Amazon announced five new Alexa products today, among them a smart picture frame called the Alexa Photo Frame and a bedroom-oriented alarm clock named Echo Time.
The Alexa Photo Frame marks the retailer's entry into digital photo displays, a market that has evolved from bulky holiday gifts to sleek, modern screens.
Much of the category's growth is linked to Aura, and the new frame mirrors that look: its screen is gentler on the eyes than older bright frames and uses a semi-matte, anti-glare panel that resembles a Samsung Frame TV more than a laptop display.
Its 10-inch display presents images like matte photographs, helping it blend with wall art.
Amazon adds value by linking the frame to users' Amazon accounts; Prime members receive unlimited Amazon Photos storage and Alexa+ is said to intelligently decide when and how to show pictures.
"It knows to choose photos where you're smiling and the lighting is right, and it matches the season you're in, so you see last year's family Halloween costumes in October instead of the middle of spring. It also knows what to skip, like screenshots and receipts," Amazon said in a press release.
Voice notes can be attached to images, and new photos sync automatically.
The Alexa Photo Frame is currently for sale, priced at $199.99 in Black and $229 in Birch or Walnut wood.
Echo Time appears to answer the desire for a non-phone alarm, morning reminders and weather checks.
"Millions of customers start and end their days with Alexa, checking the weather and turning on the lights from bed in the morning or winding down with white noise at night," Amazon wrote. "But the bedroom asks for something different from a device than the kitchen or living room does, so we designed an Echo specifically for it."
Amazon states Echo Time costs $199.99, with a Kids version at $209.99, and includes optional sleep-sensing tools. Users can enable a smart alarm that wakes them within a 10- to 60-minute window, timing the alert to lighter sleep phases for a gentler start. The clock also offers sunrise simulation similar to Hatch devices.
Updates were also shown for existing products: a new Echo Show 16, an upgraded Echo Dot, and an Echo Studio with Home Camera.
The refreshed Echo Dot now houses a built-in smart home hub and an eero Wi-Fi extender that can cover up to 1,000 square feet, plus Amazon's AZ3 silicon chip for faster on-device processing and quicker Alexa+ conversations.
Amazon describes the Echo Studio with Home Camera as its most advanced speaker, noting the camera can recognize objects and provide real-time assistance.
"Alexa can also see and understand what's in front of the camera and help you in real time," Amazon explained. "Pull out a board game box and ask Alexa+ to explain the rules or hold up a cereal box and Alexa can recognize it and help you reorder more flavors."
The Echo Dot is priced at $99.99, while the Echo Studio with Home Camera retails for $249.99.
The new Echo Show 16 features a 16-inch screen that Amazon claims offers a viewing area 10% larger than its predecessor's, yet with a frame 40% smaller. It includes Fire TV, Family Organizer tools and can act as a digital photo frame.
Pre-orders for the Echo Show 16 are open at $499.99.
