Amazon Unveils new Echo Products →

The new, second-generation Echo is smaller, with better speakers and a design I find far nicer than the first-generation model that currently sits in my kitchen. At $99, it’s cheaper, too. Seems like a win.

The $35 Echo Connect is far stranger. Pitched as a phone replacement, it plugs in to your old analog phone line and lets you make phone calls, including to 911.

Both devices go on sale later this year. I’m excited about the former, but as we stopped paying AT&T for a landline years ago, I’ll pass on the latter.

There is also the Echo Spot, a smart alarm clock and the Echo Plus which doubles as a smart home hub and looks just like the original Echo.