The majority of Amazon smart speakers lean more into the “smart” than the “speaker,” except for the Echo Studio. That device, which arrived in November 2019, was an imposing, sound-quality-first speaker that delivered Alexa functionality alongside impressive sound for a $200 device. But that was nearly six years ago – an eternity in tech product years – and the Studio has been due for a redesign.
The 2025 model of the Echo Studio, which costs $219.99, is one of four new Echo devices – alongside the Echo Dot Max, Echo Show 8, and Echo Show 11 – designed for Alexa Plus. Instead of the cylindrical design of its predecessor, it’s an orb, a bigg …