The price is right for these Alexa devices
Amazon Echo Show gives you a screen to video chat, play games, watch videos and stream the feeds of security cameras. Credit: CBS Interactive
Dozens of new smart home devices launch every year, usually in the fall, and last year was no different, with new products from Amazon, Google, Apple and smaller brands. For Amazon in particular, the Echo smart speaker is one of the best home integration products to come along in years, and that means the potential for a well-oiled smart home working in concert is higher than ever as we get close to the second half of 2021.
The Amazon Echo Dot has impressive sound quality for the size if you want to play music. Credit: CBS Interactive
WHAT Amazon Echo Dot
THE COST $39.99
AVAILABLE FROM amazon.com
The cheapest smart speaker Amazon offers is the ever-solid third-generation Echo Dot. Sure, there's a newer Dot available, but its improvements are marginal, so whichever device is cheaper is probably the way to go.
This Echo speaker has impressive sound quality for the size if you want to play music (Spotify Premium, Amazon Music, Apple Music and more), along with voice control and all the smarts of the higher-end speakers. Place Echo devices in different rooms of your house for multiroom audio.
It also comes in two color options: a sleek, sophisticated charcoal or for a little more panache, a vibrant plum.
The Wyze Cam V3 boasts an impressive set of features, including weatherproof housing and sharper night vision. Credit: CBS Interactive
WHAT Wyze Cam V3
THE COST $32.98
AVAILABLE FROM wyze.com
The Wyze Cam V3 is one of the best reasonably priced devices out there, and it just got an update. With a reasonable price tag and an impressive set of features, including weatherproof housing, sharper night vision, a wider field of view, a functional siren and more, the third-generation Wyze Cam is better than ever.
In addition, with a single voice command, you can throw the Wyze Cam's feed onto an Alexa-powered smart display, like the Echo Show 8.
WHAT Amazon Echo Show 8
THE COST $87.99
AVAILABLE FROM amazon.com
The Echo Show 8 is an Alexa-compatible display that marries all the voice assistance of a speaker to the touch controls of a tablet. It gives you a screen to video chat, play games, watch videos and even stream the feeds of security cameras.
The physical camera shutter is a small, smart addition to soothe privacy concerns.
The following CNET staff contributed to this story: senior editor Ry Crist, CNET staff writer David Priest, senior writer Megan Wollerton and copy editor Jim Hoffman. For more reviews of personal technology products, visit cnet.com.
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