Amazon is launching a new Amazon Echo Dot with a built-in smart home hub for the first time. Several tech outlets report that the small speaker supports Matter, Thread and Zigbee, so you no longer need a separate bridge for compatible devices. The Dot costs $99.99 in the US and €104.99 in Germany and the Netherlands. It sits in Amazon’s announcement alongside a new Echo Studio, Echo Time, Alexa Photo Frame and Echo Show 16. For European buyers, the main question is where these devices are sold and whether Alexa+ is available in your country.
What the hub in the new Echo Dot means for your smart home
Amazon itself only calls the Dot a smart home hub and doesn’t name any protocols. The Ambient and German trade press do report that it covers Zigbee, Matter and Thread. Until now that hub was limited to pricier models such as the Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio. You can pair lights, locks, thermostats and sensors directly with the speaker. If these terms are new to you, see our guide to Matter, Thread, Zigbee and Wi-Fi. If you mainly want a hub for Apple Home, the HomePod mini 2 is the more logical comparison.
A lot changes inside too. This is the first Dot with Amazon’s own AZ3 chip, and a fourth microphone should pick up your voice better. Amazon also promises 50 percent more bass than the previous Dot. Omnisense sensors detect temperature and presence, so they can trigger your routines. The Dot also works as a Wi-Fi extender for up to about 1,000 square feet, but only if you already have an eero network. With a FRITZ!Box or another router, you get no benefit from it. The speaker comes in graphite, white, coral pink and agave green.
A new Echo Studio, Echo Time and Echo Show 16 too
The new Echo Studio costs $219.99 in the US and plays Dolby Atmos. For $249.99 you get a version with a camera that lets you check on the room through the Alexa app. A dedicated button turns off the microphones and camera. Echo Time is a $199.99 clock without a camera, with Omnisense sleep sensing and a display that brightens gradually. The Alexa Photo Frame is a picture frame with a 10-inch touchscreen. At 16 inches, the Echo Show 16 is the largest of the range and starts at $499.99.
Where you can buy the new Echo devices in Europe
In Germany most models are already on sale: the Dot at €104.99, Echo Time at €214.99 and Echo Studio at €239.99, or €259.99 with the camera. The Echo Show 16 and Alexa Photo Frame are missing there. The new Echo Dot is also on sale in the Netherlands at €104.99. The Netherlands isn’t on Amazon’s list of Alexa+ countries, which does include the UK, Germany, Austria, France, Spain and Italy in Europe. Dutch isn’t mentioned there either.
That makes the Amazon Echo Dot most interesting if you live in one of those countries, or already use Alexa in English or German. Keep in mind that some features require Alexa+. In Germany it’s included during Early Access and free with Prime afterwards, while you pay €22.99 a month without Prime. So before you order, check that your devices work with this hub and that the Dot ships to your address.
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