Amazon announces new Echo lineup and smart home upgrades
At its fall hardware event in September 2025, Amazon unveiled four new AI-powered Echo speakers, expansions to the Kindle Scribe family, and its first 4K Ring Video Doorbell. The announcements emphasize enhanced Alexa AI features, including a new $20-per-month Alexa+ subscription for advanced capabilities. These updates aim to drive adoption of premium devices amid evolving smart home competition.
Amazon held its annual fall hardware event in September 2025, showcasing a refreshed lineup of devices centered on improving Alexa integration and AI functionalities. The company introduced four new Echo speakers, each designed with upgraded AI to handle more complex user interactions. The Echo Pop is priced at $40, the Echo Dot (fifth generation) at $50, the Echo (fifth generation) at $100, and the Echo Show 8 at $150. These devices feature enhanced audio, such as 3D sound on the Echo Show 8, and are positioned as more affordable entry points into Amazon's ecosystem while pushing users toward premium hardware.
A standout reveal was the new Echo Show, described as Amazon's most high-end smart display yet, with a stunning design, improved camera, and larger display for better video calls and content viewing. Priced around $250, it integrates seamlessly with Alexa for controlling smart home devices. To unlock advanced AI features across these products, Amazon launched Alexa+, a subscription service costing $20 per month, which enables more natural conversations and proactive assistance.
The event also expanded the Kindle Scribe lineup to three models, introducing thinner and lighter builds alongside a new Colorsoft option for vibrant e-reading and note-taking. This update caters to users seeking versatile digital notebooks with stylus support.
In smart home security, Amazon announced its first-ever 4K Ring Video Doorbell, priced at approximately $200, featuring head-to-toe video clarity and built-in Alexa capabilities for announcements and two-way talk. The device supports integration with other Echo products for enhanced home monitoring.
These announcements reflect Amazon's strategy to sustain Alexa by encouraging purchases of higher-end devices, as noted in coverage highlighting that 'Alexa’s survival hinges on you buying more expensive Amazon devices.' The focus on AI subscriptions and premium hardware comes amid competition from rivals like Google and Apple in the smart assistant space, aiming to retain user loyalty through improved performance and ecosystem lock-in.