Echo }} }} The first-generation
Amazon Echo consists of a tall cylinder speaker with a seven-piece
microphone array. The Echo hardware complement includes a
Texas Instruments DM3725
ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 256MB of LPDDR1 RAM and 4GB of storage space. , the first-generation Echo maintained an 83% score on GearCaliber, a review aggregator. Although the Echo is intended to be voice-controlled at the unit, a microphone-enabled remote control similar to the one bundled with the
Amazon Fire TV is available for purchase. The remote was also bundled with early units. An action button on top of the unit is provided for user setup in a new location, and the mute button allows the microphones to be turned off. The top half-inch of the unit rotates to increase or decrease the speaker volume. The Echo must be plugged in to operate since it has no internal battery. Echo provides dual-band
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n and
Bluetooth Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) support for audio streaming and Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) for voice control of connected mobile devices. The mainline
Linux kernel is able to boot the Amazon Echo since version 5.6. In September 2020, the 4th gen Echo was announced replacing the Echo and Echo Plus devices in a new spherical form-factor. The Echo brings the Echo Plus'
Zigbee smart home hub with support for
Amazon Sidewalk.
Limited editions As part of a holiday promotion,
Seattle Seahawks player
Marshawn Lynch drove the
Treasure Truck around
Seattle in December 2016 selling a limited-edition beast-mode Echo with a custom skin. The beast-mode version was a first-generation Echo that responded to a user's commands with Marshawn Lynch's voice, instead of the Alexa voice. In November 2017, a
Product Red version of the second-generation Echo was announced as a limited edition item. Another special version of Echo is the Alexa Super Skills Collectible edition, which was given to select Amazon Alexa developers who published five skills between July 22 and October 30, 2017. This special variant comes with a white mask, a blue cape, and a blue belt.
Availability Amazon initially limited the first-generation Echo to
Amazon Prime members or just by invitation, but it became widely available in the
United States in mid 2015. In 2016, the Echo became available in the
United Kingdom and Germany. , the Echo was available in more than 80 countries:
Albania,
Austria,
Anguilla,
Argentina,
Australia,
Austria,
Barbados,
Belarus,
Belgium,
Bermuda Bolivia,
Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria,
Cambodia,
Canada,
Chile,
Colombia,
Costa Rica,
Croatia,
Cyprus, the
Czech Republic,
Denmark Ecuador,
El Salvador,
Estonia,
Finland,
Ghana,
Gibraltar,
Germany,
Greece,
Grenada,
Hong Kong,
Indonesia,
Jamaica,
Kenya,
Hungary,
Iceland,
India,
Ireland,
Italy,
Japan,
Latvia,
Liechtenstein,
Lithuania,
Luxembourg,
Macao,
Malaysia,
Malta,
Mexico,
Namibia, the
Netherlands,
New Zealand,
North Macedonia,
Norway,
Panama,
Peru,
Philippines,
Panama,
Peru,
Poland,
Portugal,
Puerto Rico,
Romania,
Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Serbia,
Singapore,
Slovakia,
Slovenia,
South Korea,
Sri Lanka,
Suriname,
Sweden,
Switzerland,
Taiwan,
Tanzania,
Thailand,
Trinidad and Tobago,
Turkey, the
United Kingdom, the
United States,
Uruguay,
Vanuatu,
Venezuela and
Zambia. In 2018, Amazon and Microsoft jointly announced a solution to integrate their digital assistants so that
Cortana, Microsoft's voice assistant, could be called from an Amazon Echo device and Alexa could be called from Windows devices, including PCs. In January 2019, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that Cortana would no longer be a platform competitor to Alexa or Google Assistant, but rather a voice skill to access Microsoft 365 via other voice assistants. As of April 2019, Alexa was the only
Cortana-integrated voice assistant, which gave it exclusive access to Microsoft's suite of business applications.
