat them 3-0 at Stamford Bridge, making it 8-2 on aggregate. It's their heaviest knockout defeat in Champions League history."

This did sound slightly strange in Alexa's middle-class female voice, and you won't be able to pick a different accent, but the assistant should be able to understand yours, wherever you're from. According to Amazon, it will have no trouble with even strong regional accents thanks to training on large amounts of data from around the whole UK.

It also integrates with Ring doorbells and cameras if you have a Ring Home Premium subscription, working seamlessly with Ring Smart Video Search, which lets you search for specific events using natural language — whether that's 'Did the dog go out yesterday afternoon' or 'Did someone stand on the bins on Sunday?"

The idea is that Alexa+ is an 'ambient' assistant, which is present whenever you need it, and fades into the background when you don't. It knows which smart devices you own, what's on your calendar, what you like to watch on TV, and even where you are in your home, and uses all of this information to help you in a way that makes sense.

Alexa+ will be free in Early Access, and will cost £19.99 a month thereafter. However, it also comes included with Amazon Prime for £8.99 a month, so there's not much reason to pay for it separately.

• You can now tailor Alexa’s personality to fit your personal preference
• Three distinct styles are available: Brief, Chill, and Sweet
• You can easily switch between them to suit your mood

Amazon has announced that Alexa+ can now change how it speaks to you, with three new customizable styles that let you dial its tone up or down depending on your mood.

Alexa+ now has three distinct personality styles: Brief, Chill, and Sweet.

So whether you want quick, no-nonsense answers, a more relaxed conversational vibe, or something warmer and more encouraging, Alexa has you covered. Of course, none of this changes what Alexa actually does — it simply changes how it communicates with you.

That said, from the examples given by Amazon below, all three sound like they might be a little annoying, to varying degrees.

Brief

Amazon has given examples of how the new personality styles respond to the question: “Alexa, how’s it going?”

Brief, as you’d expect, gives you the shortest, most direct response. If you want no-nonsense efficiency with no small talk, this is the style for you.

Brief’s response to “Alexa, how’s it going?” is a minimal “Operating efficiently.”

Chill

If you’re after an easygoing, relaxed tone, Chill is the one to pick. It turns Alexa into a laid-back companion with a breezy, slightly philosophical edge.

In response to “Alexa, how’s it going?”, Chill replies: “Life’s treating me well — all systems are Zen and the digital universe is spinning in harmony.”

Sweet

Sweet is your biggest cheerleader. If you’re looking for warmth, enthusiasm, and encouragement, this upbeat style has your back. It celebrates your wins and reframes everyday moments with positivity.

In response to “Alexa, how’s it going?”, it replies: “Absolutely fantastic! I’m radiating pure joy and ready to make your day incredibly amazing!”

Here comes the science

If you’re curious about what’s powering these new personalities, each one is built on a foundation of five interconnected dimensions: expressiveness, emotional openness, formality, directness, and humor.

The nuance lies in how these dimensions combine. Brief leans into concise expressiveness, lower emotional openness, and minimal humor, while Sweet dials up warmth and enthusiasm for a more emotionally engaging response.

How to change personality

Switching Alexa+ personalities is straightforward. Just say, “Alexa, change your personality style” to your Echo device, or select one in the Alexa app by going to your device > Device Settings > Alexa’s Personality Style and swiping through the options.

If you want to return to the default personality, you can do that at any time using the same method.

Alexa’s eight different voices still work alongside these styles, so you can change voice and personality independently. In the Alexa app, select your device from the Devices tab, tap Settings, then under General choose Alexa’s Voice.

Alexa’s new personality styles are available now for all Alexa+ customers.

If you found an Amazon Echo Dot under the tree this Christmas or you’ve treated yourself to one with a gift card, I’m delighted to say that you now own one of the most versatile smart speakers on the market.

Whether you have one smart device or twenty, an Amazon Echo Dot makes controlling them almost effortless, thanks to voice commands and its compatibility with the best smart home devices.

I use my Echo Dot every day to control my TV, air purifiers, lights, and more, and the impressive variety of routines and automations in the Alexa app has my home running like clockwork. What’s more, you can even pair it with accessories to smarten up standard gadgets, but I’ll share more on that later.

To make sure you’re getting the most out of your new Echo Dot, I’m gifting you a selection of the best smart home features I use in my home, which I highly recommend you try out for yourself.

Reliable Routines

The Routines feature is quite possibly the thing I love most about my Echo Dot, and I recommend experimenting with some of your own creations to see just how game-changing they can be.

As someone who thrives on structure and routine, and happens to own a lot of smart devices, I couldn’t help but get a little excited about the number of automations available to me.

Custom routines are satisfyingly simple to create. They can be set to run at scheduled times or in response to a specified event, such as your Echo Dot detecting the sound of an appliance beeping or an alarm being dismissed.

The latter is particularly useful for stopping your robot hoover starting its scheduled cleaning spree on your day off and ruining your lie-in.

A custom voice command can be assigned to each of your routines, too, so you can set the automations running without waiting for the trigger or picking up your phone to adjust your smart device settings manually.

If setting up routines from scratch doesn’t sound appealing, you can still enjoy some automation magic by selecting one of the many editable presets available on the Alexa app.

There’s a wide range of options, from the practical – having your Echo Dot recite the weather and guiding you through some morning yoga – to niche and novelty options, including getting an alert when your dog wants a treat and having Alexa look after your houseplants.

Smart Sensors

I must confess, I was oblivious to this particularly clever asset when I first had my Echo Dot 5th Gen: it has built-in motion detection and temperature sensors that can be used for a bunch of useful automations.

There are plenty of ways to make use of these sensors, and they're particularly useful to level up less-informed smart devices that may not have their own auto functions.

The integrated temperature sensor is a real bonus if you have one of the best smart thermostats, fans, or air con, as you can build routines to alter the power status, settings, and modes of compatible devices in response to the ambient temperature.

The motion detection comes in especially handy, too. It can set devices to your favorite modes to welcome you home, and save some energy by turning off the lights or adjusting the heating when you’ve left the room for a specified period of time.

As an avid fan of the best smart lights, I always have several on when I'm home. Therefore, I'm particularly grateful for the motion sensing, as I no longer need to venture into my apps to make sure I've turned off my Govee Table Lamp 2 and Nanoleaf 4D before leaving the house.

Smarten Up Your Devices

This tip is an excellent hack if some of your devices aren't compatible with smart home hubs, as you can make an existing device more intelligent by teaming it up with a smart accessory.

Smart plugs are a great way to upgrade a standard device for less. More than just providing an easier way to power a device on and off, you can create automated routines using the Echo Dot's motion and temperature sensors that trigger your device to turn on when a specified temperature or room occupancy level is detected.

You can use Alexa accessories to raise the IQ of some smart devices, too. Let’s take my SwitchBot Air Purifier Table as an example. While it has many talents, its low cost means it can't detect the same range of contaminants as pricier models.

My solution? Using the regularly discounted Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor to pick up the slack, with a routine that changes the mode on my purifier when certain levels of contaminants are detected. This is a great way to up-skill lower-cost air purifiers, which rarely detect contaminants like VOCs.

Looking for late Cyber Monday deals on Amazon Echo smart speakers and displays? You're in luck – stacks of devices are still available at steep discounts, and I've rounded them all up here. Bear in mind that Amazon changes its prices regularly, and any of these deals could end without warning – so don't delay if you see something you want.

• Shop all today's best Amazon deals in the US
• Shop all today's best Amazon deals in the UK

In the UK, Amazon appears to have forgotten that Cyber Monday is over, with all of yesterday's Echo deals still running at the time of writing. This even includes the latest AI-enhanced devices; if you're quick, you can snag the Amazon Echo Dot Max for £89.99 (was £99.99) and the new Amazon Echo Studio for £199.99 (was £219.99).

Most Echo deals have now ended in the US, but you can still get the Amazon Echo Dot Kids nearly half price at $31.99 (was $59.99) and the Amazon Echo Auto in-car smart speaker down to $14.99 (was $54.99). Read on for all of the best late Cyber Monday offers on Echo devices, and be prepared to move quickly to grab them while they last.

Today's best Amazon Echo deals in the US

Today's best Amazon Echo deals in the UK

If you're not sure which Echo device is right for you, our guide to the best Alexa speakers and the best smart displays should point you in the right direction. Also take a look at our complete guide to Alexa+ to find out what you should expect from the new AI-powered assistant, including which devices it will (eventually) be available on.

More deals in the US

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $119
• Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lenovo: 45% off laptops & tablets
• Lowe's: up to 30% off appliances, holiday decor & tools
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off appliances, TVs & phones
• Target: 40% off Christmas decor, clothing & furniture
• T-Mobile: up to $1,100 off latest iPhone 17
• Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
• Wayfair: 54% off Christmas, furniture & decor

More deals in the UK

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

Amazon's big 2025 hardware launch has just finished – and as usual, there was an avalanche of new launches across its range of Echos, Ring doorbells, Kindles, Fire TVs and more.

There were so many announcements, it's actually tricky to pick a standout headliner. Amazon said its four new Echo devices – the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 11 – are the most powerful it's ever made, so they certainly have a good shout for the title.

But if you're a Kindle fan, you might instead be most excited about the new Kindle Scribe range, which includes the first-ever color model. Elsewhere, we also saw a new Fire TV lineup, along with a new 4K streaming stick, plus more Ring doorbells than we've seen in our lives – including the first 4K models.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed and not sure which to add to your Black Friday shopping list? Here are all of the big announcements in one handy place…

1. We met the Echo Dot Max

It's been a while since Amazon really gave its Echo Dot line a shake up, but it did so today with the arrival of the Dot Max.

As the name implies, this is a bigger, more powerful Dot – it has two drivers and Amazon says it has "nearly 3x the bass" of the existing Echo Dot (5th gen). It also runs on more powerful silicon in the form of the new AZ3 chip, which will apparently allow for better microphones and improved conversations.

But what really stands out right away is the classy new design: the 3D knit fabric mesh is effectively seamless, and looks great.

It'll ship with Alexa+ inside it too, of course, and will cost a reasonable-sounding $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$199 when it arrives on October 29.

• Read more: I heard the Amazon Echo Dot Max and instantly forgot the original Dot ever existed

2. There's a new Amazon Echo Studio too

Amazon launched four new Echo devices at its big hardware-fest – and the audiophile-friendly Echo Studio could end up being the most popular.

A successor to the old Echo Studio from 2019 (which won a TechRadar 'product of the year' gong that year), it's now 40% smaller and looks rather like an oversized Echo Dot Max.

Like before, the Echo Studio ($219.99 / £219.99 / AU$429) is packed with audio tech – including Dolby Atmos support, Spatial audio, and a high-excursion woofer with three full-range drivers.

It can also act as part of your TV's surround sound system alongside four other Echo Studio and Echo Dot Max devices.

• Read more: Amazon’s new Echo Studio looks way better — and from my first listen, it still brings the oomph

3. The new Echo Show devices look ideal for Alexa+

Prefer your smart speakers to have touchscreens? Good news, Amazon has also refreshed its smaller Echo Show devices, which promise to be fine hubs for Alexa+. In fact, Amazon says they’re the best way to experience its next-gen voice assistant.

There are two models available, an 8-inch one costing $179.99 / £179.99 / AU$349 and an 11-inch version (a new screen size for the series) available for $219.99 / £219.99 / AU$429.

Amazon says the touchscreens have been improved with better viewing angles, while the 13MP camera will apparently recognize who’s using it to serve up relevant info.

The real potential, though, could come from the Alexa+ Store, which will help the Echo Show connect to thousands of services like Uber and now Oura for your health and wellness data.

If you don’t mind your smart speakers knowing a lot about you, the new Echo Shows could be the home hubs you’ve been waiting a while for.

• Read more: Amazon just unveiled 4 new AI-powered, Echo speakers – here's the full lineup and how much they cost

4. We got our first-ever color Kindle Scribe

We're big fans of the Kindle Scribe series, which are like e-readers with the note-taking powers of a Remarkable tablet. And now Amazon has given them their biggest overhaul yet, revealing three new models including the first color version.

The new Kindle Scribes have larger 11-inch screens with a more paper-like texture and a new front-light system to help reduce the size of the bezels. But the star of the series is that new Colorsoft version, which uses Amazon's own display tech and promises weeks of battery life.

Naturally, it doesn't come cheap at $629.99 / £569.99 (Australian pricing tbc), but it looks like a blast for brainstorming and reading comics. It'll be available "later this year" in the US, and in 2026 elsewhere, including the UK.

• Read more: The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is the most exciting Kindle in ages, and I have the sketches to prove it

5. The first 4K Ring video doorbells arrived

Amazon's hardware show kicked off with some big Ring doorbell news – its first-ever 4K models, and some new image-boosting software (AI-powered, of course) called Retinal Vision.

Those first 4K models include the Wired Doorbell Pro, Spotlight Cam Pro, Floodlight Cam Pro, and Outdoor Cam Pro, which get Retinal 4K tech. Amazon is promising better low-light performance and 10x zoom from that software, which also comes to other models in the form of Retinal 2K.

There are seven new models in total, and all are available for pre-order today.

• Read more: Amazon has just announced its first-ever 4K Ring video doorbells with Alexa+ features – here's what we know so far

6. Search Party melted our hearts

Amazon knows the way to our hearts – dogs. Specifically: lost dogs. So its new Search Party feature was guaranteed to have us welling up.

This is an AI-powered feature for Ring cameras that promises to reunite lost dogs with their families once they've been reported, by crowdsourcing nearby doorbells.

The way it will work is that if someone reports a lost dog in the Ring app, anyone with nearby outdoor Ring cams can start a search party. This will use AI to look for possible matches and the camera will in turn notify the owner (of the camera, not the dog) if it gets a positive result. They'll then be able to share the good news with the dog owner.

With Familiar Faces (face recognition tech to help reduce your number of notifications) and Alexa+ Greetings (automated responses to manage deliveries and more) also announced, Ring devices have definitely stepped up their game.

Search Party for dogs will start rolling out in November, followed by cats and other pets, and Alexa+ Greetings and Familiar Faces available in December.

7. There's a slew of new Fire TVs

Amazon's gone all in on TVs today – which makes sense, given that its Fire TV sets sell by the bucketload over Black Friday.

There are new Fire TV 2-Series models, 4-Series models, and Omni QLED Series models, all in various sizes ranging from 32in for the 2-Series up to 75-inch for the Omni, and most sizes in-between.

As you'd expect, the prices vary wildly too. That 32-inch 2-Series costs a mere $159 / £249.99, whereas the Omni QLED Series starts at $479.99 for the 50-inch model, rising to $1,199 for the 75-incher, with 55in and 65in models falling between those extremes.

All will have Amazon's Omnisense tech – which turns on the TV when you enter the room and turns it off when you leaves – plus a new Dialogue Boost mode. The Omni is also said to be 40% faster and 60% brighter, and has Dolby Vision and HDR10+ Adaptive support, among other features.

You can pre-order the new sets now, with availability starting in October.

8. And there's a new cheaper 4K Fire TV Stick

Amazon says the new Fire TV 4K Select is "the fastest 4K stick under $40" – which is not something that we can test until we get our hands on it, but which is welcome if true.

That speed is at least in part due to its new operating system Vega OS, the same platform that will power the new Echo devices too. And as you'd expect, it also makes for plenty of AI skills; it will support Alexa+, and can carry out nifty tricks such as jumping you to a specific scene in a movie if you ask it to do so.

It'll come with all of the major streaming services on board and is available to order now and shipping next month for $39.99 / £49.99 / AU$89.

• Read more: Amazon unveils new cheaper Fire TV 4K stick with new-gen software, plus new very affordable Fire TV sets

9. We got two new Blink cameras

We’re rather fond of Blink’s home-watching cameras, with the Mini 2 and Outdoor 4 both riding high in our guide to the best home security cameras. So we’re looking forward to having a closer look at its two new arrivals, both announced today at Amazon’s event.

The Outdoor 2K Plus is, as the name suggests, a battery-powered camera that can keep an eye on the outside of your property. It has 2K resolution and apparently comes with improved low-light performance. It’s also temptingly affordable at only $89.99 in the US (there’s no news on international availability), but bear in mind that some features like person and vehicle detection need a Blink Plus Subscription.

If it’s an indoor cam you’re after, there’s also the Mini 2K+ ($49.99 / £39.99 / AU$59). It’s even cheaper and offers similar features to its Outdoor sibling, but needs wired power instead.

Both will begin shipping from mid-October, but it could be worth holding fire and looking out for Black Friday bargains.

10. The Blink Arc does something rather different

Behold, something new in the world of home security cameras – the Blink Arc is like a bug-eyed chameleon, offering 180-degree coverage from one spot (and a single charging point).

The two cameras handily stitch their footage together to give you one panoramic view of your yard. The downside is that in order to get that full 180-degree view, you need a Blink Subscription Plus Plan. You’ll also need Blink’s weather-resistant power adapter to use it outdoors.

Still, if you have an annoying blind spot in your security cam coverage, it could be a handy solution. The Arc costs $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$109, and if you already have two cameras you can also buy the mount separately.

11. Alexa+ finally got some more homes

Yes, Alexa+ was announced back in February, but the voice assistant is slowly edging towards the mainstream.

Not a lot has changed in terms of the rollout – it’s still launching in slow-motion across the US in an “early access period”, before launching more widely over the coming months”.

It’s a shame Amazon didn’t have much more to share in terms of the global rollout of Alexa+, but at least we have a bunch of new devices that have been designed to play nice with it.

Some of these, like the Echo Dot Max, are relatively affordable at $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$199. And while Alexa+ itself costs $19.99 per month, it’s also free for all Prime members – another nice perk to keep you hopelessly locked in.

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Amazon's 2025 hardware event took place today, September 30, and we were on the show floor to report every new announcement as it happened.

The event was a whirlwind tour of new devices and services – all including the new AI-powered Alexa+. Read on for all today's launches, and stay tuned for in-depth analysis from our experts.

What launched today

Ring

Amazon launched a full range of 2K and 4K cameras and doorbells, and introduced a feature called Retinal Vision that tunes video recording by sampling video over the course of two weeks and adjusting the image processing accordingly. There are also new Alexa+ Greetings, which will ask visitors why they're there, and respond accordingly. Finally, there's Search Party, which can crowd-source data from Ring cameras to find a lost dog (with support for other animals coming later).

Blink

There are new Blink cameras, including the Blink Outdoor 2K+ with year-long battery life, two-way audio with noise-cancellation, and person and vehicle detection (with a Blink subscription). There's also the Blink Mini 2K+ for indoors. Just plug it in and away you go. For a wider field of view, the Blink Arc has two cameras, and uses AI to stitch the footage together into a single image.

Fire TV

Amazon has launched a new series of Fire TVs: the 2-Series, 4-Series, and Omni QLED. New Omnisense tech will turn the TV on when you enter the room, turn it off when you leave, and automatically adjust its colors to suit your room's lighting. There's also a new Fire TV Stick, the 4K Select, with the Vega OS operating system. Alexa+ integration helps you find what you want to watch, and offers useful information when asked (if you want to know more about an actor, for example, or catch up on what's happened so far).

Kindle

The new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has a new rendering engine for enhanced color and less latency when writing. It's thinner and lighter, and has new productivity tools including a digital notebook, AI-powered search, and compatibility with Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.

Echo

Amazon launched the Echo Dot Max, a new Echo Studio, and new Echo Show 8 and 11 devices. All have updated silicon, and come with Alexa+ support out of the box. You can connect up to five Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio devices to create a surround sound setup, with Alexa Home Theater balancing the audio.

Live updates

Welcome!

Welcome to our live blog, where we'll be sharing all the news from Amazon's 2025 hardware event as soon as it happens. Our team members Lance Ulanoff and Jakob Krol are on their way to Spring Studios in Tribeca right now, but until then we'll be sharing all our predictions about what's on the way.

Alexa+ on smart speakers

Right now, Alexa+ is only available on the new Amazon Echo Show smart displays, but I’m hoping that might be about to change. The teaser image for today’s hardware event includes the signature blue LED ring of an Alexa smart speaker. I’m curious to see (and hear) what the Alexa+ experience is like without a screen, and hopefully we’re about to see a new Echo speaker that will provide exactly that.

Earlier this year Amazon promised that Alexa+ will be coming to almost all old Echo devices, so it would be great to know what to expect when that happens.

Kindle Scribe with color?

Amazon’s teaser image for this event was quite cryptic, but the bottom right quadrant clearly shows some kind of new Kindle with a color display. The Kindle Colorsoft launched last year, and now that Amazon has resolved a few early teething issues with its display, it may be ready to extend the range.

It might be a coincidence, but the tiny bit of text visible on the screen mentions putting pen to paper. Could this be a color update of the Kindle Scribe? We’re not sure, but so far it’s our best bet.

Fire TV sticks

New Amazon Fire TV Sticks are another possibility. Earlier this year we heard rumors that Amazon might be planning to switch to a new operating system (Vega OS), which would likely prove controversial. It’s not clear whether that would mean new hardware, but it might.

Room for improvement

Reddit users have been sharing their wish lists for Amazon’s next e-reader on r/kindle. Some posters like the idea of a color Kindle Scribe, but others aren’t so sure.

“Amazon has a lot to fix with the Scribe, and adding colour is not top of my list. Just making the note taking usable and useful would be a start.” wrote johnwinstanley.

“I agree,” wrote elizable9. “I'd rather have much more flexibility with the note taking and being able to download templates into the notes first than have color.”

Next-gen Echo Buds

A new set of Echo Buds would be music to our ears. The original set launched in 2019, the Echo Buds 2 followed two years later in 2021, and the Echo Buds 3 in 2023. We’re due an update.

We found the latest buds solid for the price, but unspectacular. In addition to active noise-cancellation and extra bass, we’d like to see less fiddly controls. Will Alexa+ make an appearance too?

Color Oasis

A color Kindle Scribe is one possibility, but what about a color version of the Kindle Oasis? The luxury Kindle makes reading a pleasure with its extra-bright display and physical page-turning buttons, and a color update would make it even better for graphic novels.

The Oasis is waterproof too. so you can enjoy reading while taking a long soak in the bath.

Kindle wish list

Lance Ulanoff, our Editor at Large, has put together a wish list of updates he wants to see in the next Kindle. For example, while he loves the Kindle’s minimalist design, he wishes the power button was in a different place so it’s harder to press accidentally.

He’d also love to see an integrated kickstand that would keep the device steady without the need for a bulky case.

“I bet everyone who loves their Kindle would appreciate it just a little bit more with a simple kickstand made out of the same material as the chassis,” he says.

Alexa+ with ads?

I’m excited to hear about Amazon’s plans for Alexa+, but I’m also a bit concerned after Amazon’s most recent investor call, where CEO Andy Jassy suggested that its answers might soon come with ads.

“I think over time, there will be opportunities, as people are engaging in more multi-turn conversations, to have advertising play a role to help people find discovery, and also as a lever to drive revenue,” Jassy said.

“Basically, if you ask Alexa+ for shopping recommendations, some of its responses might eventually be sponsored.”

Honey, I shrunk the Kindle

Last month, we heard a rumor that Amazon may be testing a smaller version of the Kindle Colorsoft called the Kindle Petit Color. However, the details didn’t quite add up.

“From what I can tell by the leaker's mention of a 150ppi color resolution in the thread, this new Kindle will likely be using the E Ink Kaleido 3 display, which limits the amount of saturation it can sustain,” said our Managing Editor for APAC, Sharmishta Sarkar.

“In my experience, better colors on this screen technology invariably come at the cost of text sharpness. The smaller screen size on this leaked ereader should inadvertently help the text look less fuzzy compared to bigger devices, but this is something I'll need to see for myself before I'd recommend it as one of the best Kindles.

The ‘leak’ also claimed that the new ereader will have removable bezels, which is something no other manufacturer has tried before. Hmm…

We've arrived!

Our Editor at Large Lance Ulanoff has arrived at the conference venue for today's event. Amazon clearly isn't giving away any hints at this stage, but the event is due to start in less than two hours, so there's not long to wait.

What's next for Alexa+

As well as possible new Color Kindles or new smart speakers, we’re really excited to see what happens with Alexa+ today. When it was announced back in March our Senior AI Editor, Graham Barlow said that Alex+ “has much more of a personality than the responses you get from ChatGPT, Siri and Gemini.” He was impressed that the new AI Alexa made jokes and threw in funny comments, but the other chatbots have continued to evolve over the last few months while he’s still waiting for the promised Alexa+ upgrade to his Alexa home devices.

“I’m starting to wonder if I will I ever see Alexa+ in the wild? I really hope it goes on general release soon, and I don’t want it to be for only for the new devices. This is Amazon’s chance to get ahead of Siri before it gets an AI upgrade that could change everything”.

Big deals ahead

If the devices announced at today’s event are too expensive, don’t worry – Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is coming next month, and we’re expecting some big discounts on the company’s current hardware. Amazon Echo speakers, Kindles, Ring doorbells, and Fire TV Sticks are all likely to get hefty price cuts.

The event will run from October 7-8, but if you can’t wait that long, we’ve rounded up a few early Prime Big Deal Days offers available right now.

Not long now...

The mood at the venue is chill right now. Guests have just been admitted, and are being treated to some light bites before the event starts in just over half an hour.

Breakfast bites

Amazon is serving up some tasty breakfast treats before letting attendees into the conference room. The tropical chia bowls look good.

Kindles and accessibility

It might be a coincidence, but Amazon has just updated its official news site with an article about how Kindle supports readers with disabilities. It doesn't name any unreleased devices, but the timing is interesting. Are we about to see a new Kindle that will be more accessible in some way? Perhaps something that's easier to use one-handed, or has differently designed physical buttons?

The final countdown

We're in! The setup of the venue looks similar to the Alexa+ launch event earlier this year, complete with bright blue backdrop.

Familiar faces

We just ran into former Microsoft designer Ralf Groene, who brought us all the Microsoft Surface devices and has been at Amazon for eight months now.

Lance also had a chat with Panos Panay, leader of Amazon's devices and services team. He's excited as usual, and promising some good stuff.

Five minutes...

With just five minutes to go until showtime and laptops at the ready, excitement is building...

It's showtime

Let's get started!

A mysterious start

"We believe technology should fade into the background," says a voiceover. "When we deliver, all the complexity melts away"

Ambient AI

Panos Panay has taken to the stage, and wants to talk about the dinner table. He wants families to put away the phones.

"Something happens when all of us pull out our phones," he says. "Right then, lost in our phones, right then [we] lost the moment."

He says that Alexa+ has created a shift. "The trick, everybody stays present. That is ambient AI."

New hardware incoming

New Ring, Blink, Fire TV, and Echo devices are coming, starting with Ring and a brand new doorbell. We're told that Ring is redefining what home security means, literally.

Higher resolution

Now Amazon is introducing tech called Retinal 2K and Retinal 4K to Ring doorbells. Amazon has been relatively late to the party when it comes to 4K video doorbells, so I'm intrigued to hear more.

First glimpses of new hardware

Doorbells and cameras

Ring is introducing a new tech called Retinal Tuning, which adjusts the clarity of the camera. It uses AI to sample the video quality multiple times a day over two weeks, then makes necessary adjustments.

Identify individuals

A new Familiar Faces function will identify specific people, and there are new Alexa greetings

The new devices can "Make decisions about how to handle different visitors". The tech will work on 2K and 4K devices, and will roll out in December.

New Ring devices

Meet the new Ring Wired Doorbell Plus and Indoor Camera 2K.

Search Party for dogs

We're now seeing how a "Search Party" can use the Ring app network to find a missing dog. It can see through the network of Ring's camera and use AI to help identify the dog. This is something that "could only happen in a world of AI".

