Amazon has released four new Echo devices designed to power its Alexa smart home setups. The launch includes two speakers, the Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio, and two smart displays, the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11. Each device features new internal hardware to better support Amazon’s conversational AI assistant, Alexa+, and comes with a built-in smart home hub that includes Matter, Thread, and Zigbee.
New chipset for Echo
At the core of the new Echo lineup are Amazon’s custom-designed AZ3 and AZ3 Pro silicon chips, which feature a new AI accelerator for running machine learning models directly on the device. This enables faster and more personalized interactions. The chips work with Omnisense, a custom sensor platform that uses cameras, audio, and Wi-Fi radar to enable more proactive Alexa experiences, such as delivering a reminder when a specific person enters a room.
The new hardware is purpose-built for Alexa+, the company’s next-generation AI assistant. To expand its capabilities, Amazon is launching an Alexa+ Store where users can discover and enable services from brands like Uber, GrubHub, and TaskRabbit. The Alexa+ experience is also expanding beyond Echo hardware, with companies like Bose, Sonos, Samsung, and BMW integrating the AI assistant into their own speakers, TVs, and vehicles.
Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio
The new Echo speakers have been completely redesigned for improved audio. The first-ever Echo Dot Max features a two-way speaker system with a high-excursion woofer and custom tweeter, delivering nearly three times the bass of the previous Echo Dot. The new Echo Studio is 40% smaller than the original and combines a powerful woofer with three full-range drivers to support spatial audio and Dolby Atmos. Multiple Echo speakers can be wirelessly paired with a Fire TV to create a surround sound setup.
Echo Dot Max
A compact smart speaker with a two-way design that delivers deeper bass, clearer highs, and adaptive room-filling sound.
Echo Studio (2nd Gen)
A compact yet powerful smart speaker with Dolby Atmos, spatial audio, and a premium spherical design for immersive sound.
Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11
The Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11 smart displays feature redesigned high-definition screens that maximize viewing angles and improve clarity. A 13-megapixel camera allows Alexa to recognize when you approach and display personalized information. The interface has been updated with a new media control center and new widgets for family calendars, shopping, and health and wellness data from partners like Oura.
Echo Show 8 4th Gen
A compact smart display with adaptive visuals, a 13 MP camera, and upgraded stereo audio for an immersive Alexa+ experience.
Echo Show 11
An 11-inch smart display with Full-HD visuals, spatial audio, Alexa+ personalization, and Omnisense smart home sensing for a complete home assistant experience.
Matter, Thread, and Zigbee integration
Like most Echo modes, a significant feature of all four new devices is the built-in smart home hub. This includes native support for Matter, Thread, and Zigbee, allowing the devices to directly control thousands of compatible smart home products from a wide range of manufacturers without requiring additional gateways. According to Amazon’s developer documents, Alexa Echo devices are now on the latest major version Matter 1.4.
The release event also introduced Fire TV Stick 4K Select, the first device featuring Vega, the new TV OS that could replace FireOS. The stick features a redesigned smart-home dashboard. However, Amazon did not mention whether it supports Matter Casting or other Matter integrations.
Fire TV Stick 4K Select (2025)
An entry-level 4K streaming stick with HDR10+, fast performance from the Vega OS, and future support for gaming and Alexa+.
Pricing and availability
The four new Echo devices are available for pre-order now. The Echo Dot Max is priced at $99.99, and the Echo Studio will be available for $219.99, with both scheduled to ship on October 29.
The Echo Show 8 will be available for $179.99, and the Echo Show 11 will be available for $219.99. Both smart displays are set to ship on November 12.
(Source: Amazon, Image Source: Amazon)