Echo Dot First generation In March 2016, Amazon unveiled the original
Amazon Echo Dot, which is a
hockey puck-sized version of the Echo designed to be connected to external speakers due to the smaller size of the onboard speakers, or to be used in rooms such as the bedroom as an alternative to the full-sized Echo. Despite its smaller form factor, the Amazon Echo Dot retains all the core functionalities of the original Amazon Echo, ensuring a seamless voice-controlled experience for users. Additionally, users have the option to enhance the portability of the Echo Dot with third-party external batteries, providing extended usage on the go.
Second generation The second generation of the Amazon Echo Dot became available on October 20, 2016. It is priced lower, has improved voice recognition, and is available in black, grey and white. The Echo Spatial Perception (ESP) technology allows several Echo and Dot units to work together so that only one device answers the request, improving responsiveness and reducing conflicts between devices. the Echo Dot maintained a 78% score on GearCaliber, based on 23 reviews. Users can also update their Echo Dot to the latest firmware to ensure ESP and other features function optimally. On August 18, 2017, an Amazon promotion allowed Amazon Prime customers to receive a 100% price reduction on the Echo Dot.
Third generation The third-generation Echo Dot, introduced in September 2018, featured a new design with fabric covers, departing from the previous plastic or metal cylinder design. These fabric-covered Echo Dots also incorporated upgraded speaker drivers while retaining their core functionalities, including 3.5millimeter audio output. In January 2019, Amazon's SVP of devices and services, Dave Limp, revealed that over 100 million Alexa-enabled devices had been sold. The company's earnings reports and press releases also reveal that the Echo Dot has been among the top-selling products on Amazon.com for 2017 and 2018.
Fourth generation In September 2020, the fourth-generation Echo Dot was revealed with a new spherical design that was 30 percent smaller than the third-generation Echo. It features built-in
Eero technology that provides
Wi-Fi extender capability in a mesh-network.
Fifth generation In September 2022, the fifth-generation Echo Dot introduced several enhancements, including a new temperature sensor, improved audio with clearer vocals and deeper bass, and cutting-edge ultrasonic motion detection technology. This model lacks the external speaker jack.
Amazon Tap The
Amazon Tap is a smaller portable version of the Echo. The Tap can do the many things the Echo can do; however, as it is battery-powered, it is also portable. Initially, the user had to press an activation button on the front of the Tap to speak commands. However, a February 2017 software update allows the option of activating the Tap with an activation word, just like the Echo and the Dot. Some of the limitations of the Tap include not being able to stream music as part of a group and not being able to send announcements to the device. Additionally the Tap does not support "Drop In" feature and as a result cannot be used for two-way voice communication. Amazon has discontinued the Tap. This has encouraged 3rd party accessory manufacturers to make available battery add-on units for other Echo products.
Echo Look In April 2017, the
Amazon Echo Look was introduced as a camera with Alexa built-in, for US$20 more than the first-generation Echo. The device can provide artificial intelligence outfit recommendations, take photos, and record videos; in addition to the features available on the Echo. It offers Amazon Alexa's key feature plus a camera to take full-length photos and 360-degree videos with built-in AI for fashion advice. As a consumer product, it helps catalog users' outfits and rates their looks based on "machine learning algorithms with advice from fashion specialists. The device was initially only available for purchase by invitation-only in the U.S. However, it became generally available on June 6, 2018. Three years later, Echo Look owners received an email from Amazon stating that the device would soon stop working, because Amazon was discontinuing production and sales of the device. Echo Look owners then had a device that they could not use.
Echo Show In May 2017, Amazon introduced the
Echo Show, which features a tactile 7-inch
liquid-crystal display screen that can be used for playing media, making video calls (5 MP front camera), and other features. The Echo Show was offered for purchase at a price of $229.99 on June 28, 2017, and was initially only available in the U.S. A second generation of the Echo Show was unveiled at an Alexa-themed product event by Amazon on September 20, 2018, for release the following month. The new device has a 10 inch (250mm) touchscreen, improved speakers, and mesh casing. Amazon has released five additional sizes of the Echo Show making them available in 5, 8, 11, 15, and 21-inch displays. These devices broke the tradition where numbers indicate which generation the device belongs to. They are known as the Echo Show 5, Echo Show 8,, Echo Show 11, Echo Show 15, and Echo Show 21.
