How to Order Amazon’s New Echo Show 15, Astro Robot and Other Futuristic Devices
Here's how to get the e-commerce and entertainment giant's newest smart home products and services, including invite-only gadgets.
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Danielle Directo-Meston
E-Commerce Editor
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Amazon in late September announced its latest lineup of devices, promising a future — powered by a seemingly omnipresent conglomerate, of course — that’s filled with adorable household robots, home security drones and a voice assistant that brings the magic of Disney into homes, among other smart gadgets and offerings.
The Emmy-winning e-commerce giant unveiled 11 new products and services during its fall presentation Sept. 28. Those who want to channel the Jetsons will need to request an invite, from Amazon, to buy some of the items: the newly announced Astro robot (which costs a cool $1,000 for early adopters), the kid-friendly Glow with an interactive projector and the Ring Always Home flying indoor camera (both $250), all released under Amazon’s Day 1 Editions line that lets customers provide feedback on limited-edition devices.
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However, everyone can now shop or pre-order Amazon’s 15.6-inch Echo Show 15, the company’s first-ever smart thermostat, the new Blink HD video doorbell, the Halo View fitness tracker and the new Ring Alarm Pro. Those with existing Alexa-enabled devices can take advantage of smarter features such as household calendars for staying more organized, sticky notes for Echo Show screens, meal ideas, shipping updates on Amazon orders and compatibility with Sling and TikTok.
Amazon’s Echo Show 15. Courtesy of Amazon
Amazon and Disney also announced the forthcoming “Hey, Disney!” feature, the entertainment giants’ first custom voice assistant that lets fans of Mickey Mouse and friends, Marvel superheroes and Star Wars superfans interact with their favorite characters at home.
Rounding out the company’s latest security devices is the new Virtual Security Guard subscription service, which uses Rapid Response’s on-site professional monitoring for Amazon Ring camera users.
Ahead, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about Amazon’s new devices, including how to pre-order invitation-only products.
1. Amazon Echo Show 15
Now available for pre-order with delivery starting Dec. 9, Amazon’s newest Echo Show 15 ($250) has a variety of Alexa-powered widgets for keeping track of schedules on shared calendars, to-do lists, shopping lists, personalized reminders and sticky notes, recipe ideas and much more. Equipped with a 15.6-inch 1080p HD smart display and a 5-megapixel camera, the unit can be mounted as a landscape or portrait screen on the wall or displayed on a table and doubles as a dashboard to control other smart devices in your home, and the camera shutter offers privacy when you’re not using the lens.
You can also use the Echo Show 15 as an all-in-one entertainment center. The device can showcase your favorite pictures from Facebook or Amazon Photos, and you can also stream audiobooks, movies, music, TV shows, podcasts or the radio via Audible, Amazon Music, Prime Video, Netflix or Spotify.
2. Amazon Halo View Fitness Tracker
Available for pre-order for Dec. 8 delivery, the new Halo View watch and tracker (reg. $80) is on sale for only $50 during Amazon’s early Black Friday sale. It’s designed for fitness enthusiasts who want to track their workouts, health and wellness routines and plan meals. Equipped with a vibrant AMOLED color display and haptic feedback, the wrist device lets wearers see their sleep scores, blood oxygen levels, everyday and workout activity, heart rate, temperature and other personal health stats. Water-resistant up to 50 meters, it takes about two hours to fully charge and offers up to seven days of battery life.
The tracker includes a year of Amazon’s new Halo Fitness membership, which comes with access to hundreds of on-demand workouts, including yoga, cardio, mobility, strength training led by industry experts alongside content from popular fitness studios and brands such as Orangetheory Fitness, Sweat and Halle Berry’s Rē-spin. Members can also use the forthcoming Halo Nutrition to create personalized meal plans and health goals, get pre-curated menus geared towards keto, Mediterranean, Nordic, paleo, vegan and vegetarian diets, and easily add ingredients to their grocery list via Alexa.
3. Amazon Blink Video Doorbell
On sale for only $35, the Amazon Blink Video Doorbell (reg. $50) comes in battery or wired options and in systems with one to three outdoor cameras. It features two-way audio, 1080p HD video, infrared night vision, Alexa voice control and motion alerts, and the app lets you get notifications to your smartphone or another device when you’re not at home. The wired version lets you hear, see and speak to visitors at your door, and you can connect to it to existing chime wiring.
