Amazon have announced their new range of Echo and Fire TV devices at an event at their new Arlington, Virginia headquarters overnight. The new range includes new features as well as new hardware in the form of an all-new Echo Hub, Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Stick 4K. 

Echo 

Echo Hub

The all-new Echo Hub is an Alexa powered smart home control panel. It looks like an Echo Show without the base, with an 8-inch touch display that gives you a way to manage all of your smart home devices, camera feeds, routines and more in one place. You can also display weather, time and your photos when not in use. 

The Echo Hub will support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Thread, and Matter devices , and works with over 10,000 connected cameras, lights, locks, plugs, thermostats, speakers, and more.

The panel is easy to install, wall mounting anywhere you have an outlet or power over ethernet says Amazon.

“The new Echo Hub allows customers to seamlessly and simply manage everything from daily tasks, to tens of thousands of compatible smart home devices – all with Alexa,” said Kate Gooden, Head of Product, Amazon Alexa in Australia and New Zealand. 

“Customers around the world interact with Alexa tens of millions of times every hour. From triggering your favourite Routine to updating your shopping list, the Echo Hub gives Aussies more ways to experience what I think is the world’s best personal AI.”

The Echo Hub will be launching in Australia for AU$329, though no date for release have been announced. You can sign up to be notified when the Echo Hub goes up for pre-order on the Amazon website. Amazon says that accessories for Echo Hub will also be coming to Australia soon.

Echo Features

Amazon has also announced new features for the Echo Show line, with Adaptive Content starting first on the Echo 8 and a feature called Top Connections slated for the Echo Show 15. 

Adaptive Content

Starting with the Echo Show 8 and rolling out to other Echo Show devices next year is an all-new home screen experience with Adaptive Content. 

The new home experience will use ‘on-device computer vision technology’ – the camera – to automatically adjust the size of what’s being shown according to your proximity to the device. This means if you’re across the room you’ll see a large clock, but if you approach the Echo Show 8 it will adjust to show a more detailed view on the display. 

If you’ve enrolled in visual ID, the content shown on the Echo Show 8 will also be personalised, showing things like a recent playlist. 

Amazon will begin rolling out Adaptive ContentIn Australia and New Zealand on the Echo Show 8 (2nd generation) next month.

Top Connections

The Echo Show 15 is a great device for keeping in touch and organising your day, and the new Top Connections widget, available from today, will make it easier with the ability to see all your favourite contacts, as well as most frequently used devices. 

Using the widget you can quickly enable devices to quickly initiate a call or drop-in with a single tap.

For owners of the Echo Show 5, 8 and 10, you’ll also be seeing the new Top Connections widget in the coming months. 

Fire TV

Amazon has announced two new Fire TV devices heading to Australia, with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Stick 4K both able to be pre-ordered today. 

Fire TV Stick 4K Max

The highlight is the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, offering a faster experience all round thanks to the upgraded 2.0GHz quad-core processor and added Wi-Fi 6E support.  

The device includes 16 GB of storage, allowing you to download apps, games and more including streaming apps including Netflix, BINGE, Stan, Disney+, Prime Video, and live and on-demand sports with Kayo Sports and Optus Sport.

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max supports 4K Ultra HD, as well as support for Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10+, and immersive Dolby Atmos audio, making it a great addition to your TV.

You’ll also be the first to use the Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced giving you a ‘Recents’ button to show you your most recently used app or channel.

If you’re wanting to grab one, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is priced at AU$119 and up for pre-order now, with devices launching on September 27th.

Fire TV Stick 4K

Amazon have also updated their Fire TV Stick, with the latest model offering 4K resolution as well as Wi-Fi 6 support with a 1.7GHz quad-core processor on-board. 

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K supports Dolby Vision, HDR, HLG, and HDR10+. The devices supports Dolby Atmos, as well as Alexa Home Theatre, an option which allows you to wirelessly connect compatible Echo devices, for audio across multiple speakers and inputs.

The Fire TV Stick also has access to the same apps, games and streaming services, and comes with the Alexa Voice Remote. The Alexa Voice Remote will let you press a button to ask Alexa to find, launch, and control content, or just use the preset buttons to launch Prime Video, Netflix, Amazon Music or your apps menu. 

The Fire TV Stick 4K is available to pre-order today for $79 with the launch set for September 27th. 

Fire TV Ambient Experience

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max will also be getting the new Fire TV Ambient Experience. The new feature will turn your TV into a smart display, showing artwork or a range of helpful information. 

The artworks will give Fire TV SticThe artworks will give Fire TV Stick 4K Max owners access to beautiful art from a collection of over 2,000 free artworks from artists including renowned Indigenous Australian artist Biddee Baadjo, and Australian contemporary artist Nicole Blake.

If a smart display is more your style, you’ll also be able to display calendars and reminders, leaving sticky notes for family members, or just play something from Amazon Music or Spotify.