Amazon’s next big reveal at its fall event last Wednesday is the Echo Hub. This gadget is basically a smart home controller. The Echo Hub has an 8-inch touchscreen and hails from the same family tree as the Echo Show smart displays but make no mistake, it's a whole new breed. Sporting a sleek, tablet-like appearance, it's all about that slim and trim aesthetic, you can easily mount it on your wall for a neat look or prop it up on a table or shelf using a desktop stand.
Under the hood, the hub rocks the same OS as the fresh-faced Show 5 but Amazon says that the Echo Hub packs a different processor. With Zigbee, Thread, Bluetooth LE, and Amazon Sidewalk radios on board, this device is basically your one-stop shop for smart home control. It even pulls double duty as a Thread border router and Matter controller.
The Echo Hub syncs with over 140,000 connected devices – think cameras, lights, locks, plugs, thermostats, and speakers. And it's got connectivity options to boot – hook it up to Wi-Fi or ethernet using a compatible power over ethernet (PoE) converter.
The Echo Hub also has a speaker and a mic array, meaning you can have two-way audio conversations, whether it's with your video doorbell or via the magic of Drop In with your Echo devices. You can wield the power of Alexa's voice control, indulge in some audio listening, or even kick back and enjoy video content as it supports Prime Video, Hulu, and Tubi.
To sweeten the deal, the Echo Hub will arrive with a handy wall-mount bracket, a power adapter, and a six-foot cable (USB-A to C) to keep things charged up and ready to roll. It's set at $179.99 (₹14,966).