Amazon recently unveiled a slew of new gadgets, including the Kindle Scribe, Rise Halo, a range of new Echo Dot smart speakers, and more. And while almost everything revealed during the Devices & Services livestream looked fantastic, there are already plenty of existing smart home products that fill a similar niche.
Whether you’re looking for a cheap replacement or just can’t wait for a release date that’s over a month away, here are some great alternatives to consider. All of these devices are available today and have capabilities on par with Amazon’s latest devices.
Hatch Restore is an affordable alternative to Halo Rise
Halo Rise is evolving into an innovative new sleep tracking solution that gives users the ability to track their sleep without wearing a smartwatch or other device. It also comes with a built-in light and a smart alarm to help you wake up. That Restore hatch is a similar product but one that is already on the market and has an affordable price.
It offers a similar relaxation and waking experience with its built-in lights, although there are no sleep monitoring features. But if that omission doesn’t bother you, it’s a great budget product for people looking to improve their sleep routine.
Skip the Echo Dot upgrade and get a Sonos One
Amazon unveiled a range of updated Echo Dot products in September, including an updated Echo Studio. But whether you’re looking for your first smart speaker or looking to upgrade your existing setup, the Sonos One is a great alternative for most Echo Dot models. It comes closest to the Echo Studio in price and performance, although our Sonos One review found it to be the “perfect smart speaker” – and it’s more than worth the extra money.
Streaming with Roku isn’t square
Make no mistake: the Amazon Fire TV Cube looks like a great overhaul of the existing product. The ability to act as both a central smart speaker and a streaming hub is a special combination that positions the Cube uniquely in the market. However, the Roku stream bar offers solid competition. It’s a lot bigger than the Fire TV Cube (it’s essentially a soundbar), but offers robust audio, 4K support, and tons of included streaming apps, making it a great centerpiece for your home theater.
Get Wyze for your outdoor security
Amazon used its Devices & Services event to unveil a surprising number of surveillance cameras – and that includes the premium Ring Spotlight Pro. With 1080p video recording, smart notifications and flawless detection via radar, the camera has positioned itself as one of the most advanced options available. But if you’re looking for something reliable that won’t flatten your wallet, this is the one to take a look at Wyze Cam Outdoor v2. Just like the Ring Spotlight Pro, it offers 1080p video recording, is IP65 rated for inclement weather, and has a 130-degree field of view to help you eliminate any blind spot in your garden.
Get 360-degree security with the Eufy Security Solo
The Blink Mini finally gets a mount that lets you pan its view vertically and horizontally. If you already own the camera, picking up the mount makes a lot of sense. But if you’re looking for a whole new setup, this is it Eufy Security Solo should be at the top of your list. Not only can it pan in all directions, but it can also reach all 360 degrees of its surroundings. It’s also exactly what you’d pay for a Blink Mini and its swivel and tilt stand.
Check out reMarkable 2 for a serious Kindle Scribe competitor
The Scribe will be the first Kindle that allows you to take notes on its screen. However, it is not the first e-reader to offer this functionality. At the moment, this area is largely dominated by the reMarkable 2. The device doesn’t support as many e-books as Kindle, but its note-taking is second to none. Throw in a slick design coupled with a long battery life and it’s a pretty tempting package.
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