US — TechCrunch

Amazon debuts the Alexa Photo Frame and Echo Time smart clock, plus other upgraded devices

DevicesOctober 28, 20262 min read

Amazon unveiled five new Alexa devices, including two new kinds of hardware: the Alexa Photo Frame, a smart picture frame, and the Echo Time, a smart alarm clock. It also upgraded several existing Echo speakers and screens.

What happened

Amazon launched five new Alexa devices. Two are brand-new types of products. The Alexa Photo Frame is a digital picture frame that shows your photos. The Echo Time is a smart alarm clock. Amazon also updated its current lines, including the Echo Dot, Echo Studio with Home Camera, and Echo Show 16.

Key numbers and facts

Alexa Photo Frame: 10-inch screen, starts at $199.99 in Black, and $229 in Birch or Walnut wood. It is on sale now.
Echo Time clock: $199.99, or $209.99 for a Kids version.
Echo Dot: $99.99. It includes a built-in smart home hub and an eero Wi-Fi extender that covers up to 1,000 square feet.
Echo Studio with Home Camera: $249.99. It works as a camera so you can check on your home.
Echo Show 16: 16-inch display, with a 10% larger viewing area and a 40% smaller frame than its predecessor.

Why digital frames and alarm clocks

Digital picture frames used to be bright, clunky gifts. Newer frames, like Aura, have softer screens that look more like real photos on a wall. Many people also no longer want to use their phones as alarms. Amazon says the bedroom needs a different kind of device than the kitchen or living room.

Why it matters

These devices show Amazon trying to make Alexa part of more places in the home, from the bedroom to the wall. The Photo Frame links to Amazon accounts, and Prime members get unlimited photo storage. The new Echo Dot and Echo Studio also show how Amazon wants Alexa's AI, Alexa+, to see, sense, and control things in the home.

What to watch

How well the Photo Frame's photo picks work in real homes.
Whether people want an Echo in the bedroom to replace their phone alarm.
How well the Echo Dot's smart home hub connects lights, locks, and thermostats.
How the Echo Studio's camera and visual features work in daily use.

Glossary

Alexa: Amazon's voice assistant that runs on Echo speakers and other devices.
Alexa+: Amazon's newer AI version of Alexa, which powers the new features in these devices.
Echo Dot: A small, low-cost smart speaker from Amazon.
eero: An Amazon brand of Wi-Fi equipment that spreads internet signal through a home.
Aura: A company that makes digital picture frames for showing family photos.

Doubts Raised Over iPhone Fold Screen Cracking Issue

Some iPhone Fold units have reportedly developed screen damage in the same spot, raising questions about a possible systemic defect. Apple has said it is aware of a problem affecting the internal screen of a small number of iPhone Fold devices, but has not disclosed how many units are affected, the cause, or whether a recall will happen. Analysts and repair experts have offered hypotheses involving the hinge, while a Foxconn employee cited by JW Insights claimed Apple lowered some quality inspection standards to secure supply.

DevicesTechNodeOct 28

Desktop 3D-printer startup Baishida secures angel-plus funding

Chinese desktop 3D-printer startup Baishida has closed an angel-plus funding round led exclusively by Still Water Lake Venture Partners, with the amount undisclosed. The Ningbo-based company, which follows an earlier angel round funded by GL Ventures, plans to use the proceeds for manufacturing, R&D, hiring and working capital. Baishida is developing resin printers based on Layered Membrane Stereolithography and is preparing its first product for commercialization.

DevicesITmediaOct 28

Apple Unveils 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6, Boosting AI Performance, Starting at ¥339,800

Apple announced a 14-inch MacBook Pro equipped with its new M6 chip, claiming up to 30% higher graphics performance and up to 25% higher AI processing performance than the M5 model. In Japan, prices start at ¥339,800, with preorders from October 29 and sales beginning November 6. The M6 model is the standard 14-inch version only; the M5 Pro and M5 Max and the 16-inch models continue to be sold alongside it.

DevicesThe VergeOct 28

Here’s why the iPhone Duo’s hinge could be cracking the screen

Shortly after the iPhone Duo launched, owners reported cracked inner screens near the hinge. Apple acknowledged an "issue" affecting a "small number" of units and is replacing damaged phones. iFixit technician Shahram Mokhtari suspects the flexible inner screen is pressing against a metal part of the hinge, creating a stress point, though he says the actual number of failures is unknown.