Search party for dogs is rolling out in November, followed by cats and other pets.

Alexa+ greetings

Here's how the new Alexa+ greetings for Ring doorbells will work.

New Blink cameras

We're moving a mile a minute! Now it's Blink cameras with with Amy Wiedmann, head of marketing for home security. She starts with a story of a family who were saved by their Blink camera during a fire.

We have new Blink cameras: the Blink Outdoor 2K Plus, with one-year battery life, and the Blink Mini 2K Plus, which Wiedmann says is the most advanced Blink camera to date.

There's also the Blink Arc, which has two precision-engineered cameras, one mount and 180 degrees of coverage. AI stitches the two feeds into a seamless view of your space with no blind spots. Pre-orders are starting today.

Find that dog!

Here's a detailed look at how the new Search Party function will work for Ring doorbells.

Fire TV

Now we're looking at a refreshed Amazon Fire TV lineup. The Omni TV is the top of the line, with Omnisense tech: walk in and it turns on. Leave the room and it powers down. It also has Dialog Boost, which works across services.

There's a new Fire Stick too: the FireTV 4K Select, which is just $39.99. As some predicted, it's rocking a new operating system: Vega OS.

Vega will also power the new Echo speakers.

Omni TV

Here's a closer look at the new Amazon Fire Omni TV.

Alexa+ on your TV

The new Fire TVs have Alexa+ integration. For example, Alexa+ can tell you about a recent baseball game and instantly show you a recap, which sounds handy!

We've just seen our first live demo of the day: Alexa+ on the Fire TV Omni delivering stats from the game and easily bringing up highlights.

New Fire TV Stick

Here's a better look at that new Fire TV stick with Vega OS.

Kindle time

Now Panos Panay is back on the stage to talk about Kindles. He says that Kindle sales are up "by double digits".

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft

Meet the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. There are miniaturized LEDs in the front, and Amazon's engineers have created a "whisper-thin antenna" to reduce bulk. There's texture-molded glass so it "feels just like you're writing on paper".

Faster, prettier

The new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft has a new customized chip and more memory, making it 40% faster on things that matter, like page-turning and writing.

Our Editor at Large Lance Ulanoff says that the bezel is the same color as his jacket. If that's not a reason to buy one, I don't know what is.

The highlight of the show?

Panos is particularly pumped about the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, and says it's "a product I can't wait for you to use".

Scribe productivity tools

Now we're going into more detail about productivity with Avani Parakh, Director of Kindle Products. New features include Quick Notes, Import and Export, and Workspaces.

You can now Import and export with Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive directly from your Scribe.

Tools for readers

Kindle customers have read an average of 22 billion pages per month, and there are two new features for readers: Story So Far and Ask This Book.

New Echo speakers

It's Alexa+ time, with a brand new Echo smart speaker lineup designed specifically for the AI assistant.

Most powerful Echo devices

Amazon says these are the most powerful Echo devices it's ever made.

The new Echo speaker has no seams, and Panos is passing it around the audience so everyone can see for themselves.

Daniel Rausch is on stage now. He says it all starts with silicon: the Az3 and AZ3 Pro, which "can process AI right here, right on the edge".

This new silicon powers Omnisense (which we just heard about with the Fire TVs).

Kindle software

Hopping back to the Kindle for a minute, here's a better look at the new Scribe Colorsoft's software features.

New Echo Dot and Show devices

Back to the Echo devices. Amazon says the Echo Dot is the most popular smart speaker on the planet, and is introducing the new Echo Dot Max with two drivers. There's also an all-new Echo Studio (which should make our audio editor very happy).

There are new Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 devices too. The screen is viewable from any place in the room, and there's a 13MP camera for video calls. The screen placement helps leave space to deliver audio around the room.

Howdy, partners

There's also a new partner for Amazon: smart ring maker Oura. Yahoo Sports is coming as well, and there are tons more on the way.

Smarter smart homes

Now we're looking at Alexa+ for your smart home, which makes it possible to set up routines with just your voice. Amazon says that the rate of smart home adoption with Alexa+ is double what it was before.

Alexa Home Theater is a new service that lets you connect up to five Echo Studio speakers for surround sound, while Omnisense auto adjusts them. There was a live demo, and Lance says it "mostly went off without a hitch".

Echo Dot Max

Here's a more in-depth look at the Echo Dot Max in action.

Echo Show 8 and 11

And here's a good look at the Echo Show 8 and 11. Alexa+ will come out-of-the-box with all the devices we've seen today.

Wrapping up

After that whirlwind tour, Panos Panay is back on stage to make his closing remarks. He says he's pumped that Alexa+ is coming with everything we've seen today.

Phew! We'll take a second to digest that and bring you more of our thoughts very soon.

Hands-on with new Echo devices

Here are some hands-on photos of the new Amazon Echo Studio, Echo Dot Max, and Echo Show 8 and 11 devices.

The new Fire TV series in depth

Matt Bolton, our Managing Editor of Entertainment, has compiled a complete guide to the new Amazon Fire TV lineup, with in-depth technical specifications and prices.

Home security

Smart home expert Rowan Davies has written a deep dive into the new Ring doorbell and camera lineup, including Amazon's first 4K video doorbell and all the new Alexa+ features.

Kindle Scribe analysis

Jake Krol, out Managing Editor of News, is going hands-on with the new Amazon devices right now, and has shared his thoughts on the new Kindle lineup – including the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft. What does it really feel like to write on, and how good does it look in person?

A closer look at the new Echo lineup

Our news writer David Nield has put together a full guide to the four new Amazon Echo devices, including detailed tech specs and prices, plus release dates.

So, what do we make of the new Ring devices?

Our US Managing Editor for News, Jacob Krol, has spent some hands-on time with a couple of the new Ring devices – specifically the Ring Wired Doorbell Pro and Ring Indoor Cam Plus. Check out his video below.

And we've gone hands on with a new Kindle and Echo devices too

Meanwhile our Editor at Large, Lance Ulanoff, was busy spending time with the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and two of the new Echo devices, the Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio. What does he think of them? You'll have to watch to find out…

In the decade-plus since Amazon introduced its line of Echo smart speakers, we've been using "Alexa" to address them. It's the default wake word, and soon, as Alexa+, will be the name that marks its most significant AI glow up.

However, the hardware is still officially known as Echo Dot, Echo Show, and so on – but if a new report is any indication that might change, and we could end up calling an Echo Show an Alexa Show.

After a tip-off from a reader, The Verge was able to confirm that sometimes you might see an Echo Show listed as an Alexa Show on Amazon.com, as part of a test the online retail giant is running. I've tried without success to get Amazon.com to show me such a result, but I truly hope the name change becomes a real thing.

The reality is, no one thinks about their Amazon smart speakers as 'Echo' devices. We call them Alexas because that's the name they respond to. We've never said, "Echo, what's the weather tomorrow?" Perhaps if Amazon had gone that route back in 2015, we might be arguing that these are truly all Echo devices.

Echo has never been a great name. The Oxford Dictionary defines Echo as:

"A sound or series of sounds caused by the reflection of sound waves from a surface back to the listener."

If all the various Echo devices were simply speakers, this might make some sense. But Echo smart speakers are not simply reflecting our voices and requests; they're listening, thinking, and they're responding, and not simply bouncing back what we said.

Also, the combination of names isn't much better. "Echo Show" is not great. It ends up sounding like the "an echo you can see." Nothing in it says, "intelligence plus a display."

Now, let's try out "Alexa Show". We already know what Alexa means, and the combo instantly becomes "smarts you can see".

Just imagine

Even though Amazon is rolling out a much smarter and more generative AI-infused Alexa with Alexa+, I do not see the need to squeeze a '+' into the various product names. However, putting 'Alexa' front and center on products is probably a smart way to incentivize more Alexa+ adoption.

It tickles me to imagine the entire Amazon line of the best Alexa speakers, many of which are part of our best smart speakers list, refashioned around the 'Alexa' brand ideal:

• Alexa Dot
• Alexa Spot (for more simplification, combine with above)
• Alexa Studio
• Alexa Pop
• Alexa Frames
• Alexa Earbuds
• and so on

I'd even argue that the branding could extend to other Amazon native devices like the Fire Stick line (Alexa Fire Stick) and Fire tablets (Alexa Fire Tablet). Kindles would make sense only if Amazon decides to integrate some basic Alexa features (not likely, though, since most people read their kindles offline).

A dose of reality

As much as I want Amazon to fully adopt the Alexa branding across all these devices, it's not likely to happen. When I asked Amazon directly about the test they threw a giant bucket of cold water on the idea of a major product category rebranding.

An Amazon spokesperson told me: "I wouldn’t read too much into this. Customers love both Echo and Alexa, and search for our products in a number of different ways – we’re running an experiment to better understand product discovery, but that doesn’t mean anything is going to change."

As I read that, though, the message is not "it will never change." Instead, they said, "...that doesn’t mean anything is going to change."

It's like when I ask my wife if she thinks we'll win the lottery and she says, "Almost certainly not," and I always answer, 'So, you're saying there's a chance..."

Dropping Echo and adopting Alexa everywhere would be a smart move, and I still hope Amazon takes it from experiment to strategic update. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

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• Panos teased new hardware across its entry, core, and signature categories
• We'll likely see new speakers and smart displays, but also new device types, including wearables like smart glasses and 'wrist-worn devices'

Since October 2023, we’ve seen Panos Panay's arrival usher in changes within Amazon Devices group – think Echo, Fire TV, Kindle, and Alexa – at the broader shopping giant. Most recently, though, we saw Panos and his team at Amazon introduce a new Alexa, Alexa+, which reinvigorates the classic assistant with a ton of AI.

In a new interview with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Panay teases the next part of evolution and that he wants “perfection in every single product that we ship.”

He teased that he plans to re-engineer hardware across the lineup for more affordable, mid-range, and premium devices – dubbed ‘entry, core or signature.’

Better yet, Panos says battery life will be longer for portables, that the speakers will sound better – maybe even setting a standard higher than the first generation Echo Studio with a squeal – and, potentially taking a page from his time as Surface’s lead, promises ‘the best security available.’

It’s said that the first devices featuring Alexa+ that Panos has touched, beyond the Kindles and even the Echo Show 15 or 21, will arrive in the fall – think August to October of 2025.

Indeed, Panos is setting a high level for future Echo smart speakers and smart displays, as well as its lineup of Fire TV sticks and televisions, Fire HD tablets, and various other devices. We already saw the next generation of Kindle debuted in the last quarter of 2024, and in this wide-ranging interview, Panay stated: “There won’t be a corner cut. It won’t matter if we tried it before. It won’t matter what you thought it used to be.”

This could lead to a sharper focus for Amazon’s entire devices team, which is still starting at the customer and working backwards but also putting out future devices with more polish. It could also be a device type that Amazon has tried. However, this does not mean Amazon is bringing back the short-lived Fire Phone – Panos made it clear he doesn’t have plans to do that, though it’s not entirely off the table.

More likely, it could mean reinvestment in robots for the home, like the Ring Always Home Cam – a flying security drone – and Amazon Astro. The latter is still an invite-only Day One product, but Panos summed up a big part of the vision as giving folks a reason or a better one to use Alexa.

On Astro and robots as a whole, Panos said, “if a robot is part of that, then I’ll make sure we have a great robot.” He also hinted that augmented reality glasses and new wrist-worn devices could be part of a future lineup. This might mean future versions of Echo Frames could feature cameras, much like Ray-Ban Metas, but also be more full-featured devices with access to Alexa+. Panos confirmed that hardware upgrades are coming to Amazon’s current wearables, Echo Frames and Echo Buds.

It also makes more sense why Alexa+ had to be unveiled first. It will be the central feature of these future devices, essentially serving as the new platform on which they can hopefully excel. I still bet Amazon wants a screen in everyone’s house.

Like Panos’ strategy at Microsoft for Surface, Amazon’s forthcoming devices will likely have the utmost attention to detail and not just offer speeds for the sake of going fast but rather be there to provide some sort of functionality and genuine helpfulness for whoever is using it.

Panos stated, “We’re envisioning what’s the next thing for a customer when it comes to AI devices and we have some incredible ones.” It’s doubling down on Amazon’s devices lineup, and I’m just keen to see if Amazon will flood the market with new devices in the fall like its previous events or if it will be a more tempered approach. At the minimum, I hope for a few new Echo speakers across the entry, core, and signature lineup.

You can read the full interview with Panos Panay at Bloomberg here.

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Amazon unveiled Alexa+, its new AI-powered voice assistant, at yesterday's Alexa event. It's the biggest upgrade Alexa has ever received – but will it work with your devices, or will you need to upgrade to get the most out of it? On stage, Amazon's team mostly demonstrated Alexa+ using the latest Echo Show devices, but will it also be available for older speakers and smart displays?

We're here to answer your questions, and hopefully put your mind at ease. If your device isn't among those supported, don't worry – you can keep using the standard version of Alexa, and you'll be able to try Alexa+ in your web browser or the Alexa app instead.

Note that Alexa+ will only be available in the US at first, but should be launched more widely before long.

Amazon Echo Show devices

If you own one of the current generation of Echo Show devices, not only will you be able to use Alexa+, you'll also be one of the first to access it as part of an early roll-out program. The Echo Show devices with early Alexa+ access are:

• Amazon Alexa Show 8
• Amazon Alexa Show 10
• Amazon Alexa Show 15
• Amazon Alexa Show 21

During its launch event, Amazon explained that Alexa+ will be rolling out in waves over the next few weeks (so from the start of March onwards).

If you own a first or second-generation Echo Show, unfortunately Alexa+ won't be available to you, but you can keep using the standard version of Alexa instead.

Amazon Echo smart speakers

Alexa+ will also be available for Echo smart speakers. Whether you own one of the more recent Amazon Echo devices, an Amazon Echo Dot, or even 2024's little Amazon Echo Spot, you'll soon be able to chatter away with the new Alexa and use it as your personal assistant.

The only exceptions are a handful of older Echo devices including:

• Echo Dot 1st Gen
• Echo 1st Gen
• Echo Plus 1st Gen
• Echo Tap
• Echo Spot 1st Gen

These speakers won't become unusable, though. Alexa+ is optional for all devices, and if yours isn't supported, you can keep using the standard version of Alexa instead.

It seems like TechRadar's Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff is in luck. Despite his concerns, it sounds like his 10-year-old Amazon Echo speaker will not only keep working, but will support Alexa+ as well.

Amazon Fire devices

Amazon has said that Alexa+ will be available for "compatible Fire TVs and Fire tablets". It hasn't provided a list of exactly which ones will be included, but it seems safe to say that the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED and Amazon Fire HD 10 will be among them. We'll keep you updated as soon as we know more.

Third-party smart speakers

If you have a third-party smart speaker, you'll have to be patient. Alexa+ won't be available for Alexa Built-In devices like the Sonos Era 100 or Bose Smart Speaker 500 straight away, but Amazon says that it looks forward to expanding Alexa+ to additional devices in the future.

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Amazon just hosted its first Amazon Devices event since 2023, and as we'd expected, it served as the launching pad for a new, AI-enhanced Alexa+ service.

After announcing Alexa 2.0 alongside an array of hardware launches back in 2023, all has been relatively quiet from Amazon regarding the future of the LLM (large language model)-boosted smart assistant. Elsewhere, however, rumors have spelled a challenging road to release for Alexa 2.0, including recent concerns that there may be further delays even with its unveiling on the horizon.

Now we finally have had a first glimpse at Alexa+, and confirmation that it will indeed be a subscription service, priced at $19.99 per month, or free for existing Prime members. As of right now, Amazon has confirmed rollout is exclusive to the US and will begin "in the next few weeks", prioritizing homes that feature an Echo Show 8, 10, 15 or 21.

We were on the ground in New York City attending the event, which was not publicly available to live stream, sharing he news as it happened; but the story is still unfolding, so keep this page open to see more of our hands-on experiences with Alexa+.

The latest news

• Amazon had its Devices and Services event for for 10AM EST / 3PM GMT / 2AM ACT on Wednesday, February 26.
• The event unveiled the new Alexa+ service, a subscription-based, AI-enhanced Alexa agent.
• It will be available for $19.99 monthly or free as part of a Prime membership.
• Rollout will begin in the coming weeks, with priority for households using an Echo Show 8, 10, 15 or 21.

Welcome to our live blog coverage of Amazon’s Devices and Services event! Our very own Lance Ulanoff and Jacob Krol are on the ground in New York City to attend the event in person, and I’ll be covering all the news as we learn more from Amazon about its 2025 products.

Stay tuned, because this could be a big moment for Amazon!

Instead of a Devices and Services event in 2024, Amazon opted to trickle various product releases throughout the year, including a surprise launch for the all-new Echo Show 21, as well as second generations of the Echo Spot and Echo Show 15.

We’ve reviewed them all - check them out!

With rumors flying about Alexa 2.0’s subscription fee, we’ll hopefully be learning more later today on what that means for the original Alexa. Logic would dictate they wouldn’t fully ditch it and would leave that as the ‘basic’ option in all Echo devices, right? Right?

Anyway, for a refresher on what Alexa can do, check out our list of the Best Alexa Skills and commands.

Especially at release, Alexa was a real game-changer, but with the passage of time comes new technology and new demands on aging software. That’s certainly the case with Alexa; the voice assistant has seen many quality of life updates and new features, but it’s starting to show its age.

There’s plenty that could be improved, but I wrote yesterday about five specific features that would make Alexa 2.0 genuinely worthwhile. Check it out!

Not everyone on the Alexa subreddit is totally against the idea of a paid tier, but they want it to offer something special. Suggestions include a less robotic voice (more like ChatGPT or Claude), the ability to use Boolean operators in commands, or just scrapping the option to play soothing ocean sounds when the lights are turned off at night. Shame, I quite like that.

Comment from r/alexa

When might Alexa 2.0 actually land?

It seems almost certain that we'll hear about Alexa 2.0 during today's big Amazon event – but when will it actually roll out to smart speakers? The latest rumors suggest a rollout might not happen until March 31, because Amazon needs to make some tweaks to improve the assistant's accuracy.

That doesn't seem like a lot of extra time to make meaningful adjustments, so I'm hoping we don't get a vague "in the coming months" release window for the rebooted Alexa today.

But Amazon does need to get it right – it's supposedly planning to charge $5-$10 a month (around £5-£10 / AU$8-AU$16) for full access to its AI-powered Alexa. With ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode now coming to its free tier (an announcement that was surely timed to rain on Amazon's parade), Alexa 2.0 will need to be capable of some impressive tricks to justify that rumored cost.

• Read more: Alexa’s big AI revamp might have been delayed again, and I’m losing faith Amazon's new assistant will be all that smart

As we patiently wait for Amazon to commence its first device-focussed event since 2023, we’ve been casting our predictions and throwing guesses as to what could be unveiled later today. As it stands, we’re pretty confident that the AI-infused Alexa 2.0 will receive a release date after it was teased at Amazon’s last Alexa event and like we’ve said, the voice assistant has been revolutionary in the realm of smart home tech since its inception over a decade ago. Therefore, it’s definitely time for a revamp, but the catch is that Amazon has been toying with the idea of a subscription fee for the new AI voice assistant.

Other rumors we’ve spotted also point to a new Echo smart speaker device which could serve as a new home for Alexa 2.0. Amazon’s lineup of Fire TV devices may also have their time in the spotlight at today’s event with speculations pointing to new function updates and maybe even new hardware announcements.

For a deeper insight to what Amazon could be announcing be sure to check our roundup of the four things you can expect to see at Amazon’s Alexa event!

It seems a lot of Reddit users are shocked at the idea of potentially paying for Alexa, which isn’t too surprising considering how many people only use its most basic features. Last summer, it emerged that Amazon had made over $25 billion in losses from its smart device business between 2017 and 2021, partly because owners prefer to use their smart speakers to set alarms and not much else.

“We worried [we’d] hired 10,000 people and we’ve built a smart timer," one former senior employee told the Wall Street Journal at the time.

Who is Panos Panay?

One name you're likely to see a lot today is Panos Panay, current head of Devices and Services. Panay took the reigns in 2023 from long-serving Amazon SVP of Devices and Services, David Limp, following his retirement from the company (he didn't go far though, hopping over to Bezos' Blue Origin venture as its new CEO).

Panay joined Amazon following a 19-year stint at Microsoft, where he was best-known for leading the development of Windows 11 in 2021 as well as creating the Surface line of devices in 2012; so his are a safe pair of hands for Alexa both on the hardware and software front.

One of the biggest questions for the leagues and leagues of Echo device owners is whether or not Amazon will follow suit with many of its peers and brick older speakers in the coming years.

Our US Editor-at-Large laments the future of his original Echo speaker in his recent feature, and it’s an excellent read.

Amazon has done a sound job at keeping all of its new announcements under wraps, and although we have a pretty strong idea of what to expect based on rumors and speculation, nothing has been set in stone on Amazon’s side. But we’re confident in our guesses of what products will be a no-show at today’s Alexa event - most notably Kindles.

Though Amazon skipped its Alexa event last year, it made up for it by unveiling brand new Kindle models, including the Kindle Colorsoft, in October last year. In addition to its first color Kindle, Amazon announced its pricey Kindle Scribe, the 12th gen Kindle Paperwhite, and 11th gen Kindle - a generous launch for keen readers. So, if you’re an admirer of Amazon’s line of ereaders, then I’m sorry to say that it’s unlikely a new Kindle will be announced later today.

If Amazon announces that Alexa 2.0 will be compatible with existing Echo speakers, this could be a good time to pick up one or two more so you’re prepared. We’ve rounded up all today’s best deals on the full range, including offers from Amazon itself and other retailers around the web.

Once your speakers arrive, check out our guide to setting them up and avoiding common mistakes to save yourself potential headaches later on.

Will we see new neural network hardware today?

Judging by the trends of silicon valley, processors are the real golden goose of the AI revolution; so will Amazon’s AZ2 neural edge processor also see an upgrade?

The AZ2 debuted in 2021 alongside the Echo Show 15, and has been used in pretty much all of the Echo devices since. It’s plenty powerful and pretty scalable thanks to its quad-core architecture, allowing for more local processing instead of relying heavily on the cloud - though not enough so that Alexa won’t occasionally switch to its default voice when WiFi connectivity drops.

The big question is, will it be enough to handle the demands of a more intelligent Alexa, and if not, what does that mean for the millions of Echo devices housing the AZ2?

I’d hedge my bets that, at the very least in the early years, the AZ2 will be enough - models using older hardware may, however, be excluded from Alexa 2.0 compatibility. Amazon hasn’t slowed its Echo product release cycle whatsoever in recent years, with many products like the Echo Show 15 (2024) seeing iterative upgrades (and some meatier redesigns for the likes of the Echo Spot), so I’d be surprised - and disappointed - if they’d jumped the gun knowning new components are on the horizon.

Will Alexa 2.0 change Amazon’s pricing strategy?

As I've mentioned, based on the rumor mill, we’re fairly confident the newly enhanced Alexa will be a subscription-based service, but how might the software effect hardware pricing?

As we’re seeing from the AI boom in silicon valley, AI is a pricey business, which is in direct conflict with Amazon’s price-point strategy. This strategy may have contributed to the company reporting $25 billion in losses from its smart device business between 2017 and 2021, alongside the fact that Alexa usage hasn’t driven the e-commerce revenue Amazon had hoped for.

So, what happens if subscription fee uptake isn’t high enough? If Amazon keeps its ‘basic’ Alexa subscription-free, many consumers may still opt to use the affordably priced smart speakers and displays as glorified digital timers, and the company will need to recoup its costs elsewhere.

That’s where my last post regarding chipsets comes in; if we see an AZ3 processor, or further hardware adaptations in the coming years to support a more powerful Alexa, does that spell the end for cheap and cheerful Echo devices?

We've arrived!

Punctual as always, Lance Ulanoff is on the ground and has arrived at the venue for today's event!

In truth, he actually arrived about an hour ago, left to get breakfast and is still there with enough time to leave and come back again. Meanwhile, Alexa has to remind me three times every morning that I'll be late if I don't leave for work soon.

Over the past decade, we’ve seen Alexa evolve from a fun gimmick into a trusted companion capable of controlling different rooms and tech within the home.

There’s no doubt that today will be smart home-centric, but there’s a chance that Amazon could take this as an opportunity to push the use of Alexa outside of the home. By that, I’m talking about improving its Alexa voice assistant in products such as the Amazon Echo Frames and Echo Buds earphones - possibly to match the more advanced features of the anticipated Alexa 2.0.

... and we're through the doors now, too! Jacob Krol joins Lance Ulanoff as our in-person team at the event.

No news yet, barring that the room breakfast is being served in features ample extension cords, which is tantamount to caviar for us journalists.

We ran a survey on our WhatsApp earlier today to find out what rumors our readers are most excited about ahead of today’s Alexa event, and by and large the most popular answer was a more conversational Alexa.

Back in 2023 when we saw our first early glimpse of the new Alexa smarts, then-Devices and Services SVP Dave Limp demonstrated as much, suggesting we’re likely to see more along these lines today.

There were slim margins for the rest of the options; Alexa remembering context pulled in the lead a little, followed by more natural prompts, then the lesser-selected better routines and automations, than new hardware and improved app experience.

Our first real slither of news is here, and it looks to be a new widget interface, proudly displayed on the all-new Echo Show 21.

I love the Echo Show widget feature, but it's definitely in need of further customization options and more ways to configure widgets; by the looks of things, my wishes might be about to come true!

According to Lance, there's a palpable sense of excitement on the ground in NYC right now.

He says: "What's most remarkable about this Amazon event is that no one I've talked to knows exactly what's to come. There have been zero leaks and while we all expect Alexa 2.0 and potentially new devices, no one knows the details. It's created a bit of a buzz here."

However, some early signs point towards hefty software updates, following on from the previous post which gives us a sneak peek of a new widgets interface: "Putting the 65-inch FireTV Omni MiniLED Series, the new Echo Show 21, and the new FireTV Soundbar Plus sound bar on display is the clearest indication we're about to see a bunch of device updates."

Many of the people in the Alexa subreddit are looking for solutions to problems - people whose Echo speakers are working fine will have a lot less reason to join. They’re generally less satisfied than the typical Alexa user, so the results of a recent poll on subscription pricing are interesting. Most Redditors said they wouldn’t pay for Alexa at all, but 12% would be willing to part with $5 a month for it, and 7% would pay $10 for a subscription. For a group of folks who are disproportionately annoyed by their smart speakers, that’s pretty high.

AI Subscription from r/alexa

It’s been almost five years since Amazon’s last flagship Echo speaker hardware update, and though the fourth-generation Amazon Echo (2020) smart speaker is still a solid smart home companion, it feels about time for another refresh for Amazon’s baseline Echo speaker range. Perhaps some improved audio specs to showcase the new Alexa 2.0 voice assistant, (which we expect will also be an option for current Echo devices.)

As someone who is more than satisfied with the performance of classic Alexa on my trusty Echo Pop speaker, it really depends on what Alexa 2.0 has in store for us. It’ll take Amazon some convincing for me to make the switch, and that's before considering the possible subscription fee factor!

Jake has noticed a neat little quirk in the stage for the upcoming briefing (which starts in just a few minutes!); the stage appears to have a ring of LEDs around it, currently a static white. Perhaos it will glow blue or green when the big news drops?

As Lance just pointed out in our work chat, this is a big make-or-break AI moment for Amazon, and with minutes to go I'm sure a fair few Amazon staff are getting hot under the collar.

"There are so many Alexa devices in the US, Amazon could race to the front – if they introduce ChatGPT-level capabilities," he says.

