Amazon unveils new Echo devices, powered by its Al, Alexa+

At its annual hardware event, Amazon unveiled a new lineup of Echo devices powered by its advanced AI assistant, Alexa+. The four new models—the Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 11—feature enhanced processing power and memory, enabled by Amazon’s custom-designed AZ3 and AZ3 Pro silicon chips. These chips improve wake word detection, conversation recognition, and support advanced AI models and vision transformers. Notably, the AZ3 Pro devices incorporate Omnisense, a sensor platform that uses cameras, audio, ultrasound, Wi-Fi radar, and other inputs to enable Alexa to respond contextually to events in the home, such as recognizing when a person enters a room or alerting users to an open garage door. The Echo Dot Max ($99.99) offers significantly improved sound with nearly three times the bass, while the Echo Studio ($219.99) boasts a smaller spherical design, spatial audio, Dolby Atmos support, and an upgraded light ring. Both can