Amazon expands Echo lineup with 5 new speakers, including one designed for your bedside

Amazon has unveiled five new Echo speakers at once, marking its biggest hardware refresh in over a year. With Alexa+ arriving in the UK back in March, this is the first major wave of new Echo devices to follow, bringing updated designs and some new features to the lineup.

The new lineup includes a revamped Echo Dot, the Echo Time, a camera-free smart speaker designed specifically for the bedside, and the Echo Studio with Home Camera. Amazon has also introduced Kids editions of its Echo Dot and Echo Time, giving younger users their own versions.

All five devices are launching in the UK today, with prices starting at £94.99 for the new Echo Dot and rising to £239.99 for the Echo Studio with Home Camera. They're available to buy through Amazon, with other retailers yet to be announced.

The new Echo Dot (£94.99) now comes with support for Zigbee, Matter and Thread, allowing it to connect to hundreds of compatible devices without needing an extra hub. It's powered by Amazon's new AZ3 custom silicon, which is designed to make conversations with Alexa+ faster and more natural. There's also a fourth microphone to help Alexa hear you around the room, alongside a redesigned driver that delivers 50% more bass than the previous generation.

Amazon has also upgraded its Echo Studio, adding a 13-megapixel camera and renaming it the Echo Studio with Home Camera (£239.99). The camera lets Alexa+ see and understand what's in front of it, whilst Live View allows you to check in on your room when you're away. It also includes three custom drivers, a high-excursion woofer and Dolby Atmos deliver immersive 3D sound, with Advanced Room Adaptation and Adaptive Volume adjusting playback to suit your space.

The model I'm most interested in is the Echo Time (£184.99), a new camera-free Echo designed for the bedside. Whilst it’s not Amazon’s first screen-equipped speaker without a camera – the new Echo Spot launched in 2024 – the Time looks like a more advanced take on the idea, thanks to Omnisense technology that enables optional sleep-aware alarms. These aim to wake you during lighter sleep, within 10-60 minutes of your set alarm time, without the need for a wearable.

As bedtime approaches, the display reduces blue light and dims to show just the time. In the morning, a sunrise-inspired display gradually brightens, whilst the alarm builds in intensity with each snooze.

Finally, Amazon has launched Kids editions of the Echo Dot (£104.99) and Echo Time (£194.99). Both include a year of Kids+, with child-friendly features ranging from Stories with Alexa to Sleep Studio wind-down content from Calm and Moshi, all managed through the Parent Dashboard.