As of right now, Alexa is pretty far behind the competition in terms of AI; though they're standing to be reams ahead in the smart home department, should this gambit pay off for them.

It's time to go, and Andy Jassy has taken to the stage - a rare appearance from a CEO who prefers to stay out of the limelight. Stay tuned!

He's promising a 70-minute presentation, so buckle up for a long haul.

Jassy's opening speech heralds to the brand's 25+ years experience of pioneering AI experiences, which is fair self-praise for a company that revolutionised voice assistants.

He's, understandably, very confident in how AI will change customer experiences moving forwards, invoking Amazon's deep partnership with companies like Nvidia to remind the crowd just how much AI-gravitas the brand has.

All good stuff, but no movement on consumer devices and services just yet.

As interesting as it is to hear about how Amazon is using AI across its enterprise services and e-commerce platform, we're ten minutes in and thus far Jassy is mostly talking about things that have nothing to do with Alexa. I'm calling fake news on those Alexa-themed invites (just kidding).

It is, however, cool to learn about how AI is improving customer shopping experiences. From customer sentiment summarization to customer service and even clothes sizing standardization, there's a lot of work behind the scenes at Amazon.

RED ALERT: Alexa has finally been mentioned, with Jassy saying "It is really remarkable" - we agree, so tell us more about what's next!

With that, Panos Panay takes the stage; and so begins the real meat and bones of today's oresenntation.

Panay opens by reminding the audience just how far Alexa has come in the 11 years since its initial release, recalling the novelty of using his first Alexa voice command to play music.

He's also shared some pretty interesting statistics; hundreds of millions of customrs have invited Alexa into their lives on over 600 million devices. Additionally, people used Alexa 20% more in 2024 from 2023.

Now we're getting a cute highlight reel of real customers, which is a nice touch.

Panay is talking about all the reasons why Alexa 2.0 hasn't existed until now, waxing lyrical about all the things it should be... but no word on how that comes together.

He compares the new Alexa to a conductor in an orchestra; "The new Alexa knows almost every instrument in your life, your schedule, smart home, devices, and people you're connected to, and brings them together into what is an incredible symphony."

It's fair enough that Panay should take up a good amount of time re-hashing what Alexa 2.0 means; Dave Limp, his predecessor, handled the original announcement, after all.

Much has changed since then, which we're about to learn more about in a live demo - exciting!

Alexa 2.0 has a name - and it's Alexa Plus.

Alexa Plus has been trained on a variety of parameters, from emotional intelligence to humor to understanding.

Panay says it will check your tone, sensing emotions like nerves and proactively trying to calm them; all with only one wake-word.

He turned the screen to the audience, asking Alexa to analyse them; apparently, it's a "pumped up crowd" in New York City today.

Overall, the demo is a lot smoother than the 2023 reveal, but it's had long enough to develop.

Another big confirmation; Alexa will remember information - and presumably context. Huzzah!

Panay says if you tell Alexa you're a vegetarian, for example, the recipe's recommended for your household will include suitable meals for your dietary needs.

Also, if you're using an Echo Show device, your chat and any recommendations shared by Alexa will appear on-screen. Neat!

One thing that's really becoming clear as we see this demo in real-time; Amazon is not shying away from giving Alexa some personality.

There have always been fun easter eggs and joyful interactions programmed into Alexa, with its role as a home assistant granting flexibility for a little more personification. In the age of Gemini and ChatGPT, this really stands out.

Another thing ticked off my wishlist; Alexa offers improved media searching. Panay gives the example of asking Alexa; "What's that song Bradley Cooper sings? It's a duet." To which she correctly returned "Shallow" from A Star Is Born.

Music more generally is improved too. Panay says you can tell Alexa to play the music on the left side, or play the music everywhere, but don't wake the baby, and it'll work - all without you needing to perform "Alexa-speak" and contrive prompts into awkward, pre-programmed commands.

Wow, now here are some features I wasn't expecting at this early juncture; Alexa will be able to not only move media playing from one device to another (which is a further big green tick from me and my wishlist!), but also will be able to scrub through movies to specific scenes on request.

The demo for this did take two attempts before getting it right, but it's an excellent addition. I'm willing to bet it'll be exclusive to Prime Video, at least for now, though that's unconfirmed as of writing.

Looks like Alexa will also be able to offer more natural interactions with Ring cameas, with Panay demonstrating this feature by asking Alexa if anyone had walked his dog recently, to which it returned a selection of clips including a lovely clip of an Amazon delivery driver giving his dog a treat.

Now Mara Segal, Director of Product Management - AI Services at Amazon has taken to the stage to talk about the different ways Alexa can help with productivity around the home.

She demonstrates this by asking Alexa about solar panel installation options in her home, to which the voice assistant cites Home Owners Association (HOA) documentation that it had stored from an earlier conversation.

"This has been a total game changer for me," she says, "It helps us stay organized and get stuff done."

Echo devices have always done well as family-friendly smart home gadgets, so it's nice to see a dedicated section now for how Alexa Plus will play nice with younger users.

Segal shows a video of a child chatting with Alexa, asking questions and using a storytime mode. Alexa has long been capable of telling stories, but by the looks of things a Generative AI twist will see more unique stories, accompanied by images when using Alexa on a device with a screen.

Interestingly, the existing Echo Dot was featured in the video, suggesting no new hardware on that front...

Next up is Daniel Rausch to talk AI models. Anthropic's models are clearly in the mix of Alexa's upgraded capabilities, alongside Amazon’s own Nova models. By the sounds of things, the features we've seen so far will all be processed in the cloud.

Rausch also talks about how partnered 'Expert' sources of information (including your favorite website, TechRadar) help to keep Alexa informed. He even gave an example of how Alexa Plus can track Yankees ticket price drops and score a deal within his price range. Neat!

We've got ten minutes left; not much time for new the new hardware we were hoping for or non-Echo smart speaker and display interactions.

It is cool to see how many apps and services Amazon has ambitions of incorporating, however. In one slide, services like Uber and OpenTable feature prominently, suggesting enhanced integrations (and I'd wager perhaps even widgets, at some point) to make your smart speakers and displays a better alternative to your smart phone.

I'm not in the room to see for myself, but Lance Ulanoff says the responses are impressive, speedy and seamless, even when demonstrating some of these third-party services like OpenTable.

In Rausch's own words; "All I had to say was "Book it!""

Rausch sees Alexa Plus as having "cutting-edge agentic capabilities" without needing babysitting.

There are some further features possible thanks to these third-party services, too. Rausch says Alexa Plus will work with Suno to make music based off of prompts, for example.

The demo gave some insights into Rausch's music taste, at least; he asked for a "reluctant love song about a bodega cat and make it country". Lance says this resulted in a pretty catchy, fully-fleshed song.

In the Future, Rausch talks about the ways these integrations can go further, giving the example of Amazon Fresh and other partnered grocery delivery services.

He said to Alexa; "I need some things from Amazon Fresh. Milk and eggs, also want to make banana bread," followed by a fairly stream-of-consciousness list of ideas and ingredients, even stringing a request for "ideas for a 5-year-old" and noting "we're having company friday night." Alexa Plus not only captured all of this information, but also made a shopping basket accordingly.

And there we have it, the kicker; a subscription fee. It's no surprise, and in fact it's better than I thought it would be; $19.99 per month (ouch) but free with a Prime membership (significantly less ouch).

Early access will roll out next month and in waves over the subsequent months; as the event is primarily US-focused I'd imagine that means we'll have a while longer to wait here in the UK and other regions.

And that's a wrap; the presentation is over and now it's time for Jacob and Lance to hit the floor, hopefully for some demonstrations. We'll be continuing coverage with more information about some of the features we've mentioned so far, as well as footage we captured at the event - stay tuned!

Former TechRadar fitness editor (and present TechRadar Homes Editor) Cat Ellis here with a quick throwback. Panay noted that the new Alexa checked his tone of voice, and responded in a way that would calm him down. It’s an interesting feature, and one that immediately took me back to the (long discontinued) Amazon Halo Band heath tracker. This screenless wearable, released in 2020, wrapped around your wrist and offered features like sleep tracking, activity monitoring and, weirdly, the ability to check and even police your tone of voice. The Halo could detect if your voice was lacking “energy and positivity” and warn you about it.

As you might expect, this was widely regarded as creepy and strange. Hopefully Alexa Plus will be more tactful and less like a stern digital parent warning you to lose the attitude.

The biggest surprise of today isn't what was mentioned, it's what wasn't mentioned.

It’s been almost five years since Amazon’s last major Echo speaker hardware update and though the Amazon Echo (2020) smart speaker is still a solid smart home companion, it feels long past due another revamp. This would have been the perfect opportunity for Amazon to show off the new Alexa 2.0 voice, which will also run on current Echo devices but will give you the option to stick with the classic Alexa voice.

As someone who is more than satisfied with the performance of classic Alexa on my trusty Echo Pop speaker, it’ll take Amazon some convincing for me to make the switch - not forgetting the subscription fee factor!

We've just had confirmation from an Amazon representative - Alexa Plus will be exclusive to the US at launch. Unsurprising, but man am I going to be feeling the FOMO.

So unfortunately, we're not actually able to test-drive any of the new tools ourselves on-site, but Lance and Jake have been invited to watch Amazon representatives talk through pre-organized scenarios with Alexa Plus.

Apt timing, Slack has just gone down while I'm remotely blogging an event with no livestream. Hey Amazon, do us a favor and stream it next time please!

Thank goodness for WhatsApp, where Lance has told me he just tried out grocery shopping with Alexa Plus for the first time; video coming soon!

For now, here's a clip of the first ever Alexa Plus demonstration from earlier's presentation.

Early access information has dropped; apparently, the Alexa Plus rollout will prioritize households with an Echo Show device (though not the Echo Show 5).

Is this just a case of the interface being better, or is Amazon hedging its bets on a similar "screens everywhere" mantra touted by Samsung in recent years?

I blogged about this moment earier; here's when Panos Panay asked Alexa to analyse the sentiment of the crowd to see how "pumped" they were; a fun demo that shows how much more Alexa can make out of its camera-equipped devices.

Word on the ground is that there are some upgrades to Alexa Routines, a function which allows you to automate smart home devices.

I use Routines every day to help me keep organized, and as much as I'm happy to have the ability to automate at all, I've long since been asking for some serious attention to be paid to the software.

Needlessly complex in places and frustratingly simple in others, many Alexa users' automation woes could be solved without the help of the AI used Alexa Plus, so I'm really hoping subscription-free users will benefit from some TLC to this segment of Alexa's offering.

Mara Segal earlier demonstrated how Alexa Plus will be able to retain and act upon stored information from dietary requirements to household documentation. In this demo from earlier today, Seagal asks Alexa to recall which date her daughter's first soccer practice is from a document she'd previously shared, and to add these events to her calendar.

Amazon has been live blogging its own event (personally I think ours is more fun and interesting but I might be biased) and dropped a link for some new features to try with Alexa Plus, and there are a few in there that caught my attention.

During today's event, there was lots of talk about personalization with Alexa Plus, but it appears there will be some pretty neat interactions across a variety of Alexa Skills and commands.

For example, Amazon says you'll be able to get personalized news briefings based on your interests, so I imagine you'll be racing straight to ask for a daily TechRadar briefing, right?

It's not all about voice control, either. Apparently, you'll be able to set up widgets that track topics you're interested in in real-time, whether that's freshly-released tickets to see your favorite artists or the deal alert you’ve got set.

I didn't really touch on this earlier in the throes of some very exciting news, but another fascet of the Alexa Plus rollout is Alexa.com, allowing you to access your voice assistant on basically any device with a web browser. It'll recall everything you've told Alexa on other devices, too.

If you don't fancy scrolling through all of my updates below, firstly, how dare you, secondly, don't worry about it; we've covered all the need-to-know information in our Alexa Plus news roundup.

Check it out, then come back here to hear more as we speak with Amazon representatives in New York City.

According to that same Amazon blog post I mentioned earlier, Alexa Plus will also be able to give you personalized recommendations for media based on your mood and preferences.

Of course, this kind of recommendation engine is widely used acrosss different websites, but I imagine you'll be able to curate it a little more easily with Alexa by correcting any poor recommendations or deviations from the prompt.

We've seen features like this crop up on some of the best AI phones, but calendar management, reminders and lists based on documents you've shared with your voice assistant has always felt to me like more of a smart display feature than a phone feature. Am I biased as a smart home fanatic? Yes.

However, I know that plenty of customers also feel like a big, bright and beautiful home display for all the family to see is better suited for household management than a personal handheld device.

We saw a sneak peek of what that might look like today with Alexa plus - check it out.

Ooh, another gem from the Amazon blog post; apparently, announcements can now be made by-device. Hurrah!

However, this is where a gripe comes in from me... this feels like a quality of life upgrade that could very easily roll out on standard Alexa.

I get it, Amazon, you want people moving to some kind of paid subscription. That's capitalism. But if you want people to like the idea of an Alexa that does more, it helps to make sure the Alexa that exists is feature-rich and functional enough to make them commit to something new. Right now, Alexa is great, but some of the things it can't do are a little mind-boggling and inconsistent. Ringfencing these kinds of features just to pad out the value proposition probably isn't going to garner much favor with long-term Alexa users.

Still, who am I to talk when I've already been looking into Prime Membership again despite not knowing when Alexa Plus will roll out in the UK...

I was having so much fun diving through that blog post I decided to write a whole piece about it; here are the seven features coming to Alexa Plus which I think make it a better AI assistant than the likes of Apple Intelligence / Siri or Gemini.

Now, as the news peters out, my watch has ended. It’s been a real one.

To close us out, here's the official trailer for Alexa Plus. It's really interesting how many of the AI service trailers opt for the same approach here; an intrepid tech explorer gingerly dipping their toes into conversation with their new AI companion. Nothing says “get creative with AI” like the bajillionth trailer featuring the same prompts and abilities.

All jokes aside, I’m really excited to see how Alexa Plus’ rollout shapes the next age of smart home technology, and there are some genuinely exciting features on the way for Prime Members and those who think a $19.99 subscription is a better deal than a $14.99 subscription that give you more. Which, i'd assume, is very few people.

Make sure to also follow us on TikTok and subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more exclusive footage from behind the scenes at Amazon’s 2025 Devices and Services event.

Amazon's next big Alexa event is imminent, and it's set to be a major one for all things Echo and smart home. The device-focused event, which will take place on February 26 at 10AM ET in New York City, marks the company's first Alexa announcement since September 2023. That was when the Echo Pop Kids smart speaker and its second-gen Echo Show 8 were unveiled. This time, Amazon is likely focused on the Alexa voice and could announce a big change for its smart assistant.

While Amazon hasn't officially revealed what's in store for its Alexa event, it hasn't been afraid to drop little hints here and there in the build-up to the next device launch. So far, we can venture a safe guess that the Alexa voice assistant will be the prime focus of the event, which is said to receive a significant AI upgrade, followed by the announcement of a new Echo smart speaker and possible Fire TV updates.

Therefore, we have a solid idea of what we expect next from the tech giant, but as we've said, nothing has been set in stone. We won't know for sure until Amazon makes it official during its event, so you can bet our eyes will be peeled for all the latest announcements during our live blog, which we'll update regularly throughout the event. Still, before that, these are the announcements we're expecting to see at tomorrow.

A next-gen Alexa

At Amazon's last device event in September 2023, the company teased us with a brief look at Alexa AI, an AI-powered version of the voice assistant with ChatGPT-style functions. This could include an advanced ability to interpret context and distinguish natural speech, conducting multiple requests in a single voice command, and a possible monthly subscription fee.

There's no doubt that Alexa AI will be the star of the show at Amazon's event. However, as recent leaks have pointed out, the AI revamp may be slightly delayed before access is granted.

We've recently reported that an anonymous source informed The Washington Post ($/£) that the AI-revamped Alexa voice had been experiencing inaccuracies when asked questions. As a result, its release date could now be pushed back to March 31, but it will still be announced at Amazon's Alexa event tomorrow.

New Echo smart speakers

There's a chance we could see a brand new Echo speaker join Amazon's seemingly never-ending lineup of smart home devices that make up some of the best smart speakers. The last time the company unveiled a new Alexa speaker was the Amazon Echo 4th Gen in 2020.

Despite skipping its Alexa event last year, Amazon didn't starve us of some fresh Echo devices in its other smart home device ranges. Most notably, the Echo Show 21, which reigns as its largest Echo device, and its Echo Spot smart alarm speaker both made their debuts.

Given the near five-year time gap since Amazon's last Echo speaker hardware update, an announcement isn't completely unrealistic. A new smart speaker would also be handy for pairing with the AI-integrated Alexa voice.

Alexa subscription tiers

As we know, Alexa AI is likely to appear during Amazon's big Alexa event. However, we believe that the revamped voice assistant will offer limited free use before introducing a monthly subscription fee. Thankfully, though, this will likely not impact the classic Alexa we all know and love.

We've been aware that Amazon has been toying with the idea of implementing a fee for its new Alexa voice which could cost you between $5 to $10 a month. Considering that Amazon has fallen behind its AI competitors ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Apple Intelligence and has yet to ride the AI train, from a business perspective, charging a monthly fee makes sense. However, from a consumer perspective, we're still not entirely convinced that this will be worth splurging on, given its numerous delays and reported inaccurate responses.

Updates for Fire TV, and maybe a new device

While its Alexa voice assistant will be the main focus, it's likely that Amazon speak about its Fire TV device range. Amazon's 2023 device event revealed features for its Fire TV devices, including an improved Alexa voice search function and AI screensavers. Following Amazon's Android TV update, we believe the company could introduce new Fire TV devices alongside updates to the abovementioned features during its event.

Mentions of new Fire TV hardware were spotted on one of Amazon's developer pages, stating the following; “Android 14-based Fire TV is based on API level 34. The following sections explain some of [the] important changes that you should consider when you build apps for Android 14-based Fire TV". This gives a strong indication that new Fire TV devices will be one of the star announcements at tomorrow's event.

This leak has come at an awfully convenient time with the Alexa event due to happen tomorrow, adding to our suspicions that Amazon could expand its Fire TV line. With the lack of mentions of specific hardware models, we're unable to pinpoint what exactly this will entail, but we'd expect it to be the announcement of a new smart TV or streaming stick.

You might also like

• I love my 10-year-old Echo and am terrified Amazon's new Alexa is gonna brick it
• Amazon drops unsubtle hints that Alexa AI is landing soon – 3 things to expect from the new voice assistant
• Echo Spot (2017) vs Echo Spot (2024): how do the old and new Amazon Alexa smart speakers compare?

Amazon Echo Show 21: two-minute review

The idea of combining a smart speaker with a flat screen is certainly not a new one for Amazon. Amazingly, it’s over seven years since the first-generation Echo Shows launched, and three since the original Echo Show 15 first arrived in homes. At that time, its 15-inch display made it the largest Echo device inside Amazon’s stable. But not anymore. That accolade now goes to the newly-launched Echo Show 21.

Essentially, the Echo Show 21 is a larger version of the latest Echo Show 15, complete with Alexa, built-in Fire TV, and an Alexa voice remote. It even features the same mounting bracket as the Echo Show 15, which is handy if you have multiple devices you want to swap over. Capable of being installed in portrait or landscape orientation, it’s best to think of the Echo Show as a rather large web tablet (albeit one with much better speakers). So, in the same way you might use an iPad to display a recipe in the kitchen or control your home’s heating, so you might use an Echo Show to do these things.

It’s much more than that, though. Once you’ve gone through the setup process, pairing the Echo Show with your home’s Wi-Fi and the Alexa voice remote, there’s the option of customizing it all. Usefully, because the Echo Show 21 has Fire TV built in, you can use it much like you would a smart TV. Buttons are provided on the Alexa voice remote for accessing Prime Video, as well as Netflix. Alternatively, you can press the app button to access other apps you have downloaded to your device such as Apple TV, Disney+, and YouTube. You also have the option to display images from your Amazon photo library when the device is not use.

However, the Echo Show really comes into its own with all the other widgets you can add. Just swipe down from the top of the display and hit ‘widget gallery’. There you will find everything you need to help you organize your life, from sticky notes to shopping lists and from calendars to daily reminders. It can also display local weather, so you're fully prepared when you leave the house.

Once you’ve made your choice, each of the widgets is then displayed on the home screen. And if you want more details, you only have to touch the screen to bring up more information. For example, while the weather widget shows the temperature for the next four hours, you can find out more information (such as the likelihood of rain and whether you need an umbrella) by pressing the weather option on the home screen to bring info up across the entire display.

Want to control connected devices within your home, such as your smart thermostat, lights, and home security cameras? There’s a ‘smart home favorites’ widget for that. Not only will this allow you to control options such as the temperature of your property, it will also do things like display footage from a connected video doorbell if someone comes to the door. Support is provided for Matter and Thread, which means you can use the Echo Show 21 as a Zigbee Hub.

Finally, also on board is the Echo Show 21 is a 13MP selfie camera (complete with privacy shutter) for video calls. This includes Alexa Drop Ins, which lets you get in touch via video or voice using other connected devices in the household. It’s particularly handy if you want to tell the kids that dinner is ready and they’re not responding to yells from the kitchen because they are on their devices.

Amazon Echo Show 21: price and availability

• $399/£399.99 without stand, $100/£100 extra with stand
• Available now
• Available in the US and UK

Released in November 2024, the Amazon Echo Show 21 costs £399 or $399 direct from Amazon for the standard wall-mount installation (at the time of writing it's not available in Australia). However, if you want a desktop/counter stand you will have to pay an additional $100/£100 on top of that. That makes the Echo Show 21 the most expensive device in Amazon’s line-up, at $100/£100 more than the smaller Amazon Echo Show 15.

It’s not an excessive amount of money for what it is, but it's not an absolute bargain either. A decent 43-inch smart TV will now set you back less money, so it does seem a little pricey.

That said, the Amazon Echo Show 21 is much more than a smart TV. It offers much greater functionality and interactivity for starters, including the ability to control your smart home, music and calendars, as well as being able to stream content from video services.

Importantly, it also feels very solid and well made, with an attractive wooden frame around the outside. It certainly makes a nice addition to the kitchen, living room or office, especially if you are looking for all of the features of an Echo Show device, but with a bigger screen.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Amazon Echo Show 21: specs

Amazon Echo Show 21: design and installation

• Mounting bracket for portrait/landscape orientation
• Solid design with black wooden frame around 21.5-inch screen
• Alexa voice remote

Designed to be mounted on the wall, the hefty Amazon Echo Show 21 comes with a metal bracket in the box (alternatively, you can buy a desktop stand but our review sample didn’t include one). This means you will need a drill, a level, and hammer for installation. Four screws and four wall plugs are provided in the pack, as well as paper wall-mount template that helps you drill holes into the right places.

Once the bracket is installed, you simply slide the Echo Show 21 into place in either landscape or portrait orientation. I used it extensively in both modes, but personally preferred it in portrait because I found it better for displaying the widgets. Around the actual screen is a white background and around that is a black wooden surround, giving the Echo Show the look and feel of a large photo frame. Large speakers are built into either side of the display and on top (in landscape mode) are buttons for volume up/down as well as two pinhole microphones.

For privacy, there’s also a button that switches the microphones on and off (this glows red when activated) and a privacy shutter that covers the 13MP camera. The power cable needs to be inserted into a recess on the back of the display before it’s mounted to the wall, but at 1.5m it’s not overly long, which could limit your options when it comes to positioning it. Finally, you will need to pair the display with the Alexa Voice Remote (it is the same as the one you get for Amazon Fire Sticks).

This can only be paired with one device at a time, and can’t control skills and services outside the Fire TV experience. Also, while some video streaming services such as Amazon Prime can be fully controlled using the touch screen display, other services such as Netflix provide only limited functionality without the remote.

In addition to the circular navigation pad and usual forward/rewind and home buttons, the remote includes an Alexa option with a pinhole microphone for use instead of the smart display’s far-field microphones. As with other Alexa devices, you can change the wake word of the Echo Show 21 – handy if you have several Amazon devices near to one another.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Amazon Echo Show 21: performance

• Crisp 1,920 x 1,080 display
• Maybe a little too bright
• Much improved sound system and onboard 13MP camera

The largest display in Amazon's Echo series, with nearly double the viewing area of the Echo Show 15, the Echo Show 21 certainly cuts an imposing figure once mounted on the wall. In fact, it seems more like a much larger smart TV than a glorified touch screen display with built-in Alexa, especially when mounted in landscape mode.

Boasting a highly reflective 1,920 x 1,080 display, the Echo Show 21's picture quality is excellent, delivering crisp, bright images. However, it’s arguably a little too bright especially when watching video content. The first thing I had to do once I switched the display on was to swipe down from the top to turn the brightness down. However, switching adaptive brightness does help a little, automatically adjusting brightness levels based on the ambient light levels in the room. Turn down the room’s lights and the screen will dim too, turn them up and the screen will brighten.

Also on board is a proximity sensor, which adjusts what’s on the screen when you aren't actively using it. When no one is nearby, it closes the control panel and rotates through a variety of screens. For example, it could display various content suggestions such as jokes or football scores or act as a large photo frame, cycling through images in your Amazon picture library. It will also support multiple users, switching between different profiles using facial recognition when the camera is active or via voice recognition instead.

One of the criticisms of previous Echo Show devices was the poor quality of the onboard camera. Thankfully this has been addressed with the Echo Show 21. Supporting auto-framing, 3.3x zoom and noise reduction technology, the built-in 13MP camera works extremely well – whether you're using Alexa Drop In to tell the kids that the dinner is ready, or calling someone for a business meeting. However, if you are worried about privacy you can always cover up the camera using the Camera Shutter button on top of the display, as well as switch the onboard microphones off.

Some reviewers thought sound from the first Echo Show 15 was poor, Amazon has decided to improve it considerably on the new generation smart displays (both 15- and 21-inch versions). In fact, sound on the latest 21-inch model is surprisingly punchy, thanks to reasonably large side mounted speakers complete with two 2-inch woofers and two 0.6-inch tweeters (the previous Echo Show 15 only had two 1.6-inch tweeters).

Over a period of three weeks, I listened to a range of music from various streaming services, including Spotify and Amazon, and found the experience really enjoyable. However, it’s fair to say that the Echo Show 21 still only offers sound quality as good as a modest smart TV, so if it’s a high-quality home cinema system you want, you're best looking elsewhere.

In summary, when it comes to performance, the Echo Show 21 comes highly recommended. And while I think it is rather more successful in portrait mode as a touchscreen home hub, it also doubles as a pretty decent smart TV in landscape mode for sitting back and watching streaming video content.

• Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the Amazon Echo Show 21?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Amazon Echo Show 21: also consider

If you're not sure the Amazon Echo Show 21 is the right smart hub for you, here are a couple of other options to consider:

How I tested the Amazon Echo Show 21

• I mounted on the wall in my home office for three weeks
• I used it in both landscape and portrait modes
• I tested it both as a home hub and smart TV

To get a good grasp of what a product like the Echo Show 21 can do, you really need to spend as much time with it as possible. That’s because it offers so much functionality! Even after three weeks I’m still finding apps I can download and new things I can do with it.

As I installed it in my home office, I used the Echo Show 21 mostly for listening to classical music while I was working and for features such as the checking the weather before taking the dog out for a lunchtime walk. But I also used it for other things too, including watching video content, turning the heating up and down and viewing images from Amazon Photos.

Personally, I preferred it in portrait mode, although using it landscape mode might work better if you have it installed in the living room or a bedroom. However, you ideally need to use the Echo Show for its advanced smart home control features to get the most out of it. Read more about how we test.