Echo Spot On September 27, 2017, Amazon launched the
Echo Spot, a hemispherical device that has the same functions as an Echo Show. The device has a circular screen, and looks like an alarm clock. The device sold for $129.99. In 2019, the Echo Spot has been discontinued in all regions. On July 9, 2024, Amazon brought back the Echo Spot, but with a different design. The device now resembles the look of the Echo Pop, with a 2.83" inch touch screen with a half-circle tinted cover glass and a speaker. Unlike the 2017 version, videocalling and smart home cameras are not available on the device. The device sold for $79.99.
Echo Plus On September 27, 2017, Amazon announced the
Echo Plus, which released on October 31, 2017. It shares design similarities with the first-generation Echo, but also doubles as a smart home hub, connecting to most common wireless protocols to control connected smart devices within a home. It incorporates seven second-generation far field microphones and noise cancellation, while also supporting
Dolby Sound. In September 2018, a second-generation Echo Plus was released. The new version has a fabric covering and includes an embedded temperature sensor. The Echo Plus has since been discontinued in 2020.
Echo Flex On November 14, 2019, Amazon released the
Echo Flex for $24.99. It is a small device with a speaker that can be plugged directly into a wall outlet. It has a full-sized USB Type-A port into the bottom to charge other devices or into which additional accessories, such as a motion sensor, can be plugged.
Echo Studio In November 2019, Amazon introduced Echo Studio, a Dolby Atmos-compatible surround sound Alexa speaker. Compared to other Alexa speakers, it was the biggest and the loudest. In October 2025, Amazon released a second-generation version of the Studio, which is 40% smaller than its predecessor.
Echo Pop On May 31, 2023, Amazon released the
Echo Pop for $39.99, making it the cheapest Echo model. It is the most compact model in the Echo lineup, and is smaller than the Echo Dot, with a hemispherical design and a flat front face, which is meant to make it fit in more areas. The Echo Pop generally received favourable reviews. Its design has been praised, and reviewers have regarded it as a good model for small rooms and situations where higher audio quality is not needed.
Speakerless devices At an Alexa-themed product launch event in September 2018, Amazon announced an Echo device designed for cars. The device connects with the user's smartphone over Bluetooth and offers driving direction, in addition to other Alexa functionality.
Echo Auto became available as an invite-only product to US customers near the end of 2018. The
Echo Input is an Alexa device without internal speakers. For audio output, it must be connected to an external speaker by cord or Bluetooth. The
Echo Link is a higher-end version of the Echo Input, with additional output ports and a volume knob. The
Echo Link Amp has the same controls of the Link, but with an
amplifier.
Accessories Along with the second-generation Echo, Amazon announced two new accessories. The
Echo Buttons can be used while playing games on Echo devices, such as
Jeopardy!. The
Echo Connect is a small adapter that plugs into any Echo and a home phone line, allowing the Echo to make voice calls through a home phone number. In September 2018, Amazon announced the
Echo Sub, a
subwoofer that connects to other Echo speakers, and the
Echo Wall Clock, which can display how much time is remaining on timers set with an Echo device.
Wearable Amazon announced the
Echo Loop in September 2019, a
smart ring with a button that activates Alexa. The Echo Loop uses
Bluetooth to connect to a smartphone for Internet access. The
Echo Frames smartglasses, which support
prescription lenses, were also announced on the same day. In 2020, it was announced that Echo Loop would be discontinued. On September 20, 2023, Amazon unveiled the third generation of
Echo Frames and a collaboration with Carrera Eyewear on two frame designs. ==Privacy concerns==