Amazon today took the wraps off of a new Echo Dot, six months after launching the original Alexa-enabled puck.
The new Echo Dot isn’t a huge departure from the original in terms of design, but it is a bit shorter than its predecessor (32mm vs 38mm). What is different about the new Echo Dot is that it’s got a more powerful speech processor that Amazon says will improve far-field speech recognition accuracy.
Another new feature of the new Echo Dot is Echo Spatial Perception, or ESP. This feature is meant for customers who have multiple Echo Dots throughout their home, and it’ll calculate the clarity of your voice to determine which Echo Dot should respond to your request.
The new Echo Dot is now available for pre-order ahead of its Oct. 20 launch. Pricing is set at $49.99, which is $40 less than the original Echo Dot’s price. At this price, Amazon is pushing consumers to order several Dots, and it’s even offering multi-packs that’ll get you one Echo Dot for free when you buy five or two free Dots when you buy 10.
Amazon today also introduced a new white version of the standard Amazon Echo. This is the same hardware as the original Echo, just with a white coat of paint. It’s priced at $179.99 and will launch on Sept. 28.
One other detail worth noting is that Amazon’s Echo products are launching in the U.K. and Germany. Both products will begin shipping in the U.K. in the coming weeks, and next month they’ll start going out in Germany, where they’ll be available by invitation.