First reviewed February 2025

To say my mother hates tech would be a strong statement, but she's certainly not a huge fan of learning how new gadgets work. So it was a mighty surprise to me when, a few weeks ago, she asked for an Amazon Echo for Christmas. Naturally, I obliged - any opportunity to indoctrinate my mom with my love of smart home gadgetry is welcomed. But now as the after-Christmas sales roll around, I fear I might be about to go overboard.

Starting small with one of the best Alexa Smart Speakers is a wise choice, however so too is taking advantage of some of Amazon's excellent after-Christmas Echo deals and discounts, which might not roll around again until mid-next year during Amazon Prime Day.

Right now, you can score a variety of Amazon smart home devices at a significantly discounted price, but my eyes are on these specific models available on sale in both the US and UK.

For more deals in your region, scroll to the end of this article where I've listed all of the best Echo deals to shop today.

US deals

UK deals

Mom's first steps with Alexa have been tentative, but she loves the Amazon Echo (4th Gen)'s adaptive sound and solid audio quality. Of course, without multiple speakers, she can't make use of Amazon's multi-room audio features though, and given that she can't sit still for more than two minutes, that's a shame.

The three models above would give her pretty much whole-home coverage, though; an Echo Spot for her bedroom, an Echo Show 8 for her kitchen, and an Echo Pop for her office. Thankfully, with all three of these models on sale, I can do it for almost half the price.

Amazon may be best known as the internet's largest marketplace, but its second-est accolade is for releasing the world's first smart speakers; the Amazon Echo device lineup. Embedded with Alexa smarts, these affordable gadgets have continued to grow in popularity, combining humble yet capable tech specs with impressive utility in one, affordably priced package.

Of course, the best Alexa speakers, being Amazon products are also regularly discounted during major sales events like Amazon Prime Day (which, as of writing, we're right in the midst of, meaning a fair few are heavily discounted right now). You can use the navigation bar to find the best prices on Alexa devices in your region today.

So, whether you're deals hunting and considering smartening up your home or a new Alexa speaker is already on its next-day journey to a countertop or nightstand near you, here's the seven tips I'd give any new Alexa user so you don't repeat my mistakes.

1. Don't buy them at list price

Let's pick back up on that deals point; every year, we see huge discounts on Echo speakers during sales events like Black Friday and around the Christmas/Holiday deals. The most recent event as of writing is Prime Day, which as mentioned, is currently happening while I'm writing this.

Below are the deals we're seeing right now, which are likely to be the deals prices we see all year-long. Not in the US? Check out today's best deals, localized to you, at the end of this article.

2. Placing your speaker out of Wi-Fi range

This might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people don't think about connectivity when setting up internet-connected devices.

Alexa is broadly considered to be low-bandwidth in terms of internet usage. However, the speaker still needs to be in decent proximity to a strong internet connection to deliver important, timely updates and fetch information upon request.

I'd suggest placing your smart speaker within 30ft / 10m of your router to ensure the best possible performance. Still, it's also worth noting that newer Amazon Echo devices also function as Wi-Fi extenders for Eero mesh systems.

3. Not connecting your other smart home devices

You might not realize that some of the gadgets you have in your home are among the best smart home devices, so the first step after setting up your Alexa is seeing what else you might be able to connect to your new smart home ecosystem.

Especially with the ever-growing number of Matter-compatible devices, you might be surprised that you already have smart devices at home.

Normally, if the device is powered and detectable, pop-ups will appear in the Alexa app to prompt you to connect them, but you can also just say "Alexa, discover devices" to prompt your new smart speaker to search for devices in your home.

4. Not organizing smart devices

OK, so you've added your smart home devices, great! Now comes the boring part: app admin.

Especially if you have a lot of devices or multiple of the same type, your devices list can get pretty messy pretty quickly. Luckily, Amazon considered the potential problems that could arise from devices with similar names or nondescript names and offers the ability to rename them for ease.

For example, I have a Hue Signe floor lamp at home (it's beautiful!), but Alexa frequently struggles with my pronunciation of the name, so in the app, it's just called "Hue floor lamp."

Simply press 'Devices' in the Alexa app, navigate to the device you want to rename, hit the cog icon in the top-right-hand corner of the device control screen and press 'Edit name'. Thank me later; this is a frequent lifesaver for me as a smart home device reviewer.

Have multiple Alexa devices? Make sure you also group your speakers so you can enjoy multi-room audio.

5. Not checking out Alexa Skills

Alexa is pretty capable as it stands, but you can drastically improve its capabilities by bolting on Alexa Skills.

Skills are, effectively, plug-ins that allow Alexa to increase its capabilities. Want to listen to the radio? Try myTuner.Need some encouragement to get fit? Try the 7-minute Workout Skill. Can't quite unwind? Try Deep Breath.

You get the gist; there are abundant and varied Skills available in the Alexa ecosystem. Head to the 'More' tab in the Alexa app, then select 'Skills and Games.' You can search for specific Skills - perhaps those that align with other gadgets in your home - or browse through the most popular options in the Top Skills section.

We've also got a list of the best Alexa Skills if you're experiencing a paralysis of choice.

6. Changing Alexa's wake word, voice and more

Alexa is a highly configurable smart speaker; you can change its voice, wake word, and various other voice command settings.

To change Alexa's wake word, you'll need to head to 'More' and 'Settings' and then scroll to 'Voice Responses'. Select 'Alexa's Voice,' then select an Alexa-compatible device in your network. Press the cog icon in the top right-hand corner and scroll down to 'Wake Word.' Here, you can select from one of five options: Alexa, Amazon, Computer, Echo, or Ziggy.

It's annoying that you have to change this device by device, but it's well worth the effort to tailor your Alexa experience. Under the same settings menu as the Wake Word settings, you can also toggle settings like 'Follow-Up Mode', which reduces the amount of times you'll need to summon Alexa in a single interaction, or select 'Alexa's Voice' to change its voice, accent and speaking rate.

You can also turn on settings like Adaptive Listening Mode, which improves accessibility for different speech patterns, and Gestures, which allow you to dismiss some interactions with a raised hand (provided the speaker has the right sensors to detect this motion).

From the same 'Voice Responses' menu, you can also select 'Brief Mode', which keeps Alexa's responses short and snappy, or 'Whisper Mode'.

7. Not changing audio preferences

One of the most underrated settings, in my opinion, is the ability to customize the audio settings in your smart speaker. Especially if you want to use your Echo device for streaming or if you have unusual acoustics, this can be a real lifesaver for enjoying the speakers in all their glory.

Head once again to the 'More' tab in the Alexa app, then select 'Settings.' Next, head to 'All Devices' and choose the speaker you want to tweak. Hit the cog icon in the top-right-hand corner again, then select 'Audio Settings.' Here, you can use the Equalizer to adjust the Bass, Mid Range, and Treble of your speaker.

Streaming music is one of the most popular uses of Amazon Echo devices, and while you can use these smart speakers like Bluetooth speakers and play from your phone or computer, it's nice to have the hands-free option of asking Alexa to play your favorite tracks. By default, it will try to stream from Amazon Music.

Once you've logged in to your Amazon account in the Alexa app and paired your new speaker, there should be a prompt in the app's home page to change your preferred streaming platform. Select this, follow the instructions and enjoy streaming music from one of the best music streaming services.

If the option isn't immediately apparent, tap ‘More’, then ‘Settings’, ‘Music & Podcasts’, and lastly ‘Default Services’. There should be a ‘Music’ heading; under this, select ‘Change’ and opt instead for services like Apple Music, Spotify, and more.

While you're in this menu, check out the various other preferences you can play with; from dietary preferences under 'Food and Recipes' to preferred news outlets under 'News', there are ample ways to customize Alexa's assistance.

Today's best deals

More Alexa tips and tricks

• How to set up Amazon Echo devices
• The best Alexa Skills and commands
• How to set up your Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
• How to set up Routines with Alexa
• How to connect an Amazon Echo device to a Bluetooth speaker
• How to use Alexa to make phone calls on an Amazon Echo
• How to change Alexa wake word
• How to set up and use Alexa sound detection
• What is Alexa Drop In and how to use it on an Amazon Echo
• Alexa not responding? Here's how to fix
• Every Alexa privacy setting and how to change them
• How to use Alexa Whisper Mode on an Amazon Echo
• How to change Alexa's voice, speed, language and accent

You might also like

• Alexa vs Google Assistant
• Amazon Echo Hub vs Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen)
• Amazon Echo vs Apple HomePod vs Google Nest

In a continuation from last week's major sales, the Cyber Monday deals are offering major discounts on a range of Amazon's smart home devices, including the all-new Echo Dot (Gen 5).

This is an excellent first smart speaker, whether you just want simple smart home features or more advanced capabilities like automations for whole-home control. While it's mostly an iterative improvement on previous generations, additions like the built-in temperature sensor make this an excellent addition to family homes, and its improved sound quality makes it an excellent speaker for small to medium-size rooms. In both the US and the UK, it's hit its record-low price; in the US it's $22.99, and £22.99 in the UK.

Consider also checking out the Cyber Monday Ring doorbell deals, especially if you're ready to make your home smarter. While the Echo Dot (Gen 5) doesn't have a screen for remote viewing your latest visitors, there are also some excellent Cyber Monday smart display deals, if you prefer.

Today's best Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) US deal

Today's best Amazon Echo Dot 5 UK deal

The Echo Dot (Gen 5) is a few years old now, and while we might (and hope to) see a new generation release in the next few years, it'll likely only be another iterative update. Still, it's software that really counts with smart speakers, and Amazon keeps Alexa feeling fresh and contemporary with regular updates.

More of today's Cyber Monday sales in the US

• Amazon: TVs, smart home & air fryers from $12.99
• Apple: AirPods, iPads, MacBooks from $89.99
• Best Buy: $1,000 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs at Best Buy from $69.99
• Christmas trees: top-rated trees from $54.99
• Dell: best-selling Inspiron & XPS laptops from $279.99
• Dreamcloud: mattress deals from $349 + free shipping
• Holiday: decor, lights, Christmas trees & PJs from $10.99
• Home Depot: 40% off tools, appliances & furniture
• Lowe's: holiday decor, appliances & tools from $17.31
• Nectar: up to 50% off all mattresses
• Nordstrom: 46% off boots, coats, jeans & jewelry
• Samsung: $1,500+ off TVs, phones, watches & appliances
• Target: save on furniture, tech & clothing
• Walmart: cheap TVs, robot vacs, furniture & appliances

More of today's Cyber Monday sales in the UK

• Amazon: up to 58% off Kindle and Echo
• AO: savings on games consoles and appliances
• Argos: up to 50% off toys, Lego, TVs and gifts
• Boots: up to 60% off Dyson, Oral-B and Philips
• Carphone Warehouse: iPhone from £19.99p/m
• Currys: deals on TVs, appliances, laptops
• Dell: laptops, desktops, monitors from £299
• Dunelm: deals on homewares and appliances
• Dyson: up to £150 off
• Ebay: up to 50% off refurbished tech
• EE Store: £40 off the PlayStation5 Pro
• Emma: up to 50% off mattresses
• Jessops: up to £900 off cameras and drones
• John Lewis: up to £300 off appliances and TVs
• LG: £1,000 or more off TVs and appliances
• Ninja: up to £70 off air fryers
• Samsung: up to £600 off TVs, phones and tablets
• Shark: up to £100 off vacuums
• Toolstation: discounts on tools and smart home
• Very: up to 30% off phones, appliances & clothing

There are plenty of smart speaker deals floating about Amazon's Black Friday 2024 sale, and if you're on the hunt for a new audio companion to make the most out of your music listening experience, the Echo Dot 5th Gen smart speaker is back to its lowest US price of $22.99, and £22.99 in the UK.

While the Echo Dot 5th Gen is no stranger to a good price drop, it doesn't get better than its current Black Friday deal so it's wise to snatch one up now while this deal is still live. Though this model just missed out on a spot in our best smart speakers list, it doesn't mean that we didn't love it as a smart speaker and smart home hub, and the fact it works with a large majority of the best music streaming services means that it's more than likely to adapt to whichever platform you frequent.

Today's best Amazon Echo Dot 5 US deal

Today's best Amazon Echo Dot 5 UK deal

Compared to other models, the Echo Dot 5th Gen packs even more tap features, but where its stand-out feature lies is in the room temperature sensor which we find is very beneficial for certain Alexa skills and routines.

When it comes to its sound quality, the Echo Dot 5th Gen packs a punch with its bass and while it can be difficult for the speaker to master the nuances of some tracks we found that it wasn't the worst listening experience for a smart speaker of its size and price. If you're not an audiophile and are after a speaker to fill your bedroom with background music, this may be the smart speaker for you.

More of today's Black Friday sales in the US

• Amazon: TVs, smart home & air fryers from $12.99
• Apple: AirPods, iPads, MacBooks from $89.99
• Best Buy: $1,000 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs at Best Buy from $69.99
• Christmas trees: top-rated trees from $54.99
• Dell: best-selling Inspiron & XPS laptops from $279.99
• Dreamcloud: mattress deals from $349 + free shipping
• Holiday: decor, lights, Christmas trees & PJs from $10.99
• Home Depot: 40% off tools, appliances & furniture
• Lowe's: holiday decor, appliances & tools from $17.31
• Nectar: up to 50% off all mattresses
• Nordstrom: 46% off boots, coats, jeans & jewelry
• Samsung: $1,500+ off TVs, phones, watches & appliances
• Target: save on furniture, tech & clothing
• Walmart: cheap TVs, robot vacs, furniture & appliances

More of today's Black Friday sales in the UK

• Amazon: up to 58% off Kindle and Echo
• AO: savings on games consoles and appliances
• Argos: up to 50% off toys, Lego, TVs and gifts
• Boots: up to 60% off Dyson, Oral-B and Philips
• Carphone Warehouse: iPhone from £19.99p/m
• Currys: deals on TVs, appliances, laptops
• Dell: laptops, desktops, monitors from £299
• Dunelm: deals on homewares and appliances
• Dyson: up to £150 off
• Ebay: up to 50% off refurbished tech
• EE Store: £40 off the PlayStation5 Pro
• Emma: up to 50% off mattresses
• Jessops: up to £900 off cameras and drones
• John Lewis: up to £300 off appliances and TVs
• LG: £1,000 or more off TVs and appliances
• Ninja: up to £70 off air fryers
• Samsung: up to £600 off TVs, phones and tablets
• Shark: up to £100 off vacuums
• Toolstation: discounts on tools and smart home
• Very: up to 30% off phones, appliances & clothing

Looking for a cheap smart speaker deal this Black Friday? You're in luck - right now, shoppers in the US can grab the compact Amazon Echo Pop speaker for just $17.99 (was $39.99) and get an Amazon color-changing smart bulb thrown in free.

You can buy the Echo Pop by itself for the same price with Amazon's Black Friday deals, but why not get the free bulb as well and have fun controlling it with voice instructions via your new speaker?

You won't get the same deal in the UK, but Amazon has still knocked the Echo Pop down to a record-low price £18.99 (was £44.99). If you want a smart light too, you can get the Echo Pop with a Philips Hue white smart bulb for £23.99 (was £58.98). That's not free, but it's still excellent value for the pair.

Today's best Amazon Echo Pop deals

The Amazon Echo Spot is super compact, and is a great way to expand your Alexa smart home system so you can use voice controls in more places without spending a lot of money. Sure, it's not the best smart speaker for audio quality, but it's very handy to have, and during our tests we were impressed by how responsive its microphones were, picking up speech from across the room. Check out out full Amazon Echo Pop review for more details.

More of today's Black Friday sales in the US

• Amazon: TVs, smart home & air fryers from $12.99
• Apple: AirPods, iPads, MacBooks from $89.99
• Best Buy: $1,000 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs at Best Buy from $69.99
• Christmas trees: top-rated trees from $54.99
• Dell: best-selling Inspiron & XPS laptops from $279.99
• Dreamcloud: mattress deals from $349 + free shipping
• Holiday: decor, lights, Christmas trees & PJs from $10.99
• Home Depot: 40% off tools, appliances & furniture
• Lowe's: holiday decor, appliances & tools from $17.31
• Nectar: up to 50% off all mattresses
• Nordstrom: 46% off boots, coats, jeans & jewelry
• Samsung: $1,500+ off TVs, phones, watches & appliances
• Target: save on furniture, tech & clothing
• Walmart: cheap TVs, robot vacs, furniture & appliances

More of today's Black Friday sales in the UK

• Amazon: up to 58% off Kindle and Echo
• AO: savings on games consoles and appliances
• Argos: up to 50% off toys, Lego, TVs and gifts
• Boots: up to 60% off Dyson, Oral-B and Philips
• Carphone Warehouse: iPhone from £19.99p/m
• Currys: deals on TVs, appliances, laptops
• Dell: laptops, desktops, monitors from £299
• Dunelm: deals on homewares and appliances
• Dyson: up to £150 off
• Ebay: up to 50% off refurbished tech
• EE Store: £40 off the PlayStation5 Pro
• Emma: up to 50% off mattresses
• Jessops: up to £900 off cameras and drones
• John Lewis: up to £300 off appliances and TVs
• LG: £1,000 or more off TVs and appliances
• Ninja: up to £70 off air fryers
• Samsung: up to £600 off TVs, phones and tablets
• Shark: up to £100 off vacuums
• Toolstation: discounts on tools and smart home
• Very: up to 30% off phones, appliances & clothing

We've created this guide to bring you today's best Amazon Echo deals so you can bring Alex into your life and save money. The cost of adding a smart display or speaker array to your whole house can quickly add up, which is why we've listed all the best Amazon Echo deals happening right now.

We're also seeing some great updates to older models, which bring a range of speaker upgrades, new software, and a great time to snag Amazon Echo deals. New devices include the Echo Spot smart alarm clock and the Echo Show 15 display, which means impressive deals on the Echo Dot and the Echo Show 5.

Although Amazon designed and built these smart devices, they're actually available for sale at third-party retailers, which means they're often on sale at a discount. We'll also list the standard price of each of these Amazon Alexa-powered speakers to better understand how good the latest discounts in the comparison charts are.

If you're looking for more Amazon device discounts, you can see today's best Ring Doorbell deals and today's best Fire TV Stick deals.

• Amazon is working to get Alexa to ChatGPT levels
• The launch was originally planned for early 2024
• Bugs, hallucinations, and simple tasks are still issues

Amazon Alexa was originally launched alongside the very first Amazon Echo speaker back on November 6, 2014 – but as the voice assistant approaches its 10th birthday, it's struggling to keep up with next-gen AI bots like ChatGPT and Gemini.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, "technical challenges" mean that Alexa's upcoming upgrade has now been pushed back to 2025. Originally, a beta version of the updated bot was planned to arrive earlier this year, Bloomberg says.

There was also apparently a plan to unveil Alexa 2.0 alongside the new Kindles that appeared last month, but again the launch got pushed back. Now, some unspecified point in 2025 is the target deadline.

With the likes of Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and many other bots pushing their way into every aspect of digital life, Amazon knows that it's lagging behind – Alexa has effectively been overtaken by its rivals.

Bugs and hallucinations

There's no doubt that a generative AI upgrade for Alexa is a challenge. The assistant is currently available on around half a billion devices, and rolling out an update for all of them isn't a straightforward task.

Bloomberg's report says the souped up version of Alexa in testing still has a tendency to "drone on with irrelevant or superfluous information", while also struggling with basic tasks, such as switching on smart lights.

While there has been some progress towards a ChatGPT-style Alexa, the sources speaking to Bloomberg say there's a long way to go, with bugs and hallucinations causing problems. There has been talk that Amazon could get help from another AI model, in the same way that Apple has supercharged Siri with ChatGPT.

There's also a lack of a "compelling vision" according to insiders, with "management bloat" around Alexa another issue. So, even if you've got one of the best Alexa speakers, it looks like it's going to be a while before you get one of the best AI bots built into it.

You might also like

• Amazon might ask you to pay for the best Alexa
• Beware, your home is spying on you
• People are using their Alexa speakers as glorified timers

If you've been thinking about picking up an Amazon Echo smart speaker, this is the perfect time because Amazon has slashed prices across the range for a limited time. These are some of the best deals we've ever seen on Echo speakers, and many haven't been this cheap since Black Friday last year.

One of today's best offers is the Amazon Echo Pop, which is now less than half price at £21.99. You can also grab the new Amazon Echo Dot, released earlier this year, which has hit a record-low price of £62.49. You'll find a roundup of all the best deals below, or you can browse the full sale yourself.

If you're not sure which one to choose, our guide to the best Alexa speakers will help steer you in the right direction, whether your priority is price, sound quality, or size.

Today's best Amazon Echo deals

For us, the Amazon Echo Dot is the best smart speaker you can buy today. When we reviewed it we were particularly impressed by the sound quality it manages to deliver despite its compact size, and just how simple it is to use, slotting seamlessly into your smart home system. See our full Amazon Echo Dot review for more details.

If you can't see exactly what you're looking for here, take a look at our complete guide to the best Amazon Echo deals and sales for August 2024, where we're rounding up the biggest savings on the full range of Echo devices.

Amazon surprised us for Prime Day 2024 by releasing a new version of its much-loved Echo device. At the time, you had to be a Prime member to take advantage of an exclusive discounted launch price. But not anymore, as everyone can now get the Echo Spot at Amazon for $54.99 (was $79.99) – that's just $10 more than last month's Prime Day deal.

It's also on offer in the UK, where you can get the Amazon Echo Spot for £62.49 (was £79.99). However, that's considerably worse than the Prime Day deal as it fell to £49.99 during the retailer's annual July sale.

However, considering it's only recently released, it's great to see an early discount like this that's available to all. You can get the smart alarm in Black, Glacier White, or Ocean Blue. The design has also been reworked from the original, making it better suited to help you get out of bed in the morning.

Today's best Amazon Echo Spot deals

As well as its primary alarm clock functions, the Echo Spot can also control compatible smart home devices. The well-respected Alexa interface that we've come to know and love makes it possible to turn on lights or adjust the thermostat. You can even create customizable routines that jump into action when specific events happen.

Despite not advertising itself as a smart speaker, the Echo Spot delivers reasonable audio. It links with several music streaming services, including Amazon Music and Spotify. Don't expect it to light up a party but it'll be more than enough to wake you up in the morning. Check out more in our Amazon Echo Spot review.

If you're looking for better sound quality, then head over to our best smart speakers buying guide. 

Want to save more on smart speakers? Check out our Bose coupons codes page. 

Amazon has sold millions of Echo smart speakers, but its smart home devices are still making a massive loss according to internal documents and those with inside knowledge of the business. Now, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is trying to turn things around – but it's not going to be easy.

It's widely rumored that Amazon will soon be introducing a paid tier for Alexa, with an AI-enhanced version of the smart assistant available as a monthly add-on to Amazon Prime subscriptions. However, according to The Wall Street Journal (paywall), the company made over $25 billion in losses from its smart device business between 2017 and 2021.

While a paid-for service could go some way towards filling that hole, it will be a tough challenge – particularly since many people only use Alexa's most basic functions, and may therefore be unwilling to pay extra for AI-enhanced services. Amazon had originally hoped that customers would use their smart speakers to shop online using voice commands, but that's something that has never really taken off.

"We worried we’ve hired 10,000 people and we’ve built a smart timer," one former senior employee told the Wall Street Journal.

AI-enhanced Alexa

The AI-enhanced service, said to be known internally as 'Remarkable Alexa', could cost $5 or $10 a month, which would provide an extra source of revenue for Amazon's device business alongside Kindle subscriptions and Ring home security plans.

However, 'Remarkable Alexa' will face stiff competition. Google is preparing to launch a new service that merges Google Assistant with Bard, with a price yet to be announced, and at last month's WWDC 2024 conference, Apple unveiled a major upgrade for Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, which is free for users.

Amazon has yet to confirm any details about a premium tier for Alexa, but it's suggested that the supercharged service could arrive later this year. We'll keep you updated as soon as we know more.

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• Apple is working on a mysterious new smart home accessory, according to a new leak
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• Where's Alexa AI and why isn't Amazon talking about it?

This week was shaping up to be a quieter one thanks to Amazon Prime Day deals taking up most of the airwaves instead of our usual flurry of tech announcements – and then everything went wrong.

We saw a chaotic Windows outage seemingly caused by a security software update which caused massive problems all over the globe for all manner of services. As we’re writing this on Friday it’s still not over – so while we hope it’s done as you’re reading this there could still be lingering issues.

In case you missed it or any of the other top stories we’ve got this handy tech news round-up to catch you up to speed.

7. The world ground to a halt thanks to the mother of all IT outages

On Friday, the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike redefined a ‘bad day at the office’ by causing a global IT meltdown with a single faulty update for its Windows hosts. The result was the ‘blue screen of death’ for thousands of Windows machines around the world, leading to the grounding of airplanes, TV broadcasters going off-air, and chaos across banks, shops, and health services.

While a fix was swiftly deployed, the knock-on effects could continue for days or even weeks, according to some cybersecurity experts. That’s because many Windows machines are stuck in a recovery boot loop, creating a backlog in industries like courier services. While that all sounds pretty bad, it did also get us wondering about how much worse it could have been.

• Read more: Live: massive Windows outage plunges banks, airlines and more into chaos around the world

6. Galaxy Ring is so popular, it sells out immediately 

The Samsung Galaxy Ring was only unveiled on July 10, but pre-orders on Samsung’s webstore were so popular when they opened, that the tech giant sold out of rings on 15 July, and dwindling numbers were reported by third-party retailers. That’s a lot of rings and tells us that Samsung’s first foray into smart ring territory – which could have been a big gamble – is shaping up to be an unmitigated success.

Samsung has since restocked its supply, so pre-orders are back and flowing by all accounts. But expect to see a lot of Galaxy Rings in the wild very soon, and we’re betting that a Galaxy Ring 2 is already in early development as a result of these encouraging sales figures.

• Read more: It's not you, Galaxy Ring just sold out from Samsung

5. We reviewed the Amazon Echo Spot

After launching it as a surprise right before Prime Day 2024 – and offering it a significant discount – our verdict on the Echo Spot has rolled in courtesy of our managing editor of lifestyle, Josephine Watson.

The Echo Spot itself looks great with its modern redesign and excels as a smart alarm clock more so than a full-fledged smart display. The screen itself gets bright enough and is plenty vibrant, but lacks strong side viewing angles, and the fact that you add custom clock faces is handy, and ultimately quite fun.

You can read our review our full review of Amazon’s latest Echo here and ultimately decide if it’s the right one for you. After all, there are more than a couple of other ones to consider.

• Read more: Amazon Echo Spot (2024) review

4. Major Google Wallet updates were teased 

During Google I/O 2024, Google teased that the Wallet app on Android will soon feel even more like the real thing, with new code discovered by Android Authority revealing that you’ll soon be able to use it to store more than patent details and loyalty cards.

According to the leaked info, you’ll be able to add your library card, student ID, and concert tickets among other text-based documentation to your Wallet. With the app reportedly able to use AI to identify exactly what kind of document you’re trying to add.

Just don’t expect this to completely replace your real wallet yet. A leaked Google Wallet disclaimer warns that scanned IDs are “not an official ID or a replacement for the physical ID.” They might help you out in a pinch, but you should try to remember to carry the real thing on you as usual.

• Read more: Google Wallet could soon be your app for storing everything 

3. Canon finally launched its first new cameras of 2024

It’s been a worryingly quiet year for Canon fans, but that changed this week when the camera giant launched two new models – the new flagship Canon EOS R1 and the all-rounder EOS R5 Mark II.

