Amazon has significantly reworked its Echo Studio speaker as part of its big smart speaker refresh. The new Echo Studio with Home Camera has a built-in camera that can see everything in front of it, while retaining the "powerful audio architecture" designed to deliver high-quality Dolby Atmos sound and provide Alexa+ capability.
The camera adds significant functionality. The smart speaker can relay video to Live View in the Alexa app, letting you check on your cat or see if you left the lights on. Alexa+ can also help with everyday tasks, like reordering cereal or explaining the rules for a board game. The device can serve as a webcam for personal or business video calls as well.
At a demo event in New York City, Amazon's head of devices Panos Panay used the device to call his father, and Engadget's Cherlynn Low confirmed it was working by "waving aggressively in the background." The Studio's camera captured the event feed, while a connected Fire TV displayed Panay's parents.
Since Amazon sells other, cheaper Home Camera devices like the Echo Show 5, the company stressed that the Studio's main strength is still sound quality. It offers the same high-excursion woofer for "deep, immersive" bass, three full-range drivers, and Dolby Atmos spatial audio. Advanced Room Adaptation continuously tunes sound to the room's acoustics, while Adaptive Volume keeps music and podcasts at the same relative volume as you move around. The Echo Studio with Home Camera costs $250, a $30 premium over the regular Echo Studio, which remains available for $220 for those who don't need the camera.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing