Amazon's new Echo Dot now works as an eero Wi-Fi extender and smart home hub

It has a new onboard AI processor that allows for more natural Alexa+ conversations.

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As part of its big Echo refresh, Amazon just unveiled a new Echo Dot with some useful updates. The tiny globular speaker can now serve as a smart home hub with support for multiple protocols and thousands of devices, for one. And the new Dot now works as an eero Wi-Fi extender to stretch your in-home wireless internet range.

The new Echo Dot is the first to be equipped with Amazon's custom-designed AZ3 chip for on-device AI voice processing. That, the company says, will allow for more natural conversations with Alexa+ since your voice commands won't need to make a round-trip to a data center. Amazon also added a fourth microphone so the Dot can hear you better as you move around a room. The extra mic will also help Amazon's Voice ID identify who's speaking, so it can pull up your playlists instead of your partner's. 

The Dot's new built-in smart home hub will give users a relatively inexpensive way to connect smart home devices. It works with the Zigbee, Matter and Thread protocols, giving you control of "thousands" of compatible devices right out of the box, according to Amazon. 

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The other primary new feature makes a lot of sense. The new Echo Dot speakers will work as eero Wi-Fi extenders, adding up to 1,000 feet of coverage to an existing eero network to eliminate dead zones and improve internet connectivity. Judging by Amazon's "existing" wording, though, this may only work if you already have an eero router. 

Amazon also improved the Echo Dot's audio quality by adding a full-range driver into the housing to create "more back volume for crisp vocals and 50 percent more bass than the last generation," the company said. It also offers features from previous models like Omnisense that can detect things like room temperature and human presence, allowing it to automatically turn up the thermostat or turn on the lights when you walk in. 

Amazon also introduced an Amazon Kids Echo Dot model that offers the same features as the regular Echo Dot, but includes a year of the company's Kids+ subscription. That offers access to age-appropriate Audible audiobooks, ad-free music and kid-friendly podcasts, along with Stories from Alexa and the curated wind-down app, Sleep Studio. Amazon's Echo Dot is now available in four colors (Graphite, Glacier White, Agave Green, and Coral Pink) for $100. The Amazon Kids Echo Dot comes in Penguin and Octopus designs starting at $110.