Neither are exactly impulse buys, with the EOS R1 costing $6,299 / £6,999 / AU$10,999 (body only) and the EOS R5 Mark II not far behind at $4,499 / £4,499 / AU$6,699. But they do showcase the latest in Canon tech, including its new Dual Pixel Intelligent AF autofocus system and its Eye Control AF.

Are they enough to prevent Canon fans from jumping ship to Sony or Nikon? You can read our hands-on Canon EOS R5 Mark II review and EOS R1 first impressions to find out.

• Read more: Canon launches flagship EOS R1 and EOS R5 II – and they're its most exciting cameras in a long time

2. The Apple Watch’s new Vitals app is Apple’s reinvention of its sleep tracking 

Apple’s new watchOS 11 features are now in public beta, and early adopters are checking out the latest features coming to their Apple Watches. The Vitals app is a new health tool to help monitor heart rate, wrist temperature, sleep duration, and blood oxygen levels, and alert you to significant deviations from the norm. 

The only problem? To get the full effects of the Vitals app, it needs to be worn during sleep, according to Dr Sumbul Desai, Apple’s Vice President of Health, in an interview with CNet. And to wear it, you need to game that 18-hour battery life and time your charges well. Does this mean we’ll see a bigger battery in the Apple Watch 10?

• Read more: The Apple Watch’s new Vitals app will only work properly if you wear it while sleeping

1. Netflix lost its VR app, but got a much better alternative 

This week Meta Quest 3 users finally said goodbye to the aging Netflix VR app – if you try to use the service you’ll get a playback error – but it’s not all bad news. The new Quest browser-based Netflix experience is better than the app ever was.

We tested it out and found the major resolution boost – it’s now 1080p / full-HD instead of just 480p / SD – alongside new browser tools like being able to curve your virtual windows, being able to dim your surroundings, and watch in either mixed reality or in your VR home environment mean you’ll never miss the Netflix VR app.

The Meta Quest 3 is still behind the Apple Vision Pro in terms of streaming service support in VR (it still lacks most of the best streaming services), but this one example is a major leap in the right direction and we’re hoping it’s a sign that more support is on the way.

• Read more: The Meta Quest 3’s Netflix app has been shut for good 

Amazon Echo Spot (2024): Two-minute review

Seven years on from the release of the original Echo Spot, Amazon has surprised fans of its smart home ecosystem with a revival of its smart alarm product line, announcing the Echo Spot (2024) just a week ahead of Prime Day 2024.

Amazon is known for making some of the best smart speakers, but the original Echo Spot was discontinued just two years after release with little fanfare from Amazon. The new model differs from its predecessor in a few key ways, and elsewhere we’ve compared the original Echo Spot and the Echo Spot 2024 in detail. 

For one thing, the original had a camera, video-streaming capabilities, and a 3.5mm audio jack, as well as a quirky round screen that really gave the device personality and played cleverly on its clockface inspiration. 

The new model, on the other hand, feels a lot more streamlined, resulting in a lower list price, and offers improved audio quality and some fun customization options for its now-rectangular 2.83-inch display, as well as a more contemporary design and connectivity specs (although annoyingly it doesn’t offer a built-in Eero Wi-Fi extender like other devices in the Echo range).

I really want to love the Echo Spot (2024), and I think I would if its price didn’t feel so inflated for what you’re getting. I’m not upset to see the removal of its built-in camera, which felt out of place in a bedroom-based device, nor am I too bothered by the lack of video-streaming support. 

However, its rethought design, while appealing, is missing the fun and character of the original, and the display is far too limited overall. The viewing angles aren’t great, especially from the side, and the fact that the screen doesn’t fill the top half of the ‘clock face’ makes the whole thing feel cheap and unfinished.

Amazon Echo Spot (2024) review: Price and release date

• List price: $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$149

Launched just ahead of Amazon Prime Day 2024, the newest Echo speaker is priced at $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$149, which makes it considerably cheaper than the original was at launch with its list price of $129.99 / £119.99 / AU$199. It’s available in blue, white and black.

That price drop sounds appealing, given there are plenty of similarities between the 2017 original and the new model; however, that drop does come at the expense of the camera (although that’s arguably a good thing, given it’ll be used mostly in bedrooms), video-streaming capabilities and 3.5mm audio jack, as well as the distinctive and appealing round screen.

Given that Amazon is pitching this more as a smart alarm than a smart speaker, I was unpleasantly surprised by the price of the Echo Spot, much as I was by the price of the Echo Pop when I reviewed it last year. The new Echo Spot is an improvement upon the original in many ways, especially its audio quality and more contemporary design. Still, its features, design and performance really don’t warrant the high list price when there are plenty of small, high-performing speakers available at a lower price point; and especially considering that the powerhouse Apple HomePod mini is just $20 / £20 more expensive, and the same price in Australia.

With its release coinciding with Amazon Prime Day we’re seeing immediate discounts on the Echo Spot – it’s available for $44.99 / £49.99 in the US and UK in an introductory deal, which feels like a more reasonable price. Still, it’s frustrating to see the continued trend of Amazon’s devices being overpriced outside of its own major sales.

• Value: 3/5

Amazon Echo Spot (2024) review: Specs

Amazon Echo Spot (2024) review: Design

• Three control buttons for volume and microphone control
• Stylish semispherical design with bright and vivid 2.83-inch screen
• No 3.5mm port, no camera

Amazon has hearkened back to the original in the Echo Spot (2024)’s angled, semi-spherical design, but with a few modernizations that result in a chic and clean look that’s a lot more contemporary than the quirky original.

The new Spot measures 113 x 103 x 111mm, making it a little larger than the original (104 x 97 x 91mm). Where the original featured a round 2.5-inch display on the device’s clock face with a 480 x 480 resolution and a thick bezel, the 2024 model has a rectangular 2.83-inch 320 x 240 resolution display that occupies most of the top half of the face, while the bottom section’s speaker grille is home to the 1.73-inch forward-facing driver, and is encircled by the thin bezel of the device’s plastic casing. There’s a motion sensor at the very top of the face.

Broadly speaking, the glossy top half and display make for a classy and attractive clock face, but it’s disappointing that the display doesn’t occupy more of the top half – especially given that you’ll often catch a glimpse of its rectangular edges. 

On top of the device are three buttons for controlling the volume and toggling the microphone on and off, as is standard on most Echo speakers, as well as a pair of microphones. As a daily snooze-smacker I was initially disappointed that there was no snooze button, but – to my delight – you simply need to tap anywhere on the top of the Echo Spot (2024) to temporarily silence the alarm. At the rear is the power port, and the flat base is steadied by a rubber foot to stop it from slipping no matter how hard you hit ‘snooze’.

Overall, I think the redesign is largely effective. It takes the Spot from being a quirky product with a neat gimmick to something that feels a little more sophisticated and at home in non-techy households – but in doing so, the Spot loses much of the original’s charm. Still, it’s a more mature look and feel that befits its larger size and more slick display, and it looks wonderful in the white colorway I received for testing.

• Design: 4.5/5

Amazon Echo Spot (2024) review: Display and features

• Fun and vibrant customizable clock face
• …but the viewing angles aren’t the best
• Lacks features and functions from the wider Echo line and original Spot

As with all devices in Amazon’s Echo lineup, the Echo Spot (2024) houses the brand’s voice assistant, Alexa, and as such is designed to be mostly used hands-free. Under the hood is the same MT8519 processor as in the Echo Dot 5th Gen and Echo Pop, meaning Alexa’s responses are fairly zippy but still a little slower than on the standard Echo. The Echo Spot (2024) is also Matter-compatible but unfortunately doesn’t work as an Eero Wi-Fi as other Echo devices can.

There’s also no temperature sensor as on some other Echo devices to help create temperature-based automations, but a motion sensor on the clock face will allow for motion-based automation mapping, such as turning on your smart lights when you enter a room and turning them off when no motion has been detected for a given amount of time.  Unlike on the original Echo Spo, there’s no camera in the newer model; however, the idea of having an inbuilt camera in a smart device designed for use in bedrooms never quite sat comfortably with me. 

Broadly speaking, the screen is discreet in its semicircular housing, blending fairly seamlessly with the black glossy surface surrounding it; however at certain brightnesses and angles its rectangular borders become very clear, spoiling the effect somewhat. At the time of writing, there are no ads on the Echo Spot, but as with any service-based product you have to keep in mind the possibility that the service provider might at any point change the rules of engagement, whether that’s by gutting software or removing key perks unless you pay for a subscription.

The real standout is the Spot’s 2.83-inch touch display, which primarily services as a clockface. It’s sharp and smooth, even at its size and middling 320 x 240 resolution. There are six customizable animated clock faces in six different color themes available in the Alexa app, along with four new alarm sounds, giving you some freedom to express yourself with the Echo Spot. 

The screen will also display different visuals depending on your queries; I particularly enjoy the music visualizer and weather animations, which feel a lot more understated and finessed than Amazon’s usual cluttered screens (I’m looking at you, Echo Show 5). There are also a handful of widgets for other functions like smart home control, including a brightness slider for smart lights. 

The screen is fairly bright, at least when viewed straight-on, but it’s a little hard to read if you’re at an angle to it, which will likely frustrate in larger rooms; mine lives in the corner of my bedroom, and I have a pretty good view of the screen at all times. With night mode activated (either manually or by setting a schedule), the display switches to a dark mode and the colors are muted, and you can also toggle settings like Do Not Disturb from within the Alexa app. 

For me, it’s no great issue that the Echo Spot (2024) doesn’t offer video streaming or video calls, but I am disappointed that it doesn’t show video feeds from the best video doorbells. I appreciate that the Echo Spot isn’t intended to be one of the best smart displays, but there are some very simple and useful features, like recipes and location information, that l’d like to see added in the future – and I for one would like to know if whoever’s knocking at my door is worth getting out of bed for. The Echo Spot does, however, support voice calling.

• Display and features score: 3.5/5

Amazon Echo Spot (2024) review: Sound quality

• Decent audio for its size
• Struggles with complex textures and mids
• Great for spoken-word

While Amazon is branding the Echo Spot as more of a smart alarm than a smart speaker, that’s not to say you can’t reap the benefits of its 1.73-inch speaker and listen to some of the best podcasts, best music streaming services, or other audio broadcasts using the best Alexa Skills and commands. 

As long as you’re in front of the Echo Spot (2024), as its speaker is front-facing, you can enjoy the improved audio quality compared to the original Echo Spot. This is definitely not a party speaker, and nor is it for audiophiles, but that’s generally to be expected from smaller speakers. You can expect a decent audio performance overall, though; Alexa’s voice cuts through crisply and cleanly, and in general spoken-word audio sounds very pleasant, which is good news if you’re a podcast-lover. 

For music, the Echo Spot offers an energetic sound that’s impressive for its size, but not without fault. Without tweaking its equalizer settings in the Alexa app, the bass is fairly dominant, but lacks depth; Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain sounded hollow without its thumping rage and resonance, and the opening bass line of Led Zeppelin’s Dazed and Confused lacked its evocative trudging, bluesy depth.

The mid-range often becomes muddied, with pieces like Hans Zimmer’s Time from Inception sounding uncharacteristically unbalanced, while tracks like Radiohead’s 15 Step feel fuzzy and sluggish, with the Echo Spot (2024) unable to reproduce the track’s crisp and rich textures. 

As highlighted above, none of this is really a surprise given this speaker’s size, but it’s worth noting if you’re passionate about hi-fi. Much like many of Amazon’s smart speakers, the Echo Spot is best enjoyed at low-to-mid volume, as from 70-80% volume and above it begins to distort.

• Sound quality: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Amazon Echo Spot (2024)?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy them if…

Amazon Echo Spot (2024) review: Also consider

How I tested the Amazon Echo Spot (2024)

• I tested the Echo Spot for a week
• I used it as part of my Alexa-based smart home set-up, testing all of its features, functionalities and companion software.
• I used it to play music, set alarms, control my smart home, and as a main voice assistant

To put the Amazon Echo Spot (2024) through its paces I used it as my main smart home speaker for a week; and given that I’m both constantly using smart home devices for work and chronically lazy enough to lean on voice control, that means a lot of testing. 

I used all of its key features to test how well the device measured up against its marketing, ensuring that the audio, speed, voice controls and display all performed as expected. I compared it to the Amazon Echo Pop and Echo Show 5, as well as the Apple HomePod mini, to see how well it stacked up against the competition, as well as referencing it against TechRadar’s coverage of some of the best smart home devices.

I’ve been testing smart home devices for two years, but I’ve been an enthusiast for far longer. When testing tech, I try to consider not just the specs, but the lived experience I have with different devices, using this and my market knowledge, as well as a keen sense of value for money, to inform my opinions. 

• First reviewed in July 2024

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

In a surprise revival of a well-loved Amazon Echo device, the new version of the Amazon Echo Spot is now available online - and it's already on offer for Amazon Prime Day. 

Customers across the globe can enjoy a hefty price cut on the new smart alarm clock (it's not technically a smart speaker, at least according to Amazon's marketing), taking it down to $44.99 in the US and £49.99 in the UK from its original $79.99 / £79.99. This is a great price for the new device, and one we're surprised to see given the new Echo device was only just released. We've included more information below on why you should consider adding it to your Alexa-based smart home repertoire, too.

Available in three colors (Black, Glacier White, and Ocean Blue), the revamped Echo Spot is designed to do more than just get you out of bed in the morning, giving you the perfect chance to test the best Alexa skills and commands. Its customizable smart clock face doubles as a screen that allows you to view the weather and control other smart home devices, making it kind of an Echo Dot and Echo Show hybrid. 

Today's best Echo Spot deal

In addition to its screen display, the new Echo Spot doubles as a smart speaker just like its sibling Echo products (which include some of the best smart speakers you can buy today). Its compatibility with Amazon Music, Spotify, and other music streaming services combined with its robust audio quality makes it a reliable and affordable option for filling your home with music. 

On its product listing on Amazon, it explicitly states that this introductory offer will end on July 17, the last day of Prime Day 2024. This is also limited to stock availability, so keep your eyes peeled in case the opportunity slips.  

More Amazon Prime Day deals

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks from $14.99
• Apple: AirPods and iPads from $69
• Audible: three months free
• Back to school: essentials and tech from $5
• Gaming: free PC games until July 16
• Headphones: cheapest-ever AirPods
• Kitchen: coffee makers from $24.99
• Kindle: three months Kindle Unlimited
• Laptops: deals from $179.99
• Music Unlimited: five months free
• Smart home: up to 61% off cameras
• Tablets: Fire tablets from $54.99
• TVs: cheap TVs from $64.99
• Vacuums: Shark from $149.99

Every Echo device – and we've tried almost all of them in our quest to find the best Alexa speakers – is a speaker in its own right, meaning you can pump your music and podcasts through the gadget, and of course, hear replies from Amazon's digital assistant.

With that in mind, you might be wondering why you would want to connect your smart speaker to another speaker (perhaps one of the best Bluetooth speakers on the market). The reason, quite simply, is to improve audio quality: while Amazon Echo devices are certainly smart, they don't necessarily have a track record of delivering the best sound performance.

Here, then, are the steps for how to connect your Amazon Echo device to a separate Bluetooth speaker to enjoy your tunes (and your Alexa replies) in the best quality. These steps will work on any Echo speaker or smart display.

Tools and requirements

• An Amazon Echo speaker
• A Bluetooth speaker
• The Alexa app on your phone or tablet

Steps for how to connect an Amazon Echo device to a Bluetooth speaker

• Power on both speakers
• Put the Bluetooth speaker into pairing mode
• Connect the Echo through the Alexa app
• Enjoy your new and improved audio

Step by step guide

FAQs for connecting an Amazon Echo device to a Bluetooth speaker

Final thoughts

It's not really that important for Alexa to be talking to you in the best possible audio quality, but if you regularly play music through your Echo, then adding a Bluetooth speaker can make a real difference to the listening experience – especially if you're using one of the smaller Echos with built-in speakers that are less capable.

It doesn't take long to set up, it's simple to manage, and you can easily revert back to the built-in speaker if you need to. With all of that in mind, the best wireless speakers with Bluetooth on board could easily qualify as genuine Echo accessories.

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If you've been searching for one of the best broadband deals but have yet to decide on one that's just right for you, TalkTalk is here to sweeten the pot. Through May 29th, new and existing customers who sign up for one of these great deals from TalkTalk will receive a free Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen. 

The best part of this offering is Full Fibre customers can now use Amazon Echo speakers as WiFi extenders thanks to a free eero software upgrade. This allows anyone to use an Echo speaker to boost coverage by up to 1,000 sq. ft.

Check out all of the amazing offers from TalkTalk you can take advantage of and also snag your free Echo Dot. 

Our Favorite TalkTalk Broadband Deal

TalkTalk is an easy choice for those looking for great broadband service without breaking the bank. While many providers charge more for this level of service, TalkTalk has multiple packages available for under £50/month. 

In addition to our favorite TalkTalk deal above, you can also save big on these plans, all while netting yourself a free Amazon Echo Dot (now through May 29th).

• Fibre 35 is now £28 a month – with 38 Mb/s average download speeds and HomeSafe internet security included as standard. 
• Fibre 65 at £28 a month – with 67 Mb/s average download speeds and HomeSafe internet security included as standard. 
• Full Fibre 500 at £35/month – 13x faster than standard fibre broadband and with the award-winning eero Pro 6 router with tri-band
•  Wi-Fi 6 included as standard (RRP £189.99). 
• Full Fibre 900 at £34/month – 24x faster than standard fibre broadband, the eero Pro 6 router with tri-band Wi-Fi 6 included

You can easily cruise into a low-level plan for just £28/month and have plenty of bandwidth to stream movies or browse around online. When you need to step things up, hop up to a Full Fibre plan and don't think twice about how many devices you're using in your household. 

If TalkTalk isn't for you or maybe isn't available where you live, there are plenty of great deals from other broadband providers you can take advantage of right now. Just drop your postcode in the comparison tool below to see what's available for you! 

The Echo Hub is Amazon’s latest attempt at bringing touchscreen control to your smart home devices. But, despite its appearance and functionality, the Amazon Echo Hub is not a new member of the Echo Show family of smart displays - it's a whole-home smart control panel with limited entertainment specs. On the other hand, Echo Show products like the Echo Show 8 (Gen 3) are primarily designed to act as one of the best smart speakers and a media-streaming display for parts of your home where you wouldn’t typically have a television, like on a kitchen counter, whereas the slimmer, more tablet-like Echo Hub is intended to be wall-mounted.

That said, both the Echo Hub and Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) have an 8-inch touchscreen display. Both also connect to smart home devices and both can stream audio and video from a variety of services. They also tap into Amazon’s communication services, like Drop In, and they work with Ring security cameras and video doorbells. But their software and user interfaces are somewhat different, and while the Echo Hub is the slightly more expensive of the two, the Echo Show 8 has better audio.

Struggling to pick which Amazon smart display to buy? We don’t blame you, but thankfully TechRadar is here to help. Read on for a detailed comparison between the new Amazon Echo Hub and Echo Show 8 (3rd gen), to help you decide which is best for you and your smart home.

Amazon Echo Hub vs Amazon Echo Show: specs comparison

Here’s an at-a-glance look at the key specs of both the Echo Hub and Echo Show 8 (3rd gen):

Amazon Echo Hub vs Amazon Echo Show 8: price and availability

The new Echo Hub and latest, third-generation Echo Show 8 arrived within a few months of each other. The Echo Show 8 landed first back in October 2023, and was followed in February 2024 by the Echo Hub. Both are available now in the US and UK, but the Echo Show 8 (Gen 3) isn't available in Australia as of writing.

The Echo Show 8 is the cheaper of the two and priced at $149.99 / £149.99 (about AU$230). The new Echo Hub costs slightly more, at $179.99 / £169.99 / AU$329. That said, Amazon is famous for cutting the prices of its Echo products, so you should expect to see both of these smart displays reduced on several occasions throughout the year. The best prices are likely to arrive during one of Amazon’s Prime Day sales events.

Something worth noting is how the Echo Hub is designed to be wall-mounted. It comes with a mounting bracket in the box, but if you want to sit it on a flat surface like a shelf or kitchen counter, you’ll need to purchase a compatible stand. Meanwhile, the Echo Show is solely designed to sit on a flat surface, with no additional stand required - but it's not mountable.

Amazon Echo Hub vs Amazon Echo Show: design and features

Although it only arrived in late 2023, the latest Echo Show 8 retains a design very similar to all of its predecessors. Its 8-inch screen is surrounded by a rather large bezel that houses a camera for video calls or as an (optional) indoor security camera. The curved rear of the unit is finished in the same fabric as other Echo smart speakers, and there are buttons along the top for changing the volume, muting the microphone, and opening or closing the camera cover.

Made partially from recycled materials (29% to be precise, according to Amazon), the Echo Show 8 is solidly built and, while the aesthetic is inoffensive, that unfortunately large screen bezel makes the whole thing feel rather dated. Like other Echo Shows, this model is powered from a wall outlet and does not have a battery.

As for features, the Echo Show 8 is best described as a touchscreen that gives access to the Amazon Alexa voice assistant, plus decent smart home control and the ability to stream audio and video. The Echo Show is essentially what happens when a screen is added to a regular Echo smart speaker, so when you ask Alexa a question it’ll answer out loud, but also show answers on the display. The screen can also be used for keeping track of timers (handy in the kitchen), viewing live video streams from security cameras, showing song lyrics, placing video calls, and streaming content from Prime Video. You can also look up recipes and there’s an interface for controlling smart home devices like smart lights, smart plugs, and the best smart thermostats.

The new Echo Hub also has an 8-inch touchscreen, but that is where most of the similarities end in terms of design. This is a device intended to be wall-mounted, and as such it is much slimmer than the Echo Show 8. It even comes with integrated cable management and a detachable bracket for wall-mounting – but if you want to sit it on a shelf, a table or the kitchen counter you’ll have to pay extra for a third-party stand. Amazon really wants the Echo Hub stuck on your wall, and its marketing images even suggest you power it with a cable (USB-C or Ethernet) buried in the wall. It looks seamless, but requires a bit of DIY.

There is no camera on the Echo Hub, so it cannot be used for video calls. In its place is a proximity sensor that changes what’s on the screen when it sees you’re nearby. By default the screen shows a large clock and little else; this then switches to a smart home command center, complete with shortcuts for some of the best smart devices, when you approach. The Echo Hub has a pair of speakers, but these aren’t as powerful as those used by the Echo Show 8 - instead, they are best used for hearing the Alexa voice assistant or having a conversation with a visitor via a video doorbell, rather than music or video.

The overall design is fairly inoffensive, but the 14mm screen bezels are somewhat prominent and make the brand-new Echo Hub feel dated, just as the large bezels do on the Echo Show 8. Buttons on the side of the Echo Hub are used to adjust the volume and mute the microphone. 

Amazon Echo Hub vs Amazon Echo Show: performance and software

Both Echo devices run the same Amazon operating system, but their user interfaces are entirely different. The Echo Show 8 looks a lot like that of other Show models, which puts Alexa front-and-center, makes it relatively easy to cue up media, and has handy features like automatic panning and zooming to keep you in frame during a video call. Sound quality and volume are also good, with the Echo Show 8 easily capable of room-filling audio.

The third-generation Echo Show 8 uses a more powerful processor than earlier models, which makes for a far more responsive user interface. Alexa’s answers arrive quickly, smart home devices are fast to respond and movies from Amazon Prime Video begin without delay. 

With regard to smart home connectivity, the Echo Show 8 (3rd gen) has support for Matter, Thread and Zigbee, so can control pretty much anything. The only real letdown is how it has the same display as the previous-generation model, which is bright and sharp but more reflective than we’d like it to be.

Now to the Echo Hub, and although it has the same screen and software as the Echo Show 8, the user interface is completely different. Amazon has finally leaned further into the smart home sector, and with the Echo Hub has created a device with the central purpose of controlling your home. The UI reflects this, with a home screen full of controls for cameras, lights, and smart plugs. There’s also tight integration with Amazon Alexa’s routines function for smart home automation, and there’s support for Matter, Thread, and Zigbee, plus Bluetooth and the aforementioned option for power-over-Ethernet. A benefit of the Echo Show is how the Hub’s interface is far less cluttered, with no Amazon bloatware and no invasive adverts either.

It’s a solid first attempt at a new smart home interface from Amazon, but one we found to be slightly buggy and slow at times. We wish Amazon had given the Echo Hub a more powerful processor to speed things up a bit, and some of Alexa’s abilities are missing. For example, while you can ask the assistant to change the color of a room full of smart bulbs from different companies, the Hub can’t manage this without you first creating a routine for that specific color. We also wish the Echo Hub offered more options for customizing the interface, as it isn’t possible to change the order of smart devices in each room and put the most-used at the top.

We know improvements are on the way via software updates, so hopefully Amazon’s first attempt isn’t entirely representative of what owning an Echo Hub will be like in, say, a year. We really hope those improvements come soon, because installing the Echo Hub as Amazon suggests – with a wall mount and hidden cable – means a larger commitment than simply placing the Hub on a shelf. As well as software improvements, we also hope future generations of Hub are the same size as the original, so can fit onto the same wall mount with minimal effort.

Amazon Echo Hub vs Amazon Echo Show: verdict

So which should you go for? Both of these Amazon devices bring the Alexa voice assistant to an 8-inch display and both control smart home devices. However, they also have some major differences.

The cheaper Echo Show 8 is better suited to video and music playback than the Echo Hub, thanks to its more impressive speakers. It can also handle video calls and act as an indoor security camera too, both things the Echo Hub isn’t capable of. But if you want a wall-mounted touchscreen for controlling your smart home, the Hub is the product for you. The software is custom-built to do exactly that, and while Alexa is also present, the user interface is designed so that voice commands aren’t always needed. 

There’s only $30 between their prices, so that should be less of a consideration than comparing, say, a much cheaper Echo Dot smart speaker and an Echo Show display. We instead urge you to decide what you want from your Echo display; do you want a device for watching videos and following recipes in the kitchen, or do you want a wall-mounted display for checking on your security cameras and adjusting the lights throughout your home?

Ultimately, the newer Echo Hub holds more intrigue for us. We’re keen to see what software improvements Amazon has planned, and what future generations of Echo Hub might look like. We also like how the user interface is cleaner than the Echo Show’s and lacks those annoying adverts. There’s no right or wrong answer here, but buyers who prioritize streaming and video calls should look at the Echo Show 8, while readers looking for a smart home control center should go for the Echo Hub.

AI has been front and center in many of the biggest announcements at this year’s CES 2024 tech expo in Las Vegas, and Amazon is among the many tech brands that have unveiled plans to integrate AI into their products and services. Its next step? Alexa generative AI experiences. 

Amazon hasn’t been shy about sharing its AI plans for Alexa. During its September 2023 device event it announced that Alexa will get a new large language model (LLM), alongside new tools to make it easier for developers to build conversational experiences with generative AI. 

Now, Amazon is bringing the first of those developer-built AI apps to the voice assistant to take advantage of Alexa’s upgraded LLM and enhance the user experience, and you can start using the new features right now. The new generative AI apps can be downloaded through the Amazon Alexa Skill Store. 

The first of these is the integrated Character.ai chatbot, which adds an element of playfulness to the voice assistant. Character.ai allows you to have conversations with a long list of characters and personas, to get information, or just for fun.  

You might, for example, want to have an inspiring chat with a personal trainer, or receive book suggestions from the AI’s designated bookworm, Librarian Linda. If you’re in the mood for an intellectual conversation, Character.ai can generate AI versions of historical figures such as William Shakespeare and Socrates. 