Blink Video Doorbell on Amazon.com
4. Amazon Smart Thermostat
Now available for purchase, Amazon’s first smart thermostat ($60) was designed to help people reduce energy consumption used by their heating and air conditioning systems. The Energy Star-certified device is eligible for rebates through energy providers, and comes with all of the features that you’d expect from a smart thermostat — think automatic temperature updates, on-the-go programming and controlling and easy DIY installation.
Amazon Smart Thermostat $79.99 on Amazon.com
5. Amazon Ring Always Home Cam
If you want Amazon’s Ring Always Home security cam ($250) to hover through your home and report back to you via HD video, you’ll need to request an invitation first. Priced at $250, the flying indoor camera lets you create custom flight paths, record during the day and at night and check in on your abode through the Ring app. The device can automatically fly to spots where motion is detected or when contact sensors are triggered, and users can save and share recorded videos with a subscription to Ring Protect ($10 monthly per household or $3 per month per device).
Amazon Ring Always Home Cam on Amazon.com
6. Amazon Astro Household Robot
Available by invitation request only, Amazon’s Astro household robot is priced at $1,500 (or $1,000 for early adopters) and can do everything from checking up on specific rooms and people to delivering items to other household members. A high-tech mapping and sensor system lets the charming helper detect furniture, people and pets, and an ascending periscope offers further eye-level visibility.
You can send the robot to check the ingredients in your fridge while you’re away at the grocery store, or have it send a smartphone alert through Amazon’s Alexa Guard security app if it detects glass breaking or the sound of your smoke alarm. When you’re at home, Astro can come find you when a kitchen timer has gone off, take your calls as you move from room to room or take photos of you with family and friends.
Astro comes with a free six-month trial to Ring Protect Pro, Amazon’s subscription service that sends the device to investigate activity and proactively patrol your space and allows you to save videos in the cloud for up to 60 days. Coming soon is the Alexa Together service, which was designed to help people stay connected to older family members and care for elders remotely.
Amazon Astro Household Robot on Amazon.com
7. Amazon Glow Interactive Projector
Amazon’s family-friendly Glow ($250) makes it easy for kids ages 3 and up, parents and grandparents to stay connected and interact together, whether live 20 minutes away or thousands of miles apart. Available by invitation request, the device combines video calling and projecting so that users can read stories and play games from popular entertainment franchises such as Barbie, Disney, Hot Wheels, Nickelodeon and Sesame Street on Amazon Kids+ (which is free for the first year and then $3 per month).
It also comes with Tangram Bits, a hands-on learning experience that lets kids touch and move physical game pieces as their friends or family move virtual pieces remotely. A privacy shutter instantly disables the device’s cameras and microphones.
Amazon Glow Interactive Projector on Amazon.com
8. Ring Alarm Pro
Those who want to upgrade their home or worksite security system can pre-order Amazon’s new Ring Alarm Pro system, which has a built-in Eero Wi-Fi 6 router and 24/7 Backup Internet service that covers up to 1,500 square feet. That means that if the power goes out, your security cameras and other connected devices will still record and stream when you have a Ring Protect Pro subscription. The unit also includes local storage via a 64GB microSD card, which stores nearly two days’ worth of Ring video clips.
Amazon Ring Alarm Pro $379.99 on Amazon.com
9. Amazon Hey Disney Echo Show 5
Disney devotees will have to wait until 2022 to bring the magic of Mickey and Minnie Mouse and more characters into their homes through Amazon’s new “Hey, Disney!” voice assistant. It’ll be available on Alexa-compatible Echo devices and will offer “over 1,000 magical interactions to discover,” including Marvel trivia, storytelling from Frozen‘s Olaf, joking with C-3PO and setting everyday timers and weather checks voiced by beloved characters, per a release.
Until then, guests at Disney Resort and Walt Disney World Resort hotels can experience the custom assistant on complimentary Amazon Echo devices in their rooms. Those with an existing Echo Show device at home can also pre-order Otterbox’s new Mickey-themed Den Series stand for $25; in the meantime, you can sign up for updates on when “Hey, Disney!” arrives in the Alexa Skills Store.
Amazon Hey Disney Echo Show 5 Otterbox Case on Amazon.com
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