What are Amazon Day One Edition devices and when can you try them?
At its now-annual hardware event in September 2019, Amazon announced a new initiative, in which it'd preview new beta products and allow some people to test them on an invitation-only basis, presumably before fully launching the devices for everyone to buy and use.
Called Day One Edition, Amazon described this new initiative as a "new way for us to get new products out in limited volume, to customers, and to get real feedback - and if customers love them, we’ll double down and build a lot more". Amazon already has a couple so-called Day One Edition devices in testing. Here's everything you need to know about them, including when you can try them.
What is Amazon Day One Edition?
It's a new initiative that allows Amazon to soft-launch "Day One Edition" devices in beta so that it can test them with consumers before deciding whether to fully launch them for everyone. It also allows the company to better understand which kinds of products consumers might want. Amazon is promising to use feedback from these trials to build even more products for its customers to buy.
How many Day One Edition products are there?
Here are the first two Day One Edition devices:
Echo Loop
The Echo Loop is a smart ring with a titanium body. No, it's not a Ring doorbell device, but an actual ring you wear on your finger. We should note that it was made perfectly clear that the Echo Loop is still a beta device when it failed to work properly during its unveiling.
Echo Loop features two mics and the smallest speaker ever used on an Echo device. It pairs with your phone for connectivity. There's a small button on it that awakens Alexa, too, as opposed to using voice commands. It serves up small vibrations to let you know if you've successfully pressed the button to activate Alexa, or it'll make you aware with a notification on your phone.
Echo Frames
Echo Frames are lightweight Alexa-enabled smart glasses available with or without prescription lenses. Before you go thinking they are some form of Google Glass-like augmented reality device, they're not. These are simply a wearable Echo device. They weigh 31g and feature two inward-facing speakers that should make it so only you can hear Alexa through the frames.
They don’t have a camera or a front-facing display to get in the way; Amazon said they’re all about "all-day access to Alexa on the go".
How can you try Day One Edition products?
Echo Loop
The Echo Loop is available for $129.99 - but only in limited quantities in the US, and it'll require an invite to buy and try.
Echo Frames
Echo Frames are also available in limited quantities in the US through an invite. They start at $179.99 and can come with prescription lenses.
When will Day One Edition products fully launch?
Amazon has not yet revealed how long a Day One Edition product will be in testing. The Echo Loop and Echo Frames are still in beta.
Are more Day One Edition products coming?
One can assume Amazon will introduce more Day One Edition products, but it has not revealed anything as of yet.
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