In addition to chatbot fun, AI is set to enhance the way you connect with music via Alexa. In collaboration with AI music-creation software Splash, you can create custom songs by using your voice, and gun for the next Record of the Year Grammy award. To use it on an Echo device, just say “Alexa, open Splash Music”. 

From there, you can put your music production skills to the test to create songs, experimenting with pop, rock, electronic, and countless other genres – you could say “Alexa, create a classic rock indie folk song”, for example. You can add lyrics and sing along to your generated track, and even ask Alexa to send a mobile link so you can download your songs. 

When you’re not trying to become the next hot music producer, you can take a break with Alexa’s new AI voice game. Developers at Volley, an AI voice-game creator, have collaborated with Amazon to bring another fun Alexa skill to your Echo devices, called ‘Volley’s 20 Questions’. 

It’s a version of the classic game in which you have to guess who or what the person who’s ‘it’ is by asking questions that they answer with yes or no. Volley’s Alexa integration is a modern revamp that “marks a major milestone in gaming” according to Volley CEO Max Child.

You need to say “Alexa, open Volley Games” to get started. The game allows a natural conversation to flow between you and the AI Riddlemaster. To play, you simply ask questions such as “Is it an animal?” and the voice assistant will answer yes or no, and even give you hints if you get stuck. 

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Care to make your Halloween party extra spooky this year? Well, you need more than just fake cobwebs on your walls, carved pumpkins at your doorstep, and slimy eyeballs and bloody finger appetizers.

Fortunately, you don’t have to rush to a Halloween store and spend more money on last-minute decorations. If you’ve already invested in a smart home ecosystem, then you already have the tools.

You don’t even need smart home gear most people have never heard of, either. All you need are the basic devices such as your best video doorbell, smart lights, a smart speaker, and your smart security camera. Heck, if you’ve got a smart robot vacuum, you can put that to good use as well.

Here are five ways you can utilize the best smart home devices to turn your party into a real-life scary movie. 

1. Greet your guests with a blood curdling welcome

Making a good first impression is always important, especially if you want to forewarn your guests about what’s to come. And if you’ve got a Ring doorbell and a Ring Chime, then Ring has you covered with its slew of Chime Tones that include sound effects like Bat, Cat, Ghost, Creaking Door, and Howl.

Set it on the Ring app, and for extra terror, choose the Laugh or Scream option so that every time they ring that doorbell, they’re greeted with a blood curdling welcome.

No Ring Chime? No problem. Just set up your Amazon Echo smart speaker near the door, go to your Alexa app, and set the doorbell sound to one of those Chime Tones. Make sure the put that volume on max, too – for the full effect!

2. Make your room feel like they’re in The Shining

Got a set of smart light bulbs or smart light strips that can display different colors like the Philips Hue and the Nanoleaf Essentials? Dim them a little, then set them to red, bathing the rooms of your home in what looks like blood. That’ll make your guests feel like they’re in The Shining or an episode of Twin Peaks.

Better yet, cut out a piece of black cardboard in the shape of a massive human and stick it at the end of the hallway so that it looks like it’s peeking through the doorway. It won’t take your guests long to get used to it, but it’ll definitely give them a bit of a shock the first time they see it.

3. Creep your friends out with random cackles

One of Alexa’s many, many skills is to play scary Halloween sounds, and if you already have a smart speaker with Alexa integration, whether that’s an Amazon Echo or something from a different brand, you might as well put that skill to good use. Just find Scary Halloween Sounds from the Skills list on the Alexa app.

What’s more, you don’t have to ask Alexa to launch it every single time. Before your party, simply set-up a routine on the Alexa app to have it automatically play the sounds every 30 minutes or so. 

You can also enable the Halloween Sounds skill and ask for Alexa to play the sounds from its roster at random. The sounds included in this skill are creepier, but sadly you cannot set it as a routine. Instead, it’ll keep playing until you tell Alexa to stop.

4. Terrify people with jump scares

Hook up a smart home security camera somewhere in your home, and set it so that every time it detects a person, it’ll trigger a smart home device to perform an action. You can set your lights to perform a lightning effect or your smart speaker to play a creepy laugh, or for an even more immersive scary experience, both. 

I would recommend setting this up in the part of your home that isn’t going to be crowded, such as a hallway or the stairs. Also make sure, if you’re going to do the lightning or thunderstorm effect, that none of your guests have epilepsy. Otherwise, it could trigger an episode.

5. Let a ghost roam around your home

This one’s funnier than it is scary, but at least it’ll entertain people – not to mention, keep your floors clean. Dress your smart robot vacuum like a ghost – you’ll need some arts and craft materials and to summon your inner Kevin McCallister for this part – and set it up to start cleaning every 30 minutes or so, so that you’ve got a ghost running around your house during the party. 

However, I would only do this if your robot vacuum allows you to set a cleaning area, for safety reasons; you'll want to set it so that it sticks to where it won't be in the way or wreck havoc. After all, you wouldn’t want your ghost crashing into things like the food table or worse, your guests.

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Amazon Echo Pop: One-minute review

The Amazon Echo Pop is the new entry-level Echo model in Amazon’s lineup of smart speakers, replacing the now ever-so-slightly more sophisticated Echo Dot. 

It joins the leagues of the best Alexa speakers as a decent, budget-friendly alternative to some of the brand’s more expensive models; but, I’d say it isn’t among the best smart speakers overall. The Echo Pop’s sound is passable, the mic pickup is decent, and its new semi-spherical design is really fun. However, I was a little disappointed that some features have been lost to come in at its marginally lower price tag.

Sporting a chic new design and a brighter, more customizable color palette, the Echo Pop will be great for smaller rooms and bedrooms, especially those most regularly occupied by kids. It’s a lot less conspicuous than other smart speakers, especially Amazon’s models, but definitely sits on the cheaper side when it comes to build quality. 

The real downer of the Echo Pop is its price. At $40.99 / £44.99 / AU$79.99, it’s just $9 / £10 / AU$20 cheaper than the Amazon Echo Dot (Generation 5), which offers marginally superior sound and doesn’t lose features such as temperature and motion detection. Plus, the Dot is so regularly discounted to below the price of the Pop, it just doesn’t make sense not to wait and save. 

If you’re happy to pay for form over function, or would actually rather your speakers not know quite so much about your home, the Echo Pop is great – and its design really is quite refreshing for a smart speaker. Note that it sounds best at 50-70% volume, starting to distort when played any louder; but for smaller rooms and bedrooms, for which it’s designed, you’ll rarely need to go much higher.

Amazon Echo Pop review: price and availability

• List price: $40.99 / £44.99 / AU$79.99
• Available at Amazon

The Echo Pop launched in 2023 and sells for $40.99 / £44.99 / AU$79.99 directly from Amazon in four colorways: black, white, lavender, and teal. As of writing, it’s just $9 / £10 / AU$20 cheaper than the next-best Amazon smart speaker, the Echo Dot, which is regularly on sale for cheaper than the Echo Pop. However, we’ve yet to see how much the Pop will be reduced to during sales periods, so there’s some hope there.

Regardless, it’s still missing too many of the value-adding features of marginally pricier devices such as the Echo Dot to justify its price tag. It appears that the new design – which, granted, is very nice – has inflated the price almost as much as the removal of temperature and motion sensors has reduced it. 

Alternatively, if you’re not sold on Amazon’s Alexa-based ecosystem, the Nest Mini is similarly priced at $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$79.99 and comes with much the same features as the Dot – although we still prefer the Dot overall.

Ultimately, it comes down to how important aesthetics are to you; if the design really sells it, the Pop is just about worth its list price. You can also buy covers for an additional $16.99 / £19.99 / AU$27.95 (which, notably, makes the Echo Pop more expensive than the Echo Dot.) 

• Value: 3/5

Amazon Echo Pop review: specifications

Amazon Echo Pop review: design

• Fresh and fun semi-spherical design
• Three microphones
• Three control buttons, but no action button

In a sea of spherical smart speakers, the Amazon Echo Pop stands out as a much-welcomed break from the orb overload – but it isn’t exactly a high bar for innovation versus its main competition at Google and Apple.

Overall, the Echo Pop feels pretty robust, and its plastic casing doesn’t feel too tacky. It’s about the size of an Echo Dot that’s been sliced in half diagonally, yet despite losing half the mass, it takes up a similar amount of real estate. 

Nevertheless, between its fabric-covered front speaker and the fact it arrives in a selection of colors (white, black, lavender, and teal), the Echo Pop feels less intrusive than its older siblings; it’s a fun and playful design that feels a lot more at home in bedrooms, smaller rooms or child-friendly rooms. Plus, the array of colorful sleeve accessories available at Amazon means the device can be further customized to fit your living space.

Above the front-facing speaker is a curved LED bar that lights up when Alexa is active. I tested the black colorway with a sleeve attached, and when inactive, this bar was quite a stark contrast to the otherwise bright casing. I imagine the same could be said for the lighter colorways, even without a sleeve.

Moving further back on the device, just behind the LED arc, are the three microphones to pick up voice commands and three buttons: volume controls and a mute button. There’s no action button as there is on other Echo devices, which personally I didn’t mind too much. 

Seated right at the hilt of the speaker is the power socket, which connects to the included power supply. As with the most recent Echo Dot, there’s no audio jack, but the device is Bluetooth enabled if you want to play music through your Echo Pop from another device.

• Design: 4/5

Amazon Echo Pop review: performance

• Decent enough sound, but not on full blast
• Good microphone pickup
• Lacking some value-adding features

As a smart home device, the Echo Pop presents some ups and downs. On the one hand, the Echo Pop is a zippy little smart speaker, picking up voice commands pretty consistently and quickly – unless you have other speakers absolutely blaring out in the background. Bolstered with Amazon’s AZ2 Neural Edge processor, it’s only ever-so-slightly slower than the Echo Dot, and a smidgen slower still when compared to the Echo, but the difference is pretty minimal.

It’s incredibly easy to set up, even for those who aren’t technically inclined;  and if you are, you’ll be pleased to know it also serves some extra purposes for your smart home, acting as a Sidewalk Bridge, a Matter Controller, and adding up to 1,000 square feet to your Eero mesh setup.

On the other hand, it’s missing some of the best features added in recent Amazon Echo devices: temperature sensors and motion detection. This omission is relatively inconsequential if you’re simply looking for the basic Alexa experience. However, if you’re setting up more advanced automations using temperature or motion triggers, you’ll be better off spending slightly more on the Echo Dot. 

Generally speaking, the sound emitted by the speaker is pretty good for its size. When Alexa responds, her voice is notably clear, more so perhaps than even other devices; but spoken word medium – including audiobooks and podcasts – is about as far as the Echo Pop goes when it comes to outperforming its peers for audio. Despite having a larger speaker driver (1.95in versus the Echo Dot’s 1.73in), bigger doesn’t mean better here, with the Echo Pop suffering a little at times.

When I cranked up the volume to full blast to listen to some music, the Echo Pop distorted pretty noticeably, making it not a terribly pleasant listen. It seems the speaker’s sweet spot is 50-70% for really pumping out tunes, but in general, it’s most enjoyable between 40-50%. At these volumes, the Echo Pop produces crisp mids and highs, and nice, warm bass.

This makes sense with the product’s positioning; Amazon recommends the Echo Pop for smaller rooms and bedrooms. If anything, I’d say the Echo Pop is comparable to a fairly good portable speaker in terms of its audio quality. If you’re going for higher quality, the standard Echo is the clear winner – if you want something this small that sounds as good as the large Echo, the Apple HomePod Mini is the best option (as long as someone in your house is in the Apple ecosystem).

Otherwise, the Echo Pop is capable of pretty much everything else other Echo devices can do; it has Alexa built in for answering your questions, it can assist you around the home with reminders, shopping lists and timers, and it can also integrate with your other smart devices pretty effortlessly.

• Performance: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Amazon Echo Pop?

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Amazon Echo Pop review: Also consider

Amazon Echo Pop not for you? Try out one of these alternatives...

How I tested the Amazon Echo Pop

• I used the Amazon Echo Pop as my main smart speaker for two weeks
• I tested the audio against other smart speakers and across different mediums
• I used the Alexa app to test routines, reminders and other Alexa features

I used a test unit sent by Amazon to review the Amazon Echo Pop, and set it up as my primary smart speaker for two weeks. I used it to control my various smart home devices, from smart lights to plugs and cameras, and also used its lifestyle features. 

I compared the Amazon Echo Pop to my Apple HomeHub and the Echo Dot, as well as referencing our previous testing and reviews of Echo, Nest and home hub devices to benchmark its performance, design and value. I also compared the hardware and software specs to see how well-equipped the Echo Pop is.

I’ve been professionally testing smart devices for over a year, and have been progressively improving my smart home over recent years with various smart devices.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed June 2023

Usually, whenever a company launches a new entry in a series, you’d expect the gadget to be bigger and better than the older models. That’s exactly what Amazon did with the second generation Echo Buds.This time, however, the tech giant is doing the opposite with the latest Echo Buds by incorporating a more lightweight design.

Noise cancellation, a major feature on past models, is now gone. Same goes for the differently sized silicone tips. Now, it’s just one pair of silicone covers (with a backup pair) to fit everyone everyone. The new Echo Buds also sport a “semi-in-ear design”, losing the tight seal the others were known for. This means outside sound will seep through, ensuring you'll be aware of your surroundings at all times.

So the audio coming out of these earbuds won’t be as all-encompassing, but they still have some interesting features. By overhauling the design, Amazon was able to improve the battery life significantly as the devices can now last up to 20 hours on a single charge “with the case fully powered”. The Echo Buds 2nd Gen, in comparison, could only last up to 10 hours with the case.

Notable features

The rest of the features on the new Echo Buds are carryovers from previous installments. Alexa is back helping people set reminders or resume a podcast through the earbuds. Touch controls can be customized so you can have a double tap either play music, “answer phone calls, [or] mute your mics”. Speaking of which, the devices come with two microphones that, when used alongside the “voice detection accelerometer”, allow the buds to “distinguish between the person speaking on a call versus others around” you. 

Multipoint pairing is making a return so you can “switch audio between two devices simultaneously”. Then you have the VIP Filter that allows users to select which notifications they want to hear and which ones to keep silent. 

Availability

Interestingly enough, the latest Echo Buds are very similar to Apple's original AirPods. They both have the same one-size-fits-all design, lack noise cancellation, and even have a similar battery life (the AirPods can last up to 24 hours with the charging case). But the biggest difference is Amazon’s offering is way cheaper.

Instead of paying $140 for a pair of AirPods, these earbuds cost $40 (£32 or around $60 AUD). Not a bad price, truth be told. However, they're only available in the United States at the time of this writing, according to an Amazon representative. The Echo Buds are currently available for pre-order with the release date set for June 7.

Alongside the earbuds, Amazon launched a variety of new Echo smart devices including the semi-spherical Echo Pop smart speaker. Be sure to check out TechRadar’s coverage of the update. 

Amazon has announced that it's launching a new-look smart speaker called the Echo Pop, along with a new version of the Echo Show 5 smart screen, plus an Echo Show 5 Kids version for the first time.

The Echo Pop is the most interesting new device, launching at $40 / £45 / AU$79, with a "semi-sphere form factor", as Amazon describes it. It looks like someone chopped the Echo Dot (5th Gen) in half, basically – and gave it some funky colors. I like the look of it a lot, and if Amazon's promise of "full sound" from its custom front-facing speaker is delivered on, it could be the ideal mini speaker.

It has Amazon's AZ2 speech processor inside, which means it can handle some Alexa requests without having to contact the cloud, and works with the Matter smart home system for easy home control.

Amazon hasn't explicitly said that the Echo Pop replaces the Echo Dot but it effectively will. It's a little cheaper, it's cooler looking, it seems like it might be better sounding – who won't just go for this one?

Meanwhile, the new Echo Show 5 has a redesigned speaker system that promises "double" the bass, as well as clearer sound overall, though that seems to be the only change from the previous version based on what Amazon has told us so far. It's priced at $90 / £90 (around AU$162; Australian availability TBC).

The Echo Show 5 Kids ($100 / £100, around AU$190) is a new device. Much like the Echo Dot Kids, it costs a little more, but comes with a load of kid-friendly features. 

These include audiobooks, automatic lyric filtering in music, and – new to the screened version – unique home screen customization options that kids will probably enjoy more than the simpler options of the standard Echo Show 5. It also comes with a special two-year warranty, where if a kid breaks it, Amazon says it will replace it no hassle.

We'll bring you reviews of all of these as soon as we can, to see how they rank among the best smart speakers and best smart displays. Knowing Amazon, it'll probably be pretty high.

These devices are all available to pre-order from today (May 17), and Amazon says they'll be released later in May.

Amazon also announced that its latest-gen Echo Auto is now available in Australia for AU$99 and is coming to the UK imminently, having previously launched in the US in 2022.

Researchers from the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs have discovered an alarming new cyberattack that can target your smart speakers, smartphones, tablets and more, without you even knowing.

The attack consists of an inaudible prompt that can be picked up by voice recognition technology to exploit a vulnerability and proceed with malicious activity, like downloading malware.

Fortunately, the vulnerability has been highlighted by researchers rather than actual cybercriminals, however unless Big Tech acts quickly, it may soon spread into a global cyberattack on a huge scale.

Inaudible smart speaker cyberattack

The attack, of which there are two variants, has been dubbed ‘Near-Ultrasound Inaudible Trojan’ (NUIT), and as its name suggests, it uses near-ultrasound waves to conduct a cyberattack.

NUIT-1 relies on a single device to transmit and receive the command, while NUIT-2 sees one device transmitting the message and any other IoTs nearby receiving.

While the human ear cannot detect near-ultrasound waves, smart speakers and voice assistants can. As such, there is virtually zero risk of exposure making it harder to detect whether our devices are being targeted.

The researchers describe how a short inaudible command, which measures 0.77 seconds, can be embedded into any number of legitimate media like YouTube videos and even Zoom calls.

Of the 17 popular devices tested by the researchers, Siri devices were found to have been the most secure with additional voice authentication measures to prevent other voices from accessing sensitive data, like smart home security systems and smart door locks.

More information is expected to be revealed at USENIX Security Symposium 2023 in August, however in the meantime TechRadar Pro has reached out to Apple, Google, and Amazon to find out what they may be doing to remedy the vulnerability.

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Making good on its promise, Amazon is currently rolling out support for the Matter smart home standard to 17 Echo devices with more on the way.

Just to name a few of the supported devices, you have the fourth-generation Echo, Echo Dot (5th gen) with clock, Echo Studio, Echo Show 10 display, and the Show 15. This update will turn everything listed into a central hub allowing you to control other smart gadgets that support Matter via Android; similar to what Google has recently done. However, unlike Google, Echo devices will only be able to communicate over Wi-Fi and not Thread, according to the announcement. Amazon states it’s rolling out support to the most commonly used devices, like smart bulbs, plugs, and switches, first as a way to test things out before going to other device types. The company goes on to say it wants to ensure “customers have a seamless and high-quality experience…” during this time. 

Ongoing support

At the time of this writing, Matter is a little over two months old so there aren’t a whole lot of devices that can be controlled by the standard. You have the Festavia string lights, for example, from Philips Hue, and the Door & Window contact sensor from smart home brand Eve. Users can still control the over 30,000 devices under the Works with Alexa program, although they won’t have Matter support.

To help speed things up, Amazon has also released several development kits for other companies to use in order to facilitate further adoption of the standard like Frustration-Free Setup. This kit aims to make setting up devices “as easy for customers as opening a box and powering on a device.” Speaking of setup, Amazon is also working with Samsung to incorporate SmartThings into its own devices so you can control both smart home systems. It's unknown when the SmartThing will launch, however.

Things are pretty humble now but Amazon has big plans for the future. The goal is to ultimately release support to “100 million devices, across 30 Echo and eero devices”, according to a company representative. Early 2023 will see support for iOS so you can control Matter-enabled devices via iPhone. Support for the Thread wireless standard will also launch within that same timeframe. 

We won’t have to wait too long to learn more about these devices as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off on January 5. Amazon states it’s going to have an “Experience Area” where it will show off the latest in both Matter and smart home devices.

If you're looking to upgrade your house to a smart home, or expand the smart home setup you already have, then you'll want to take advantage of this year's Black Friday Amazon Echo deals.

Many of these are worthy of a place among the best Black Friday deals of 2022; on the cheaper end, you can grab an Echo Dot (3rd Gen) for $14.99 at Amazon in the US or £16.99 at Amazon in the UK. While on the more pricey (yet still discounted end) you can bag an Echo Show 15 for $169.99 at Amazon, or an Echo Show 10 for £169.99 at Amazon if you want a more premium option.

You can even pick up some Black Friday Ring doorbell deals that include free Alexa-powered smart speakers too.

(Not in the US or UK? Scroll down for deals in your region).

• UK readers: Jump to Black Friday deals

Black Friday Amazon Echo sales (US)

Black Friday Amazon Echo sales (UK)

Scroll down for more Black Friday deals in the US and UK.

More US Black Friday deals

• Amazon: 50% off TVs, AirPods, clothing & toys
• Apple AirPods Pro 2: down to $199 at Amazon
• Best Buy: up to $700 off TVs, laptops & iPads
• Cheap TVs: $79.99 smart TVs from Best Buy 
• Christmas trees: prices starting at $38.99
• Dell: laptops from $299.99
• Dyson vacuums: $150 off cordless vacs
• Gifts ideas: 40% off  holiday gifts from Amazon
• Home Depot: 50% off tools & appliances
• Lowe's: $750 off appliances, decor & tools
• Macy's: coats, sweaters & boots from $10
• Overstock: 70% off decor and furniture
• Nectar: up to $500 off mattresses + free gifts 
• Nordstrom: 50% off UGG, Nike & North Face
• Samsung: $2,500 off TVs & appliances
• Sephora: 50% off makeup, perfume & gifts
• Target: 45% off toys, TVs, Keurig & more
• Toys: 50% off best-selling toys at Walmart
• Ulta: up to 50% off makeup, hair & perfume
• Verizon: get the iPhone 14 Pro for free
• Walmart: 60% off toys, TVs, vacuums & laptops
• Wayfair: up to 80% off sitewide, + free shipping

More UK Black Friday deals 

• Amazon: up to 60% off TVs, laptops, and more
• Adidas: up to 50% off trainers and clothing
• AO: deals on appliances, headphones and TVs
• Argos: up to 1/3 off toys and big TV deals
• Boots: half-price fragrances and make-up
• Box: up to £1,000 off TVs, laptops and PCs
• Currys: 40% off TVs, laptops and vacuums
• Dell: up to 45% off laptops and desktops
• Dyson: save £100 on the Dyson Cyclone V10
• EE: up to £300 gift card with select phones
• Game: PlayStation and Xbox games from £4.99
• John Lewis: up to £400 off TVs and appliances
• Lego: 25% off dozens of sets
• Ninja: save up to £90 on air fryers and pans
• Peloton: up to £500 off
• Reebok: up to 50% off sitewide
• Samsung: up to £250 off phones and tablets
• Shark: up to £220 off cordless vacuum cleaners
• Sonos: 20% off portable speakers and soundbars
• Very: offers on TVs, Lego and fashion
• Virgin: broadband deals from £25 per month
• Wayfair: furniture, lighting and mattress deals

Choosing the right smart speaker is challenging. In a world of multiple assistants and more little grey fabric spheres than we like to count, it feels like everything is promising the world to you, in the form of a digital assistant. 

If you just want to know about the different products out there, our guide to the best smart speakers can point you towards great options. But if you want to know about the bigger picture, here we'll break down everything you need to consider, from the ecosystem to the speaker size and other priorities. At the end, hopefully you'll have a clearer idea of what to look for, so the big range of speakers doesn't seem so daunting.

Which ecosystem do you belong to?

It’s a very modern question, but to get the right smart speaker for you, we have to check if you’re already harnessed to one particular ecosystem. There are three big names here. Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google Assistant. 

If everyone in your household has an Android phone, you might already be sharing everything with Google Assistant; if you’re buried deep in Apple’s world with iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches, Siri would probably be a natural fit; and if you’re paying for Amazon Music or have synced your Philips Hue lights with an Echo already, you’re already using Alexa as your primary digital assistant. 

Even your music service can dictate your chosen smart speaker. If you’ve got Spotify, the service doesn’t natively work on an Apple HomePod Mini. You can stream your Spotify playlists from your iPhone but you won’t be able to ask the HomePod to play them – whereas you can on Alexa and Google Assistant. Connectivity is key and you need to make sure that your existing subscriptions and smart home purchases also work with your new device.  

We’re not going to go all Ghostbusters on you and say you shouldn’t cross the streams – or, indeed, streaming services – but remembering different digital assistant names in different rooms just makes no sense. You want to choose one and stick to it. If you side with Siri, you’ll currently only be able to use Apple’s HomePod Mini smart speaker to invoke it. We expect a larger HomePod 2 to come along at some point though.  

For both Alexa and Google Assistant, you’ve got a little more choice. While you’ll obviously find Alexa on all of Amazon’s Echo devices and Google Assistant in Google’s Nest speakers, both Alexa and Google Assistant are built into Bose and Sonos smart speaker offerings. Again, you’ll only set them up with one but it’s nice to have the choice, especially if you’re spending a little more to have a better quality of sound.

What size do you need and how much do you want to spend?

Now you’ve decided which assistant you’re siding with, it’s time to work out the right size of smart speaker you need. This is all about making sure it’s the best fit for the room you want to kit out. Is this going into the kitchen on a crowded work surface, or is this smart speaker going to be the main source of streaming audio for a large living room? Most of the manufacturers have at least two sizes of speaker for this very reason. 

The important thing to note though is that speaker size doesn’t necessarily mean that the audio can’t fill a room. The spherical HomePod Mini is under the $100/£100 price point and, as we said in our Apple HomePod Mini review “It's excellent for a speaker that's so small, and it really feels like the right mix of value for money and sound quality. The bass isn't too heavy, vocals aren't lost in the mix, and when you pair two minis, the stereo experience is really immersive.”

And if you want to spend even less, the Amazon Echo Dot range, is often dramatically reduced on Amazon as part of regular promotions. These little globes in their multiple colours of gray don’t sound quite as strong as the HomePod or Google’s Nest Audio but are ideal for kitchen listening to audiobooks or podcasts.  Or, y’know, just for instructing Alexa to turn on the lights. 

The new 5th generation Echo Dot with Clock for 2022 even has a useful LED clock that can also show other basic text-based information. These smaller offerings are quite often speakers you just want to ask for a weather report or to keep you updated on your Amazon parcels so don’t always need to be colossal in size or investment.

How much of an audiophile are you?

So you’ve chosen your digital assistant but what if you aren’t content with mere standard speakers for your streaming audio? TechRadar’s favourite option as an all rounder for full-bodied sound is the Sonos One. You’re obviously paying more here for access to Alexa or Google Assistant than you would with Amazon or Google, but the Sonos One supports Hi-Res Audio with Amazon Music Unlimited. It’s neat and compact and the six built-in microphones mean you’re much more likely to be understood from the get go.

But if you want to opt for even richer sound, you don’t want to miss TechRadar’s best speaker for audiophiles. Well, those who are happy to depart from wired audio that is. Of course, it’s an option from Bose. As we said in our Bose Home Speaker 500 review “the soundstage still feels remarkably wide, which makes for a truly room-filling sound – impressive, particularly when you consider its diminutive size.” The price tag does match the soundstage here though as just one of these speakers will set you back $400 / £400 / AU$600.

Do you need your smart speaker for more than just music?

We have already got to the point that smart speaker upgrades have become somewhat iterative. Better sound here… An improved microphone there… But Amazon has decided to add a particularly useful addition to its new Echo devices. Newer Amazon Echo devices can help boost your home Wi-Fi signal. 

