On a quiet Wednesday (May 17), Amazon announced a slimline version of its Echo Dot speaker, the Pop, which has the same features but an all-new design, alongside a new version of its Echo smart display speaker.
The HomePod 2 is already being besieged on all sides by different smart speakers. There's the recently released Sonos Era 300, an excellent speaker that costs a lot more, the existing Amazon Echo range that has speakers at all price points and sizes, and then other manufacturers, like Denon, with options like the Home 150.
Now, after Amazon's most recent product releases (via Wired), there seem to be even more options out there for users that want a smart speaker, and some take the fight straight to HomePod mini.
There's even one for kids
The Echo Pop is the first of the new speakers, and it looks adorable. It's small, colorful, and there's a little Alexa light on the top to let you know when the pop has received your request.
One of the coolest things is that the Echo Pop is an Eero Router – which means that, if you add it to a network, it will add an extra 1000 square feet of range, making it more than just a little speaker. Of course, it's directly aimed at the HomePod mini, and with Matter support, you'll even be able to add it to a HomeKit setup. Interesting.
There's also a new pair of Amazon Echo Buds, which seem like a compelling option if you're into Alexa and don't like AirPods. They're half the price of the old model, and feature customizable controls and 20-hour battery life. No ANC unfortunately, but it's not a deal breaker at $50.
Then there are the two Echo Show devices; The redesigned Echo Show 5, and the Echo Show 5 Kids. This new Echo Show has a new, larger screen, as well as a new processor that makes it, Amazon says, '20 percent faster.' The Kids' version is more colorful and has the same bigger screen, and it comes with a year's subscription to Kids+. It's space themed too – so if I was to choose, I might actually go with the Kids' version. The Echo Show 5 is $90, and the Kids is $100.
Obviously, the HomePod 2 shouldn't have much to worry about here – but the HomePod mini sure does. Either way, the market diversifying continues to be a good thing, and Matter makes these products more available to an ever-increasing number of users. All of these new speakers will be shipping from May 31.
