Hands on with Amazon’s new AI-enhanced Echo smart speakers and displays

Here is a 199-word summary of the article: Amazon has unveiled new versions of its popular Echo smart speakers and displays, featuring updated designs and enhanced AI capabilities. The high-end Echo Studio has been redesigned with a spherical shape, housing three full-range drivers and a woofer for improved audio performance. The more affordable Echo Dot Max doubles the number of drivers compared to the previous model, but also doubles the price to $99.99. The new Echo Show 8 and 11 displays have slimmed-down designs, with the screens appearing to be suspended in space on oval-shaped bodies. While they lack the motorized display of the previous Echo Show 10, the new models offer tilting and swiveling capabilities, as well as improved camera quality. All of the new Echo devices are powered by Amazon's latest AZ3 and AZ3 Pro chips, enabling "on the edge" Alexa processing for faster responses and advanced sensor capabilities. Users can also pair multiple Echo Studios or Dot Maxes for surround sound, with Alexa Home Theater automatically calibrating the audio to the room. The refreshed Echo lineup is available for pre-order, with the Studio and Dot Max shipping on October 29, and the Show 8 and 11 arriving on November 12.