Both the Amazon Echo 4th Gen and Echo Dot 4th Gen will also get the functionality to connect with an Eero mesh Wi-Fi set up, as well as the new Echo Dot 5th Gen. So yes, this is dependent on you using Eero – and investing in Amazon’s mesh Wi-Fi if you haven’t already got it – but it’s another step forward in reducing the number of wired devices we have everywhere and an affordable mesh option. It’s also just a hint at what our smart speakers could become capable of in future.

The best smart speakers make controlling your smart home devices a piece of cake, with simple voice commands putting you in charge. These speakers are for far more than music, with many including smart voice assistants that can help you keep organized.

Included below are a variety of smart speakers across different platforms, from Apple HomeKit to Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, all of which are Matter-compatible, meaning your home will be much easier to set up; still, we'd recommend checking out compatibility with your devices before buying. It's worth noting that Matter isn't an audio standard, but instead a communication standard for smart home devices, so it doesn't affect speakers' abilities to play music or deliver features like multi-room streaming audio.

We've tried and tested all of the smart speakers below to see how responsive they are, the quality of the sound, the value for money, and how easy they are to incorporate into your home. Whether you want to control whatever smart home devices you have set up or just have more simple needs, there's something in here for you. Just say the word and turn your favorite smart lights on. These are all voice-controlled speakers, but some of the best smart displays offer a visual alternative you might prefer if you want a live feed from your home security cameras, or one of the best video doorbells.

If you're considering an Amazon Echo smart speaker, it's worth considering whether you'll want to use it with Alexa+. The new AI-enhanced assistant will be available to owners of the latest Amazon Echo Show devices first, but will be rolling out to the company's smart speakers before long, with the exception of older models like the first-generation Echo Dot and Echo Spot. For more details, see our guide to which Echo devices will work with Alexa+.

Meet the experts

The best smart speakers

The best smart speaker for Alexa

The latest, spherical Amazon Echo is a complete revamp of the company’s flagship smart speaker. The new shape is only part of it: there's seriously improved sound quality, a built-in Zigbee smart home hub and a new AZ1 neural edge processor that reduces the time it takes for Alexa to respond to commands. So this is a big step forward for Amazon's smart speaker.

It isn't perfect. When we tested the Echo we felt it could have been a bit louder, especially compared to larger rivals such as the Apple HomePod and Google Home Max; Amazon does have a much louder Echo, the Echo Studio, which you'll find elsewhere in this guide. Amazon tends to do things its own way, so you can't use Google Cast to send audio from your phone like you can with a Google Nest Audio device and you can't add your Echo to an Apple HomeKit network – although many HomeKit devices are also Alexa-compatible and this Echo now works as a Matter hub.

Read our full Amazon Echo (2020) review

The best smart speaker for Siri

Since Apple discontinued its original, amazing and rather expensive HomePods, this smaller version is the only Apple-made smart speaker in town – or at least it is for now, as we're hearing rumours of a larger version coming soon. Despite their small size these smart speakers pack a powerful punch: if you're committed to Apple's ecosystem and services such as Apple Music, you'll love the way these speakers sound – and their comparatively low price.

We've tested these speakers over a very long time and while we love their sound, we don't love everything. Siri isn't as good as other digital assistants and seems rather buggy too: we've slept late a few times because alarms we asked Siri to set, and which Siri confirmed setting, didn't go off. Siri also seems to struggle with accents. And if you don't have Apple Music, you're quite limited in what you can listen to. You can't ask the HomePod mini to play anything through Spotify – that can only be enabled through AirPlay, and requires using your phone rather than the simpler method of asking Siri to play tunes with your voice. There's also a much smaller number of compatible smart home devices that work with the smart speaker, compared to the range available for Alexa and Google Assistant-enabled smart speakers. But HomePods and HomePods mini are now Matter compatible, which means they're compatible with a growing number of Matter devices.

For us, the audio performance is the key reason to buy the HomePod mini. It's excellent for a speaker that's so small, and it really feels like the right mix of price and sound quality. The bass isn't too heavy, vocals aren't lost in the mix, and when you pair two minis the stereo experience is really immersive. It's just a shame that Siri feels like it's lagging behind rival assistants.

Read our full Apple HomePod mini review

The best smart speaker for Google Home

If you're looking for a smart speaker with Google Assistant built-in, the Google Nest Audio is currently the best Google-manufactured smart speaker you can buy; we liked the Google Home Max speaker, but Google has stopped making it.

We found that the Nest audio picked up our commands with ease, and Google Assistant is quick to respond as well as loud and clear. The subtle and unassuming design should blend in well with any home decor, and in addition to its audio skills it's also a surprisingly intelligent smart home hub. It hooks into some of the largest platforms now available by including Nest, Philips, and Samsung’s SmartThings – although while the device is Matter compatible there's no built-in Zigbee hub as with the latest Amazon Echo.

The smart bit of this smart speaker is very smart, but the speaker itself is a little disappointing: the sound quality didn't live up to our expectations. It sounds just fine with uncomplicated pop music, but other genres reveal a lack of detail in the treble and mids that makes tracks lack sparkle and sound a little muffled.

Read our full Google Nest Audio review

The best budget smart speaker

The Amazon Echo Dot has always been the best option for those who aren’t sure about smart home tech and want to take the first step. It provides a place for Alexa to live inside your home and is loud enough to fill a room. And with discounting often taking it below its already low $50 / £50 / AU$80 price, it’s easy to see why it’s long been one of the most popular smart speakers on the market.

The Dot has the same space-age aesthetic as its bigger brother, the Amazon Echo (2020), so it looks stylish and once again is quite a change from the previous Echo Dot design. In our tests we found it extremely easy to set up and use, although its small speaker means the sound lacks the depth and punch of its larger siblings. There's no Zigbee hub here, but the device is Matter compatible. It's a great way to add Alexa to your home but if you're like us you'll probably want to upgrade to something more powerful for regular music listening.

Read our full Amazon Echo Dot (2020) review

The best premium smart speaker

The Sonos Era 100 is a replacement for the superb Sonos One, with improvements including a wider soundstage for room-filling sound, plus the option to choose between Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3.5mm line-in connections so you can play music from just about any source. Audio is clear and detailed, and bass has received a boost as well, though in our tests we found it could be a little heavy-handed at times.

The unit itself is compact and unobtrusive, with touch controls on the top for controlling music playback, and switches on the rear for Bluetooth playback and muting the speaker's microphone. Unfortunately Sonos has chosen to drop support for Google Assistant this time around, so the Era 100 only supports Alexa and Sonos's own voice control system.

It's definitely one of the most expensive speakers we've tested, costing more than the Sonos One before it, but if you value sound quality and your budget can take the hit then you won't be disappointed.

Read our full Sonos Era 100 review

Visit our Sonos coupon page for our latest deals and discounts.

The best smart speaker for home cinema

We think Amazon’s first high-end smart speaker for home cinemas is the best-sounding Echo we've tested. With 330W it's one of the most powerful speakers you can get for this price, and if you buy two Amazon Echo Studio speakers you can set them up in the Alexa app to create an immersive home cinema system.

We've tested that configuration too, and while it's not as immersive as a dedicated surround sound system it's still very impressive as well as impressively loud.

It’s a powerful speaker and it doubles as a Zigbee hub too. But to get the best from it you'll need to subscribe to Amazon Music HD and its large size won't suit all. That said, you get a lot of speaker for your money and this is a much more affordable option than similar speakers from rivals such as Sonos.

Read our full Amazon Echo Studio review

The best smart speaker for music

If you’re searching for the best-sounding smart speaker, this is it. And with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built-in, the sleek anodized aluminum Smart Speaker 500 has the smarts to match its room-filling sound and an elegant design.

We found that the eight microphone array, designed for near and far-field listening, enabled us to talk to Alexa or Google Assistant even when our music was playing loud. And we loved the preset buttons that offer one-touch access to your favorite playlists, radio stations or albums.

But in our tests we found that setting the speaker up on a Wi-Fi network using the Bose Music app is harder than it should be. We also can't ignore the fact that it's one of the most expensive smart speakers on the market. If you're an audiophile, though, we think you'll find it worth every penny. However, if you're looking to save a bit of money, check out our Bose voucher codes.

Read our full Bose Smart Speaker 500 review

The best smart speaker for powerful bass

The Denon Home 150 is a capable smart speaker that might look a bit boring but offers a bunch of smart listening options all packed into a compact design—perfect if you're tight on space. It keeps things varied and useful, making it easy to listen to streaming services right down to the collection on your network drive. Via the HEOS app, you can connect quickly to Spotify, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Music, Deezer, Napster, Soundcloud, Tidal and other services, with the app adjusting according to your location.

Neat touches come from the ability to set up playlists across all sources, as well as to use Google Assistant or Alexa to control things using your voice. The app is a little simplistic looks-wise, but it has all the essentials and its aesthetic makes its features more easily accessible – including EQ settings and other customization tools.

It's not the best-sounding device on this list - take a look at the Bose Smart Speaker 500 for top audio quality - but the Denon Home 150 offers more bass than you'd expect for its size. This means it’ll delight those who don’t have room in their home for a subwoofer - if you’re all about that bass, but you live in a small place. For a tech fan, slightly weaker sound quality in exchange for so much tweaking and app potential means the Denon Home 150 is a great alternative.

Read our full Denon Home 150 review

Other smart speakers we've tested

Not all the smart speakers we've tested have made their way into this guide, but are still worth consideration if you can't see exactly what you're looking for in the main list.

How to choose the best smart speaker for you

1. Choose a voice assistant

Start by working out which voice assistant you want your smart speaker to offer access to. If you already use a voice assistant on your smartphone or tablet, or have existing smart speakers or smart displays in your home, it makes sense to plump for a smart speaker that has the same assistant baked in. However, if you’ve yet to settle on the voice assistant for you, we've compared Alexa vs Google Assistant to help you decide.

2. Pick a place

Next, consider where you intend to locate the smart speaker; smaller, more compact smart speakers are best suited to bedrooms and kitchens, for setting timers when cooking, while larger smart speakers work in rooms with bigger footprints such as a living or dining room.

3. Think about numbers

If you intend to use the smart speaker as your main listening device, make sure you consider the number of speakers and the sound output and quality they offer. Those with smaller speakers are best suited to background music, while larger smart speakers will offer a louder, more room-filling sound. Also, look for models that can be paired together to create stereo sound if you’re planning to use a smart speaker as part of your home cinema set-up.

4. Consider AirPlay

If you have an iPhone or an iPad, it might also be worth checking out the best AirPlay speakers, which allow you to stream music from your devices to your speaker. Many of these also come with your favorite smart assistant on board.

How we tested these smart speakers

1. Check sound quality

Our team of audio experts test smart speakers in the same way as any other speaker, listening to them on their own and comparing them against the best wireless speakers around to see how they fare. We test them in different listening environments, and with a wide variety of different music, and spoken-word content like audiobooks and podcasts.

2. Test playback features

To make sure we're recommending only the best smart speakers, we also check how effective the built-in voice assistant is at controlling playback for you; from selecting specific playlists, albums and tracks to adjusting the volume, skipping tracks and even the number of streaming service its compatible with.

3. Examine smart functions and privacy

We also evaluate each model on its ability to pick up your voice when issuing commands to the voice assistant, privacy features that help ensure the smart speaker isn’t constantly watching and listening, and the smart home devices it's compatible with.

4. Assess design

Finally, we check how compact and durable the design is, and how easy its physical controls are to use. We'll also let you know which inputs the speaker has, and whether it can be linked to others for a wider soundstage. For more details,. check out how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.

Frequently asked questions about smart speakers

The Amazon Echo Dot (3rd generation) was Amazon's most popular smart speakers – and while it's since been replaced by the Echo Dot (2020) and the Amazon Echo Dot released in 2022, it's still well worth considering.

Don’t let the size of this diminutive gadget put you off. Amazon claims that the Dot is the best-selling speaker of all time – a massive achievement and a testament to how useful, and relatively affordable, it is too.

The Echo Dot we’re reviewing here is the 3rd version of the smart speaker. The 1st generation model was launched back in 2016 and it’s had a number of updates since, including the Echo Dot with Clock (2020) and the Amazon Echo Dot released in late 2022 with an audio upgrade - we'll be publishing our review as soon as we've tested it. 

Some of these upgrades will be appealing for people. but the third-gen Echo Dot sans time display and without an audio boost that we’re reviewing here is still absolutely worth buying and one of our most-recommended smart home devices.

That’s because there’s plenty to love about the Amazon Echo Dot (3rd generation). It allows you to control your smart home with a few voice commands, it’s able to make calls almost anywhere in your country, and it can also stream music from a range of the world’s most popular services. It’s small, but it packs a punch.

However, despite a number of upgrades to the Dot over the years, this 3rd gen version still lacks a few key things that could make it a 5-star product. Most notably, there’s no 3.5mm auxiliary cord. It's not the simplest Amazon Echo speaker though; the Amazon Echo Input, adds Alexa smart capability to a connected speaker, without having the ability to play music itself.

Amazon Echo Dot FAQ: quick questions answered

Amazon Echo Dot pricing

The Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Generation was released in 2019 and cost £49.99 / $49.99 / AU$79. However, now that there's newer models on the market, there are regular deals on the older Dot and it's sometimes reduced down to £29.99 / $29.99 / AU$49.

At launch, its original price is the same as previous models were sold for just before it was launched, making it hard to criticize given its improvements to sound quality that we’ll discuss shortly.

Amazon Echo Dot design

The 3rd Generation Amazon Echo Dot is easier on the eyes than either of Amazon’s Echo Dots that came before it. It offers rounded edges that help make the Dot look less like a hockey puck, and the fabric grille around the outer edge feels modern and classy simultaneously. (Amazon has been taking pointers from the Google Home Mini, apparently.)

The fabric mesh design helps the Amazon Echo Dot blend in with the rest of the refreshed Amazon Echo line-up, which received a fabric-covered makeover with last-year’s refresh. As a result, the new Echo Dot comes in colors to match the rest of the range, too, with Charcoal, Heather Grey and Sandstone shades. 

On the top of the Echo Dot you’ll find four familiar buttons that consist of volume up and down, microphone mute and Alexa, as well as a four microphone array. 

Activating Alexa either via the button along the top or by saying its name triggers the flashing blue ring of light that you’re used to seeing on other Alexa devices - though, on one of the units we were sent, there appeared to be a short (<1s) delay in between when we said the wake word and when Alexa started listening.

Spin the unit around to the back and you’ll find the power jack plus an auxiliary 3.5mm jack that can be used to connect the Amazon Echo Dot to any speaker with a matching jack. Unfortunately, however, Amazon doesn’t include one of these cables in the box and the accompanying charger, which used to be microUSB, is now a proprietary design. 

These two small detractors aside, this is still one of the best-looking Amazon Echo Dots we’ve yet to see and, with a new color option, the most versatile, too.

Amazon Echo Dot setup and Alexa

Getting the speaker setup is simple – especially if you have one or more Alexa devices already setup in your house. If that’s you, all you need to do is head into the Amazon Alexa app and tap the plus icon in the Devices section - the app will do a quick scan for nearby devices and before you know it you’ll be up and running with your new smart speaker.

If you don’t have the Alexa or an Echo Device already installed, you’ll have to go through the process of downloading the app and signing into your Amazon account, but then it’s more or less the same process as above.

That said, while it was always easy to setup an Amazon Echo device in the past, we’re very pleased with the refresh to the Amazon Alexa app that rolled out in the last few weeks. The re-work makes it easier to group devices together into rooms, as well as add additional smart devices to your arsenal of appliances.

Unfortunately, Alexa itself hasn’t gotten the same kind of attention. That’s because Amazon has outsourced a lot of functionality to app designers who then create Skills for Alexa. These skills differ wildly in quality and utility with most of them largely falling into droll trivia games. 

The best Alexa Skills are likely in development right now – but, for now, what's available isn't really taking advantage of the excellent, voice-first system Amazon built. 

Looking past the spotty Skills library, Alexa was and still is a fairly competent smart assistant and if you just plan on using the speaker for tasks like getting your news and weather or controlling your smart devices, Alexa is more than up for the job.

Amazon Echo Dot performance

The marquee feature of the Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Generation) when it first launched was the revamped audio system that helps make the Echo Dot sound better than any version that came before it.

While there’s very little debate that this Echo Dot does, in fact, sound better than the 2017 model, it’s not quite the device you’d want to listen to a whole album on - vocals are easily lost in a cacophony of sound, and bass is nearly non-existent (a given considering how small the Amazon Echo Dot is). 

So, yes, while some music does better on the Echo than others (prog rock is not the Echo Dot’s friend and rap is just OK), you’ll still want to connect the Echo Dot to an external speaker when it’s time for some heavy listening. 

Unfortunately connecting devices to the Amazon Echo Dot isn't as simple as it could be: Disappointingly while Google has figured out a universal way to connect devices via Chromecast Built-in, Amazon needs to rely on Bluetooth for its connections. That’s not a dealbreaker by any means, but it can be a bit of an annoyance if you have friends over who all want to take turns playing DJ.  

It’s also interesting that Amazon pushed the audio performance aspect of the speaker so much at launch, as we found during our testing that it was the microphones and call quality that left us most impressed. 

Friends and family we spoke to using the Amazon Echo Dot claimed that the quality was nearly as good - if not better than - the speakerphone quality on our phones. That speaks to the quality of the Amazon Echo Dot’s microphone array and the noise-reduction algorithm Amazon has implemented for phone calls. 

Calling, therefore, remains one of the best features of the Amazon Echo Dot - alongside smart device control, of course. 

If you’re looking for a device to give to family members who might not call as frequently as they should, the Amazon Echo Dot's ability to ‘Drop In’ and make on-demand calls to anyone, anywhere in the country remains a great solution. 

Outside music, the Echo Dot has exactly the same amount of smarts as the full-size Echo. You can use it to set timers while you're cooking, have it give you a one-minute news roundup while you're eating your cereal in the morning, or even order an Uber if you've entered your Uber login details into the Alexa app. 

If you have a set routine you'd like it to perform, Alexa can string multiple commands together - like, for example, you could have your lights, heating and TV switched on - in one short phrase. This is handy once you stock up on multiple smart devices. 

We've also recently seen a slew of new voices for Alexa, as well as a new Brief Mode that makes Alexa less likely to respond to your voice (to stop the voice assistant constantly interjecting in conversations) and voice shopping via the Amazon Store.

All these features are great and make the Amazon Echo family of devices the leader in the field, even despite some tough competition from Google Assistant.

Final verdict

If you’re in the market for a cheap wireless speaker that can make calls, control your smart home and play the occasional song or two, the Amazon Echo Dot is easily one of the best smart speakers on the market for you – even better than the Google Home Mini in terms of call quality and music playback, and still worth considering today if you can find one (Amazon is pushing its newer Dot models).

That said, if you plan on sitting down for a longer listening session, we recommend connecting to an external speaker (remember to pick up a 3.5mm auxiliary cord!) or opting for one of the more audio-adept Alexa speakers like the Amazon Echo Studio or Sonos One.

Amazon has announced that its new Alexa-powered Echo smart speakers will help to boost your home's Wi-Fi signal strength. A couple of its older Echo models will also get the feature.

At its September 2022 Amazon Launch Event, the retail and device giant unveiled a new feature called Eero in Echo, which should help its best smart speakers become even better by acting as Wi-Fi extenders.

New Echo devices, like the newly announced Amazon Echo Dot (5th gen), as well as the older Amazon Echo (2020) and Amazon Echo Dot (2020), can now help to boost the Wi-Fi signal around your home by acting as part of your Eero mesh Wi-Fi setup. 

Mesh Wi-Fi systems integrate with your home's existing Wi-Fi router to provide better coverage across your home, and are generally better than traditional extenders at ensuring you get good internet speeds throughout larger properties.

It looks like you'll still need a couple of Amazon's Eero Wi-Fi extenders, like the Eero Home Wi-Fi System, as well. But if you have a couple of Amazon's latest smart speakers then it should hopefully be a fair bit cheaper to get full mesh Wi-Fi coverage across your home.

With the new Amazon Echo devices having been announced we expect to see older models, like Amazon Echo (2020) and Amazon Echo Dot (2020), get a discount during the upcoming Amazon Prime Day 2 sale in October. If our hunch is correct then you should be able to pick up these older Eero-compatible smart speakers for a reduced price and create a budget-friendly mesh Wi-Fi setup.

Alternatively, if you just can't wait, you can check out the best Amazon Echo deals available right now, and give your Wi-Fi signal a boost right away.

I love smart speakers. My house is full of them. As well as the four (four! Count them!) Amazon Echo Alexa speakers I have permanently set up in my home (a regular Echo, an Echo Studio, a 10-inch Echo Show and, the newest addition, an Echo Show 15), I have a constant procession of smart speakers in and out of my set up for review purposes.

From Sonos speakers to the Apple HomePod, I’ve basically tried all the ones worth trying – and some cruddy ones too.

However, the smart speaker market feels a little stagnant right now. Amazon hasn’t put out a significant audio upgrade to its Echo line up since the Echo Studio, the Show 15 is an improvement over the standard Show line but not a generational leap, and the HomePod line (currently at least) is resigned to be a sideshow as the HomePod Mini does the heavy lifting for Apple’s in-the-home audio ambitions.

That's why I’m particularly intrigued by a rumored update to the Google Nest Hub line up. According to the usual “sources in the know”, an upcoming Google Nest Hub 3 is making a dramatic – but sensible – change from the smart display norm.

A double whammy

According to sources speaking to 9to5Google, a third generation of the Google Nest Hub will see the smart display become a two-in-one convertible device.

Where standard smart displays are essentially static, connected screens, tethered to a plug socket and giving a visual interface to the smart speaker experience, the Nest Hub 3 would instead let a user detach the screen portion and take it around the home with them.

Beyond the broad concept, not much is yet known, or even ready to be whispered, about the Google Nest Hub 3. There’s no talk of screen sizes (the current Nest Hubs come in seven and 10-inch variants), nor whether the device would use full-fat Android or the Cast software that is at the heart of the Nest Hub 2.

Regardless, the sources are pointing to a 2022 reveal for the device and, though it’s relatively soon, Google I/O 2022 in mid-May would be the perfect stage for it to break cover. 

Sensible flexibility

Either way, Google has been lining up a change like this for a few years. Back at IFA 2019, the company announced the Google Assistant Ambient mode, an underutilized feature that would see Android devices enter a stripped-back hands-free voice control mode when docked for charging. When undocked, the devices then spring to life with full-fat Android, as seen in the Lenovo Smart Tab M10.

Smaller similar changes have been made to existing Nest Hub devices too, with swipes revealing shortcuts to web-based games and applications that expand the functionality of the smart displays.

The proposed Nest Hub 3 seems like a sensible refinement and combination of these collected ideas over the years. When smart displays initially launched, many wondered why you wouldn’t just use a tablet for the same functionality – indeed, the mobile operating systems of tablets often had far deeper functionality than the leaner OSes of smart displays. But smart displays, at least those of larger sizes like the Nest Hub 2 and rotating Echo Show 10, would always beat a tablet in terms of audio capabilities.

And so a smart display that effectively doubled up as both portable tablet and smart speaker seems like the logical approach to smart displays that, arguably, should have been the first step the then-fledgling product category should have taken.

It’s a more efficient use of devices from both a green and financial perspective – why have both a speaker and a portable tablet when one device can do both? A docked tablet would always be charged and ready for on the go use (with wireless charging liberating compared to the finicky docking ports of speakers of yesteryear), but also be smart enough to handle any hands-free voice requests a dedicated smart speaker could. It could even have additional mics in its speaker base for improved voice recognition – not to mention the audio improvements an actual speaker cabinet could bring to the audio experience over a solo tablet’s built-in speakers.

For the cash strapped or space conscious, a 2-in-1 device like this could really maximize the utility of a living space – think a student’s dorm room, or the ability to have a kitchen speaker that doubles up as an ereader when disconnected and taken to bed. If Google could get the best of Assistant Ambient mode and full-fat Android working seamlessly alongside a speaker dock, it could be one of the hardest-working pieces of tech in a family’s gadget arsenal. And with Apple rumored to be considering something similar, this proposed device is a throwback to the days of the speaker docks of old.

• Best smart speakers: from HomePod to Echo

The amount of times I make phone calls these days has decreased massively over the years - sending a message means you can still chat with friends and family but at a pace that’s more convenient. 

I also find I now only make calls when I’m doing something else to maximize my time - whether that’s sorting the washing while I’m on hold to a company, or because both myself and my partner are chatting to our families. But you might be surprised to learn that I make these calls on my Amazon Echo, and other Alexa smart speakers and smart displays in my home.

It’s a better experience than using my smartphone on hands-free mode (something I started doing to reduce arm ache as well as ensure that both myself and my other half could hear the conversation). Even better than that,  it’s free of charge and doesn’t come out of my monthly calling allowance either. 

Hands-free calling that doesn’t cost a penny

Alexa Calling, which is the name given to the feature on Amazon Echos that lets you make calls - isn’t new. It was first introduced in 2017 in the US and made its way to the UK a couple of months later but many Echo owners don’t even know it exists.

Initially it wasn’t really a viable option for me as I spent most of my waking hours away from home, and my Amazon Echo. 

Then the pandemic hit, and like everyone else I was confined to the house, and my Amazon Echo speaker was closer than ever before. While my friends and brother were happy to engage in the ‘zoom boom’ when it came to staying in touch, my parents weren’t quite as comfortable video calling, and preferred traditional telephone calls. 

However, having got used to making far fewer phone calls over the years, it wasn’t long before my arm started to ache holding my, quite frankly hefty, iPhone 11 Pro Max for 30 minutes to an hour at a time. This also meant when I came off the phone, I had to repeat most of the conversation so my other half was up to speed with what had been discussed. 

We’ve found it’s far more efficient for us both to talk to the family together, something we started doing during the global pandemic and have carried on as life begins to revert back to normal. 

I tried using my smartphone on speaker, to ensure my other half could take part in the conversations too, but it meant balancing my handset precariously on the edge of the sofa, so we could both hear the conversation, and our recipients were able to hear us clearly too. However, as soon as one of us shifted position, the phone slipped down the crack between the sofa cushions, and the callers were left listening to our muffled voices panicking as we shoved our hands between the stiff cushioning.  

All of these phone calls also meant my calling plan allowance took quite a beating. Prior to the pandemic I’d been someone that always prioritized mobile data over calling minutes  - a move, which I was beginning to regret. That’s when I realised the answer was right in front of me - my Amazon Echo. 

How to use Alexa Calling

The Alexa Calling feature is available on any Amazon Echo smart speaker and Amazon Echo Show smart display. Although, you’ll need to give Alexa permission to access your contacts from your smartphone before you can use Alexa Calling. 

To this, open the Alexa smartphone app and tap on the Communicate icon in the lower-left corner of the screen. You’ll then be asked to verify your mobile phone number and grant permission for Alexa to make calls on your behalf. You’ll also be given the opportunity to  import contacts from your smartphone - you can either select the ones you want, or import then all in one go. 

Once you’ve done this, you can then make a call to any mobile or landline number, simply by using the command “Alexa call….” followed by the name of the contact you want to call or the telephone number, to your Amazon Echo. 

The calls are made using your Amazon Echo’s internet connection, which means your calling allowances won’t be affected and for those on pay as you go tariffs, you won’t be charged for these calls. 

However, there are some limitations, Alexa Calling won’t work if you want to call emergency or premium-rate numbers, and you can only call numbers in the US, UK, Canada and Mexico (these are the territories the feature is currently available).

