Amazon’s popular line of Internet-connected Echo speakers has received a major redesign, the company announced Thursday during an online event.
The company’s flagship Echo speaker, which costs $ 99.99, now looks like a small sphere rather than its previous incarnation as a mini cylinder.
Miriam Daniel, vice president of Amazon Echo, said the new version is “completely redesigned” and now comes wrapped in a thin fabric available in three colors, including the classic gray look, and also has a so-called smart home hub built in. that allows people to use the Echo to control other Internet-connected devices.
Amazon also debuted the Echo Dot Kids Edition, which costs $ 59.99 and comes in silly spherical designs that include a tiger and panda model. The new speaker has educational features for children and can automatically filter explicit lyrics into songs, Daniel said.
It will also include a “reading buddy,” where “Alexa can read with your child and encourage the child when he reads well,” he said.
