Introducing the fifth generation of Echo Dot smart speaker
According to JBQ, Today’s smart speakers owe a debt to the original Amazon Echo, so industry watchers anticipate each new flagship model — setting the tone for what’s to come. The fourth generation Echo Dot, released in 2020, kept this record. Two years later, it’s time to ask what we can expect from the fifth-generation Amazon Echo model, especially with increasing pressure from companies like Apple, Google, and Sonos. We also have a wish list of things we’d like to see.
There will almost certainly be a fifth generation Echo. Either way, a standard model should be constantly updated to bolster the rest of the Echo line. The only way that could change is if Amazon chooses different brands or abandons the market altogether. We usually see a regular Amazon Echo speaker every couple of years, and now we’re moving into that timeframe.
When will the fifth generation of Amazon Echo be released?
Although Amazon showed off the fifth-generation Echo Dot at a press event on September 28, it didn’t offer any other hardware updates to the Echo line, despite widespread anticipation. The company’s September events are its primary vehicle for consumer device announcements.
If the company wants to keep pace with the rest of the smart speaker industry, a flagship update is likely by the end of 2022. Amazon could rule out another year, but that seems unlikely unless it can unlock enough new capabilities through software. Take a look at Echo’s full release date history:
1. Amazon Echo 1st gen — November 2014 (invitation and Prime members)/June 2015 (general)
2. Amazon Echo 2nd Generation – October 2017
3. Amazon Echo 3rd Generation – October 2019
4. Amazon Echo 4th Generation – October 2020
What features will the fifth generation Amazon Echo have?
JBQ says, What we can say for sure is Matter over Thread. Amazon has already promised Matter over Thread for some existing devices, including the fourth-generation Echo, so the only thing left is for the company to offer it out of the box in the next generation.
What is material and thread? You can read more about them via the link below, but in short, Matter is a future network protocol that allows devices to work across all major smart home platforms.
If accessories like smart bulbs are explicitly compatible with your platform of choice, don’t worry — in theory, they’ll work as long as they carry the Matter badge. Set to launch in late 2022, the standard will reduce the need for hubs, bridges and Internet access by enabling local area networks.
Matter can work over Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but is ideal for use with Thread, a Zigbee-based wireless protocol. Many Thread products act as their own low-power “border routers” to which other Thread accessories connect. It’s already in accessories like the HomePod mini and Nanoleaf bulbs and light panels .You can buy best Bluetooth Speaker in our website.
With Matter over Thread, the 5th generation Echo will likely be the cornerstone of many smart homes, uniting accessories from hundreds of brands. The big question is whether you can use the speaker itself with Apple HomeKit or Google Assistant, not just Alexa which can blow your mind.
Improved sound
There is a possibility that the sound quality will improve, but it is not guaranteed. This has been common with every new generation of Echo, and the fourth-generation speaker is a significant step forward, sounding better than any $100 product. While maintaining great clarity, it can get heavy on the highs and bass.
The fifth-generation Echo will likely improve the sound rather than make another leap, because at this point, it’s unclear how Amazon can do much better without raising the price.
Suggested content: Introducing the heart rate sensor and spatial sound in Anker AirPods
Internal Eero
One of the surprises of the fifth-generation Echo Dot was its support for Eero Built-In, a technology that extends your Wi-Fi network if you link the device to an Eero router. Each point can add an additional 1,000 square feet of coverage, though limited to 100 Mbps and 10 additional device connections.
Amazon is planning to add the same technology to the fourth-generation Echo via an update, so it’s expected to be supported by default in the fifth-generation.
What will be the price of the fifth generation Amazon Echo?
While the original Echo started at $180, the price of the second-generation model dropped to $100 and has remained there ever since. Amazon will likely do its best to stick to a similar price for the fifth-generation Echo, as $100 is an obvious psychological threshold that has worked well so far.
Amazon could even lead the loss, as there are plenty of Amazon-branded services and accessories to make up the gap.
However, like most tech companies in 2022, the company will likely feel supply chain issues and related inflation, so it may raise prices to compensate.
Amazon Echo 5th generation: what we want to see Dolby Atmos and other home theater enhancements
Despite what its spherical shape might suggest, the current Echo doesn’t support Dolby Atmos. However, since the standard is increasingly popular and slowly gaining content on services like Amazon Music, there’s an incentive to bring it to the new Echo hardware. Support makes even more sense when you consider the option to pair existing Echoes with a Fire TV player.
What we’d like to see is the ability to use the fifth-generation Echo with third-party streamers and TVs, for example via an HDMI or optical port. That’s less likely than Atmos, given the material costs of adding ports, and the benefits (for Amazon) of keeping people locked into the Fire TV ecosystem.
Internal clock and temperature display
The clock is a minor perk for any smart speaker, so it’s usually not something we mention. We’re highlighting it here because Amazon sells a watch-equipped version of the Echo Dot, and it seems odd that you couldn’t spend a little more to get the same option on a higher-end product, especially one that’s likely to .
be the axis As for indoor temperature, there’s a room sensor built into the 4th generation, and oddly enough, you can’t access temperature information without asking or opening the Alexa app. If Amazon makes a watch-equipped version of the fifth-generation Echo, it makes sense to include a temperature readout.
Fast audio transfer
One of the unique features of the Apple HomePod Mini is the ability to switch the sound from the iPhone to the speaker (or vice versa) by bringing the two devices closer to each other. It sounds like a party trick, but if you’ve ever listened to something and wanted to finish it somewhere else, the appeal is obvious.
This can be difficult to do on the 5th generation Echo. Amazon would probably have to add a dedicated wireless chip, then sync data between a variety of services and different phones. It’s possible the technology could come to Android devices, but there’s even less hope for the all-important iPhone market, as Apple heavily controls iOS and how its NFC and UWB (Ultra Wideband) chips are used.
Fully customized wake up words
While Amazon is leading the way in alternative ways to launch voice assistants, that’s not saying much. Apple, Google, and Samsung don’t offer any customization, so Amazon automatically wins by letting you change Alexa’s wake word to “Echo,” “Amazon,” “Computer,” or “Ziggy.” It’s still a mediocre choice – especially Ziggy, who might avoid random triggers, but it looks like someone at Amazon was a fan of reggae comics or 70s newspapers.
There are several legitimate reasons for limiting options. While most smart speaker commands are processed via cloud servers, wake words are always processed locally for a quick response – meaning the simpler the better.
The words should also be long enough to be recognizable, while at the same time being hard to mistake for something else. Limiting the user’s choices ensures that customers won’t be disappointed when an Echo refuses to respond to the name of their favorite Dune or Harry Potter character.
Mind you, we live in 2022, and with other advances in technology, it seems more and more arbitrary to call our “personal” voice assistants by a name someone else chose. Alexa’s existing wake words don’t work well for everyone, and surely there’s a way to allow for more extensive customization while keeping the guardrails intact. Buy Best Charger for your device.
Which upgrade do you want most in the 5th generation Amazon Echo?