If you’re still struggling with Alexa Calling, follow our in–depth guide on How to use Alexa to make phone calls on an Amazon Echo

In my lounge, my Amazon Echo (2020) is positioned on a coffee table directly in front of the sofa myself and my partner sit on when relaxing. This meant that we were both able to clearly hear what was being said during conversations with friends and family. Likewise, the far field microphones were able to clearly pick up both our voices so the recipients on our calls were able to understand us both easily too. 

This hands-free calling method ensured we were more comfortable, and put an end to any arm ache I endured during audio calls. The fact there were no charges for the calls was an added bonus too. 

In fact, Alexa Calling has proved so successful that as things are starting to get back to normal, I still use it as my go-to calling method, particularly if I know it's going to be a long conversation, or one that warrants both myself and my other half on the call. 

The best Amazon Echo devices for Alexa Calling

There’s a wide array of Amazon Echo smart speakers on the market, which may leave you wondering which is best if you plan to use Alexa Calling to make phone calls rather than your smartphone. Here’s our pick of the three best Echo devices. 

As well as playing music, answering questions and controlling your smart home – among many, many other things – smart speakers and smart displays can also be used to make free phone calls.

When it comes to Alexa there are several different types of calls on offer. Amazon’s voice assistant can start a call between two compatible Amazon Echo devices (and a video call between Echo Show smart displays with cameras), as well as call mobiles and landlines, and create group calls too.

It is also possible to send messages between Echo devices and between them and the Alexa smartphone app on iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire devices. The system is called Alexa Calling and Messaging, and it is available internationally, although free calls to mobiles and landlines from Alexa devices are only offered in the US, UK, Canada, and Mexico, as of late-2021.

Alexa also has a feature called drop-in. This can be used between two or more Alexa devices in the same home, or between the Alexa devices or you and a contact. Dropping in effectively turns Alexa speakers into intercoms, where a live audio connection is established between the two. This can be handy for checking in on someone in another room of your home or speaking to a relative without calling them. Both parties need to enable Drop-in for it to work, as the call starts right away, and doesn’t need to be accepted by the receiving party.

Fancy grabbing yourself one of Amazon’s smart speakers or smart displays? Check out the best prices on offer right now. 

How to set up calling and messaging in the Alexa app 

Open the Alexa smartphone app and tap on the Communicate icon in the lower-left corner of the screen. This brings up a page showing all the ways you can use the Alexa app to communicate with your contacts and Alexa devices, such as calling, messaging, dropping in, and announcing. Contacts are imported from your smartphone, and you may need to grant the Alexa app permission to do this before you get started if you haven’t done so already.

From here, it’s easy to tap Call then find a contact, tap on their name, and use the app to call their phone or start an audio or video call with their Alexa device. Contacts with an Alexa device that can be called have a blue checkmark next to their name.

These phone calls are made (and messages sent) using your Alexa app’s internet connection. They are labeled as coming from your name (or the name you use with your Alexa account), and not from your mobile phone number. They also do not come out of your mobile call, message, or data plan, as they use the Wi-Fi and the web, not your phone’s cellular connection.

How to make calls with a voice command

It’s also possible to make a call by speaking to your Alexa devices, such as an Echo smart speaker or Echo Show smart display. Making a call is as simple as saying: “Alexa, call…” then the contact’s name, and whether you want to call their mobile landline, or Echo device. This works with any Amazon Echo device connected to your Amazon account, so you can make hands-free calls whenever you are in earshot of the Echo device.

Phrases used to call a contact or group can include:

To create and manage your calling groups, open the Alexa app and tap the Communicate button, then tap the contacts icon in the top-right corner. Now tap on the icon with three dots, also in the top-right, and from here you can add a contact or group. Once a group is created and named, you can use Alexa to call all of the group’s members at once.

You can also call numbers that aren’t already in your contacts book, simply by reading them out after the “Alexa, call…” instruction. However, there are some limitations here. You cannot use Alexa to call emergency or premium-rate numbers, and you can only call numbers in the US, UK, Canada and Mexico.

It's possible to call more than one person at a time, thanks to Alexa's ability to make group calls on an Amazon Echo, as well. 

Can your Amazon Echo receive phone calls?

Yes, but there are some limitations here too. Your Alexa devices (and Alexa app) can receive calls from contacts in the same way as explained above. In other words, contacts who call you using their own Alexa device.

But for some people it’s also possible to make a receive call with Alexa, using your mobile phone number. In the UK this is limited to EE customers and Vodafone customers who have a Red account. Once set up, incoming calls to your mobile phone will ring your Alexa devices as well as your phone, and similarly, you can place calls from your phone number by speaking to Alexa on an Echo speaker or display.

This is all free to set up and use, and calls made come out of your existing monthly allowance (which for most EE and Vodafone red customers will be unlimited anyway). Unlike regular calling with Alexa, this system lets you make emergency calls and dial premium numbers by speaking to Alexa.

Lastly, it is worth pointing out that calls sent to your Echo devices can also be answered via the Alexa smartphone app. That way, someone calling by speaking to their Echo can get hold of you whether you are near your own Echo speaker or not.

What about Alexa Messaging?

You can also send SMS messages hands-free with your Echo device. Simply say “Alexa, send a message”, and Alexa will ask for the name of the recipient. Once you’ve given Alexa the contact, you’ll be asked for the content of the message after which you can dictate what you want your SMS to say. Once you’re done, Alexa will send the message to your contact. 

It’s also possible to do this using the Alexa app on your smartphone or tablet. Just open the app and select the Conversations button. 

Select the name of the person you want to send the message to and hold down the microphone icon to dictate your message. You can also do this the old-fashioned way by typing on your devices keyboard if you wish. 

This doesn’t send messages to their phone directly – it will be sent to the recipient’s Echo speaker and Alexa app on their smartphone. 

When they receive a message, the light on their Echo will flash yellow – to hear the message, they just need to say “play message”. They’ll also receive a notification on their smartphone or tablet via the Alexa app, where they can play the contents if they’re away from their Echo speaker. 

• The problem with Alexa: what's the solution to sexist voice assistants? 

The Echo Show 15, which is Amazon's largest smart display to date, is now available to pre-order and will ship on December 9. The device, which can be wall-mounted or placed on a counter (providing you purchase an additional stand), was first unveiled at the brand’s hardware event in September this year and is priced at $249 / £239.99 / AU$399. The additional stand is priced at $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$49.99.

True to its name, the Echo Show 15 has a 15.6-inch touchscreen and is designed to act as a family hub by displaying calendars and your shopping list, while also letting you leave digital sticky notes for the rest of the household. Just like Amazon's other smart displays, the built-in camera can be used for video calls or double as a home security camera. 

As you’d expect, the Echo Show 15 can also be used to watch movie streaming services such as Netflix and Prime Video on the display, as well as listening to your favorite tracks through the built-in speaker, which has dual 1.6-inch drivers. 

• Exclusive: Huge news for UK Echo users – Alexa is getting a new voice
• Discover every Alexa privacy setting and how to change them
• What is Amazon Kids on Alexa, and how do I turn it on?

Opinion: Amazon’s new smart display wants to be your personal assistant 

In our eyes, Amazon is trying to give us all our own personal assistants with the Echo Show 15. The built-in camera doesn’t just provide a way to make video calls, Amazon says it also enables a ‘Visual ID’ feature that will recognize the user standing in front of it and tailor the information on screen to that person. 

Once you’ve set up the feature, as soon as you face the smart display you’ll be shown a custom greeting, along with any reminders or calendar appointments, and even notes that others in the household have left you. It’s the digital equivalent of having a personal assistant greet you at the front door and hand over your messages. 

While for some, the idea of a personal assistant for the home might be the ultimate luxury, for others - including this writer - it's a step too far. Not only does it give the home a more office-style vibe, which doesn’t help create the relaxing atmosphere I actually want in my own property, but the sticky notes feature is also likely to reduce my interaction with others in the household. 

I’d much rather remind my other half to take the bins out face-to-face, as then I can do it with a smile and a kiss to soften the blow of pointing out he needs to get his chores done - that’s just not something a digital sticky note will let me do. So, I for one, won’t be jumping to pre-order the Echo Show 15. Here’s hoping the other smart display brands on the market don’t follow suit and turn these handy devices into virtual PAs. 

• In the market for an Alexa speaker? Check out the best Black Friday Amazon Echo deals round-up to get a heads up on all the best deals as soon as they drop 

Amazon Echo users in the UK are finally able to change Alexa’s voice, Amazon has confirmed to TechRadar. The deeper-sounding alternative, which is already available to Echo owners in the US, is being rolled out to Amazon smart speakers and smart displays in the UK. 

However, while in the US, Alexa’s name can be changed to Ziggy, Brits will have to wait until next year before they can assign this title to the voice assistant. For now, they'll have to make do with the existing wake words – Alexa (the default), Computer, Amazon, or Echo – to summon the voice assistant. 

Just say "Alexa, change your voice" to switch to the new more masculine voice; note, though, that an Amazon spokesperson told us the upgrade would land on devices "over the next few days", so don’t be alarmed if Alexa is unable to do this immediately. 

You can also use the Alexa app on your smartphone to switch between the two voices – read our article for in-depth instructions on how to change Alexa’s voice. 

•  Discover every Alexa privacy setting and how to change them 
•  What is Amazon Kids on Alexa, and how do I turn it on?
• How to reset an Amazon Echo (and why you should know how before Black Friday)

Opinion: is a new voice option enough?

Amazon has lagged behind when it comes to offering a choice of voices for its virtual assistant, as both Google and Apple have offered an array of options for some time. While there are areas where Alexa trumps its rival voice assistants – such as the number of smart home devices it's compatible with – the rollout of the deeper-voiced alternative in the UK shows that the brand is looking to square up to its rivals in all areas. However, it might not be enough to stop British Echo users from feeling a bit fed up. 

While the masculine tone is a start, there’s still no sign of the celebrity voice alternatives that are available for Alexa in the US, which include Samuel L Jackson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Melissa McCarthy. When we asked Amazon about the possibility of celebrity voices heading to the UK, a spokesperson told TechRadar: “I’m afraid I can’t comment on our future roadmap.”

We understand that Shaq might not be a big draw for those outside America, but both Samuel L Jackson and Melissa McCarthy are global superstars that resonate around the world – and a couple of British celeb options, such as Mary Berry or Daniel Craig, would be welcome too. 

It’s not just the lack of voice choice that bothers us – from the ability to make zoom calls on the Amazon Echo range of smart displays, to using the handy Guard Plus feature to turn Alexa into a device that monitors your home for unusual noises, there are a wealth of features the UK users don’t have access to, and it’s starting to make us a little jealous.

Here’s hoping that Amazon can speed up the rollout of its roadmap in the UK before we start to turn our backs on Alexa and Echo in favour of other, more feature-rich alternative smart speakers on the market.

• In the market for an Alexa speaker? Check out the best Black Friday Amazon Echo deals round-up to get a heads up on all the best deals as soon as they drop 

Love asking Alexa questions, but frustrated by the precious little time you have to ask them before your voice assistant cuts you off? This latest Alexa feature could be one of the most important if you regularly make use of devices like the Amazon Echo or Echo Studio.

The new feature grants you more time to present questions or statements to Alexa, The Verge reported, letting you take your time articulating what you want to say, or perhaps even ask long-form, complex questions to your smart home device.

Another positive feature being added to the Android version of the Alexa app is the ability to type requests to your voice assistant, great for users who may not want (or are unable) to use their voice in the moment. It's a feature that's been usable on the iOS version of the Alexa app since late 2020, and it's finally rolling out to Android users in the US first. Hopefully a global rollout will follow shortly.

• 80 Amazon Alexa Easter Eggs: Fun tips and tricks for your Echo device
• Should Amazon rename Alexa?
• Alexa vs Google Assistant: which voice assistant is best for you?

The ability to enable longer statement times seems to be off by default in the Alexa app, so users will need to switch it on if they want to make use of this handy setting. To do so, simply head into 'Device Settings' in your Alexa smartphone app and select your desired Alexa-compatible device.

As for the ability to type statements and questions in the Alexa app, both Siri and Google Assistant, as well as Microsoft's Cortana, have all had this feature for a while, so it's nice to see Alexa finally catching up to the competition in this regard.

The new features are especially refreshing to see from Alexa, where some recent updates have come across as fairly superfluous, such as adding celebrity voices – a novel feature that ultimately does little to heighten the smart home device's accessibility.

Analysis: accessibility and Alexa

More accessibility options with smart home devices is always a good thing, and granting users more time to posit questions and statements to Alexa achieves a whole lot more than you might think.

This could be an invaluable feature for users with speech impediments who might need the extra time to articulate. Plus, it grants more time in general to more naturally talk to Alexa, without feeling forced to present statements in a more rushed, truncated format.

It's curious as to why Amazon has waited until now to add a typing feature to the Android version of the Alexa app, though it's fair to assume that because Alexa is generally tailored for home usage, the option to type requests to Alexa probably wasn't priority one for the development team at Amazon.

• The best smart speakers out there

Amazon’s Alexa is probably the most well-known virtual voice assistant in the world, with just under 70% of US smart speaker users projected to use an Echo speaker in 2021. 

The voice assistant’s popularity is largely down to the sheer number of things it can do. You can use Alexa to control your smart home devices, set calendar reminders, and even make calls. And it’s not restricted to Amazon’s own devices: there are plenty of third-party wireless speaker and smart home device manufacturers that have added the voice assistant to their own products. 

While adding Alexa to a smart speaker seems like a no brainer, there are plenty of strange devices that have been given the AI assistant’s skills. From dancing teddy bears to washing machines, Alexa really is everywhere - and there could be a new influx of Alexa devices coming to your smart home soon. 

Amazon has announced that it will hold its annual hardware and services event on September 28 at 9am PST / 12pm EST / 5pm BST - that’s 2am AEST on September 29 if you’re in Australia.

In the run up to the big event, where we could see new Echo speakers as well as upgrades to Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Amazon Luna, we’ve taken a look back at the weirdest devices to get Alexa compatibility. 

• The best Alexa Skills for your Echo speaker

Amazon Echo Wall Clock 

Having Alexa work with a clock actually seems like a good idea - after all, one of the biggest questions asked of the voice assistant is ‘what’s the time?’, so having that physically represented in the Amazon Echo Wall Clock makes sense. 

Priced at $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$49, it comes with a 10-inch clock face with 60 LEDs that light up to indicate timers set on a paired Echo device. Annoyingly, there are no microphones or speakers built-in to the clock itself, so you’ll need to give commands to a separate Alexa speaker.

Amazon Basics Alexa Microwave

Like the Alexa Wall Clock, Amazon’s smart microwave only works alongside a separate Echo speaker. As well as working with your voice, the microwave features an Ask Alexa button that you can tap to tell it what’s cooking - Amazon has a number of cooking presets, so you can ask it to ‘reheat coffee’ or ‘cook one potato’. 

Costing $59.99 (about £45 / AU$80), the microwave now seems to have been discontinued - at least, it's not available on Amazon at the time of writing. Suppress your snickers, though: as Forbes’ Steve Aquino points out, the Alexa microwave made cooking accessible for those who aren’t able to operate regular buttons by adding a voice option. 

Ring Always Home Cam 

Last year’s Amazon hardware event saw a total design refresh for the Echo speaker line up - as well as a continuation of the company’s love affair with drones, with its home security company Ring, taking to the skies.

The $250 (about £180 / AU$345) Ring Always Home Cam is an autonomous indoor drone that flies around your home that gives you a live mobile feed of what’s going on if it spots an intruder - pretty futuristic, if not a little voyeuristic. Like other Ring security cameras, you should be able to ask Alexa to show the feed on an Echo Show smart display, fast-forwarding and rewinding with your voice alone.

Despite launching a year ago, we still don’t have a firm release date, but the upcoming Amazon event could change that. 

 Sharp Smart Works with Alexa range 

Unveiled at CES 2019 (anyone else remember in-person tech events?!), this kitchen range from Sharp consists of a 75-liter oven, a four-door fridge/freezer, a smart dishwasher, and a 10kg washing machine, all supporting commands via Alexa.

As Kevin Lynch reported at the time, the washing machine was what really got us going. It’s of skills comprise 22 specialist stain-busting programs, which include a dedicated chocolate cleaning option that will likely be popular with parents. 

Gemmy Twerking Bear

This is where things get really silly. The Gemmy Twerking Bear does pretty much exactly what you’d expect, shaking its rude thang to the beat of your Amazon Music tracks. When you ask Alexa a question, it will even move its animatronic lips in response, as if Alexa is inhabiting its very soul. Not satisfied with only dancing to music, the Gemmy Twerking Bear also grooves when an Alexa timer, alarm, reminder, or notification is triggered. 

• Looking for something more conventional? Check out the best smart speakers you can buy today

Pop superstar Billie Eilish has been spotted in the Studio... no, not that Studio, we're talking about Amazon's biggest and best-sounding smart speaker. 

Ahead of its annual hardware event on September 28, the company has released a limited edition version of the Amazon Echo Studio with Billie Eilish's face plastered on the speaker's grille.

• The best Alexa speakers you can buy today
• Read our Amazon Echo Studio review
• The top Alexa skills and commands

Available to preorder now for $230 (about £170 / AU$315), the Happier Than Ever album-themed speaker will ship in October. That's a little pricier than the Echo Studio's original price, but we're sure die-hard Billie fans won't mind. 

If you're a little confused as to why Amazon would release the Billie-branded Echo Studio (and we don't blame you), it seems to be part of a marketing ploy to extol the benefits of the wireless speaker's spatial audio technology.

In an Amazon statement, Eilish said: "I can't wait for my cutie fans to be able to listen to my new album Happier Than Ever in spatial audio, available on Amazon Music Unlimited."

More choice, please

If you're a Billie Eilish fan, we're sure the idea of an Echo Studio with her face plastered all over it is truly exciting - but it does leave everyone else out in the cold. 

Amazon is clearly capable of printing images onto its smart speakers, so why not take it one step further and allow customers to upload their own images and buy fully personalized Echo speakers? It would certainly set its Echo range apart from rivals like the Apple HomePod mini and the Google Nest lineup. 

You could even use a selfie, as if you'd taken the very essence of Alexa and put it into   the empty shell of your own face - as demonstrated beautifully by TechRadar staff writer, Tom Bedford:

We can see why the company would be hesitant, though. Unless it could monitor the kind of images people were uploading, there could be an influx of rude (and potentially very offensive) Echo speakers finding their way onto the internet. And that wouldn't be very good for the company's image at all.

Still, there's no reason why Amazon couldn't take a small step towards customizable smart speakers. The current Echo range is only available in two colors: Glacier White, and Twilight Blue. We get that consistent branding has worked so far in helping Amazon to dominate the smart home market, but surely Alexa speakers are ubiquitous enough now for the company to have a little fun?

After all, we know that Amazon isn't shy about playing with wacky designs; the Amazon Echo Dot Kids, suitable for children of three and upwards, is available in either a Panda or Tiger design that brings a cute look to the Echo Dot’s space-age spherical aesthetic. 

In fact, the company recently crowdfunded a limited edition Echo Dot, made in collaboration with fashion designer Diane Von Furstenburg, resulting in a smart speaker that might actually appeal to those who dare to splash a little color around their homes. 

There was an element of choice in this collaboration, too; customers were given a choice of three designs to preorder, with only the winning design (Midnight Kiss) being made. 

We'd love to see more designer-led collaborations like this in the future - as well as making more color and pattern options available for the regular Echo Dot, without the drawn out process of having to vote for different designs. 

Perhaps better customization for Echo speakers is something we'll see at the upcoming Amazon event. The company could even make its next Echos modular, with the ability to swap out the grille depending on your mood, the season, or simply to match your new cushions. For now though, it's Billie or bust.

• Read our Amazon Echo Show 10 review

The Sonos One started a revolution. It was one of the first smart speakers that didn't force users to choose between smarts and excellent sound quality (it features both), as well as the first that didn't make users choose between Alexa and Google Assistant.

Even without that, however, the Sonos One is a spectacular speaker. In our time testing it, we were consistently impressed with the sound quality in both standalone and stereo speaker modes and how voice assistant integration has continued to grow.

Sonos speakers have also been given a hefty upgrade, as the company launched a new operating system and accompanying app that brings support for Hi-Res Audio to its newer wireless speakers.

The new Sonos S2 app also brings a feature called 'room groups'—this means your wireless speaker system will be able to remember frequently grouped players (like your bedroom speakers and your living room speakers). This should allow you to get entire areas of your home—downstairs, for example—playing music much more quickly than before. 

There's now stiff competition from Apple and Google, but the Sonos One is our top pick in our best wireless speaker guide and best smart speaker guide—and has been since it first launched.

What Sonos has working to its advantage is its multi-room ecosystem that goes a long ways toward filling the gaps left in Alexa and Google Assistant's ecosystems.

One day Amazon and Google's Hi-Fi speakers might overtake the Sonos One. But, until that day comes, you can rest assured knowing that Sonos, with its wealth of experience and brilliant inter-connectivity, still holds the top spot. Read on for our full Sonos One review.

Sonos One review: price and availability

• First released in 2018
• Costs $219 / £199 / AU$319
• Expensive for a smart speaker, but worth it

The Sonos One was first released in 2018. However, it's worth pointing out that since then Sonos speakers have had several updates. 

Price-wise, the Sonos One initially launched for $199 / £179 / AU$299, but it's now $219 / £199 / AU$319.

In terms of how the Sonos One stacks up in the current Sonos line-up, it's much cheaper than the the brand's first portable speaker. This costs $399 / £399 / AU$649 and you can read more about it in our Sonos Move review.

And it's more expensive than the brand's ultra portable speaker, which costs $179 / £179 / AU$299. Check out our Sonos Roam review for more details.

Then again, it's not really a direct competitor to these portable devices. In fact, very few speakers from other brands tick all of the boxes the Sonos One does, but to compare it to other smart speakers, it's nearly double the price of the $99 / £99 / AU$149 Apple HomePod Mini and $99 / £89 / AU$149 Google Home Max.

Having said that, it's significantly cheaper than another rival: the Bose Home Speaker 500, which is $399.95 / £399.95 / AU$599.95.

What this means is, for a smart speaker, it's expensive. But Sonos is a fantastic audio brand that offers up much more than a voice assistant in a speaker, which goes some way to justifying that price. Finding the right Sonos promo codes for your needs could help a bit too.

Sonos One review: design

• Simple, minimal looks
• Touch sensitive controls

Although the Sonos One’s design is broadly based on the company’s existing Play:1 smart speaker—which you can read more about in our Sonos Play:1 review—there have been a number of improvements made. 

On the top you’ll find a touch-sensitive surface that’s a great deal sleeker than the Play:1’s trio of volume and play/pause buttons. Swiping right or left skips forward and backwards through your current playlist, while tapping in the center of the surface plays and pauses your music. Finally, tapping the left and right halves of the panel raise and lower the volume. 

It might be a simple series of controls but, as has always been the way with Sonos speakers, you’ll spend most of your time controlling them via the app. The physical controls are nice when you want to quickly skip a track, but you’re unlikely to use them much, especially now that voice control is also an option. 

To facilitate this voice control, Sonos has equipped the speaker with six internal microphones to allow it to hear you drunkenly ask to play ‘Hey, Jude’ just one more time, and these are joined by more or less the same guts as the Sonos Play:1; namely its pair of Class-D amplifiers and a tweeter / mid-woofer driver combo. 

On the top of the device you’ve also got a power-indicating LED alongside a small light to let you know when Alexa is listening. This second LED is hardwired to the microphones, and Sonos promises that the microphones cannot listen to you if it’s not illuminated.

Sonos One review: set-up

• Slightly tricky set-up
• Tuning customization

Thanks to the combination of Amazon’s and Sonos’ services, the setup of the Sonos One is a little more involved than your average Echo device, but thankfully not horrifically so. 

The process involves installing the Sonos and Alexa apps, and you’ll need to sign into both your Sonos and Amazon accounts, as well as any other music streaming services that you’ll want to listen to using the speaker. 

You’ll also be encouraged to go through a ‘Trueplay Tuning’ process, which requires you to walk around your room with your phone as your speaker plays a number of test sounds. Your phone listens to how the speaker sounds in its environment, and tunes its sound accordingly. 

Of course, you can also manually adjust the treble and bass levels of your speaker if you have more specific preferences, although we were content to leave them at their default levels. 

You’ll also need to assign the Sonos One a room to allow you to identify it from the Sonos app, and it’s here that you’ll also have the ability to pair the Sonos One up with another speaker to have them play music in stereo. Unfortunately you can’t pair it with a Sonos Play:1, despite the similarities in form-factor. 

Sonos One review: sound quality

• It sounds fantastic
• An update adds support for some hi-res audio

Given that this is a Sonos speaker, you won’t be surprised to hear that the Sonos One sounds pretty fantastic. 

Throw Elegie by Mouse on the Keys at the speaker, and sound has real punch and energy to it. The song’s kickdrum...well...has kick to it, and drives the energy of the song. It’s an impressive amount of power from such a small speaker. 

The speaker even deals admirably with more complicated pieces of music. Silent Earthling by Three Trapped Tigers sounds clear and crisp, despite the multiple layers of instruments circulating throughout the song. 

That said, the speaker doesn’t offer the separation of a pair of stereo speakers with the way the music is squashed into a single channel, but it does a solid job at its size and price point, and naturally its ability to be paired with more Sonos speakers enhances its sound further still. 

Since we first tested the Sonos One, Sonos has added a bunch of updates to improve sound performance. One of the most significant is support for high-res audio. Currently, this only works with Amazon Music Unlimited, but in a blog post about the update, Sonos says: "we look forward to introducing more high-resolution experiences in the future".

Sonos One review: Alexa, the Sonos app and future developments

• Added Spotify integration after launch
• More updates expected

Of course, much of what’s written above could also have been said of the original Play:1 when it was first released back in 2013. The real story here is about how voice control is integrated—it is simply wonderfully executed. 

Almost, nearly perfect.

While at launch the functionality seemed a little more limited than we were expecting due to the absence of its integration with Spotify, this has now been rectified via a software update. 

It's great news, as Spotify is one of the more popular streaming services out there. Being able to simply request songs by using your voice is far more convenient than having to dig into an app on your phone. 

With Spotify now added, the Sonos One is an impressively featured multi-room speaker. It’s backed by the same great Sonos app that has seen continuous improvement and development over the years, and now integrates with all major music streaming services. 

Otherwise the speaker acts pretty much as you’d expect a smart speaker to. It integrates with all the same smart home products, you can ask it about the weather, or just have it tell you stupid facts and jokes. 

With the Sonos Alexa skill, you can also use voice commands to get music playing on other Sonos speakers throughout your home. The skill is still in beta and is hence a little buggy (it refused to play the radio on “kitchen speaker”, but was fine with “kitchen”), but when this sees a full launch it will be another helpful feature. 

Conclusion

Essentially, we think the Sonos One is the best smart speaker on the planet. And, despite mounting competition, the fact it's held onto that top spot for years now is really saying something.

Fundamentally this is because it’s underpinned by audio quality that’s a step above what’s available on Amazon’s current generation of Echo hardware, but it’s a speaker that also integrates fantastically well with the rest of Sonos’s multi-room lineup. 

Yes, it was certainly a shame that it launched without support for the most popular streaming service in the world, Spotify, but kudos to Sonos for bringing out the update later. The speaker is now just as effective as an Amazon Echo at playing your music, and sounds better than Amazon's devices too.

Also consider...

If our Sonos One review has you considering other options, then take a look at three other smart speaker options below.

• First reviewed in September 2018

• Visit our Sonos coupon page for our latest deals and discounts.