Today, at its 2022 Devices & Services Event, Amazon revealed all kinds of new stuff: a stylus-equipped Kindle you can take notes on, a sleep-tracking alarm clock, and brand new QLED Fire TVs. But one announcement was particularly surprising: new Echo Dot speakers are coming, and they're packing some pretty significant generation-over-generation upgrades.
Amazon announced new versions of the standard Echo Dot, the clock-equipped version, and the Echo Dot Kids. The new devices are the same size as the old ones, but Amazon is promising better sound thanks to a larger audio driver. On top of that, the upcoming Dot speakers will have built-in accelerometers that enable gesture-based controls, like tapping the speaker to play or pause music. The new speakers also have temperature senors built in that'll allow them to tell you the indoor temperature on command, plus help compatible smart thermostats control the temperature in your home with more accuracy.
Most importantly, though, the new speakers will feature hardware that allows them to function as Eero Wi-Fi range extenders — a huge get for Eero owners. Apparently, fourth-generation Echo and Echo Dot speakers also have the required hardware: Amazon says those devices will gain the same functionality through a software update in the near future. Compatible Echo speakers should see the update starting October 20, while Dots will get it "in the coming months." The newest Echo Dot will retail $50, and Amazon says it'll be available for pre-order starting today — though, as of publishing, that doesn't seem to be the case.
The updated Dot with Clock features a more robust dot matrix display that can show additional types of information, including rudimentary weather reports and info about the media you're playing. The media feature seems a little clunky — the display is very low-res, and song titles scroll by slowly — but getting visual weather reports seems like a solid upgrade. The new Echo Dot with Clock will cost $60 and, like the new standard Dot, should be up for pre-order today.
Finally, Amazon is rolling out two new Echo Dot Kids designs: a purple dragon and an especially cute green owl. The two new designs join existing panda and tiger colorways and will retail for the same $60. Amazon says they'll be available next month.