Alexa’s survival hinges on you buying more expensive Amazon devices

Among the new displays is the $180 Echo Show 8. It’s 20 percent more than its predecessor from 2021 ($150). Additionally, Amazon is releasing a new 11-inch smart display, the Echo Show 11. At $220, it’s cheaper than the 10-inch Echo Show 10 that Amazon released in 2021 ($250), marking an exception to the Alexa+ price bumps.

Similarly, Amazon’s new Fire TVs with Alexa+ have higher starting prices than the regular Alexa-based models that preceded them. The updated Fire TV Omni QLED Series ranges from $350 to $1,200 for 50- to 75-inch models. The preceding series launched in 2023 for $350 to $1,100. The new Fire TV 2-Series has a higher entry point too ($160 versus $200), though Amazon’s new Fire TV Stick Select with Alexa+ is cheaper than its other 4K sticks at $40.

The new Fire TVs with Alexa+ have upgraded processors.

Credit:
Amazon

Numerous factors could impact pricing, including inflation, tariffs, and production costs. Ars Technica asked Amazon about the higher prices, and a company spokesperson shared a statement saying:

The new devices reflect significant investments in better sound quality, more responsive performance, and innovative features that customers have requested.

Pricier components seem to be a driving force behind the bigger price tags. The new speakers, for instance, feature AZ3 and AZ23 Pro processors that include a new “AI Accelerator designed to run AI edge models,” according to Amazon’s announcement. The processors are supposed to enable “better conversation detection” alongside improved mics for blocking out background noise “and improving Alexa’s ability to detect the wake-word by over 50 percent.”

The AZ23 Pro also adds support for vision transformers, which can process images and more advanced language models.

Both chips use a new proprietary sensor platform. Amazon says Omnisense leverages various sensors and signals, including those from Echo Show smart displays’ cameras, as well as “audio, ultrasound, Wi-Fi radar, accelerometer, and Wi-Fi CSI.” Amazon’s announcement further explains:

This technology allows Alexa to intelligently act on various events happening in and around your home, enabling more personalized, proactive, and helpful experiences, such as delivering a reminder when a specific person walks in the room, or a proactive alert that your garage door is unlocked and it’s after 10 pm.

There are other upgrades, too. The Echo Dot Max, for example, has two speakers instead of one and claims triple the bass capability of the Echo Dot (5th Gen). And the Echo Studio is in a smaller chassis than its predecessor, which points to higher costs in delivering the same sound quality.