Amazon Launches The Echo Pop—A More Affordable, Bolder AI-Powered Smart Speaker

Bored of the Amazon Echo Dot, or looking for something a little sleeker? Amazon recently released a new inclusion to its smart speaker lineup—the Amazon Echo Pop—that will serve as a smaller, more affordable take on its Alexa artificial intelligence (AI) virtual assistant.

The device will cost just US$39.99, US$10 less than the Dot, and US$50 less than the refreshed Echo Show 5 model. With a unique semisphere design, the Pop certainly seems to be the perfect addition to smaller spaces such as dorm rooms or apartments.

Amazon Echo Pop features a compact, front-facing speaker instead of the typical omnidirectional sound system present in the Echo Dot. The highlight of the launch is undoubtedly the series of vibrant color options, with shades including Lavender Bloom and Midnight Teal.

These hues are a departure from the usual grayscale seen on Echo gadgets, but if that’s the aesthetic one’s sticking with, the latest speaker will still be available in the usual choices of Charcoal and Glacier White.

In short, the Echo Pop can do pretty much everything the usual Echo smart speakers do: from summoning Alexa to control smart home appliances to acting as a Wi-Fi extender to ensure faster broadband speeds.

Additionally, the gadget supports Matter, a universal standard smart home system that allows appliances from different brands to function harmoniously. In terms of its processor, the Pop boasts the same AZ2 Neural Edge system as the fifth-generation Echo Dot.

“Customers around the world love Alexa as their trusted, personal AI—they’ve now purchased well over half a billion Alexa-enabled devices, and use of Alexa increased 35% last year,” revealed Rohit Prasad, Senior Vice President for Alexa.

“These new devices give customers more options and more utility at incredible value. And as with every Edge device we’ve shipped, they will only continue to get better as we add even more generative AI-powered experiences for Alexa throughout the year,” he added.

Pre-orders for the Amazon Echo Pop are now open, with the device scheduled to officially launch on May 31, 2023.

[via CNN and TechCrunch, images via various sources]