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Amazon announced the Echo Time, a $199.99 smart alarm clock with a 3.2-inch touchscreen and an opt-in feature that estimates sleep stages using breathing and movement. The Verge’s hands-on report describes its design and functions, but does not establish how accurately the sleep sensing works or whether the alarm improves users’ rest.
Amazon has announced the Echo Time, a $199.99 smart alarm clock with a round touchscreen and an opt-in feature that estimates a user’s sleep stage to choose when to sound an alarm. The Verge’s hands-on report from Amazon’s New York event describes the device’s hardware and software, but the sleep-sensing feature’s accuracy and effect on how rested users feel have not been independently established in the report.
The Echo Time is a baseball-sized speaker with a 3.2-inch touchscreen, a larger, fully round display than the Echo Spot’s 2.83-inch screen. It keeps the clock visible as its main display, then returns to the clock after Alexa completes a request. Small icons can provide access to active music or timers without replacing the clock face. The display can dim below 0.3 nits, according to the report, though the hands-on reviewer said bedside use would be needed to judge how it performs in a dark room.
Amazon says the new alarm uses an ultrasound transducer alongside the motion-sensing hardware in the new Echo Dot. Together, the sensors track breathing and small movements to estimate sleep stage, then may wake the user at a selected moment up to an hour before the set alarm time. Sleep sensing is opt-in, and a press of the mute button can disable it. The report does not provide test results measuring the estimates against a clinical sleep assessment.
Other features include touchscreen alarm-setting, sunrise-style lighting that gradually brightens the clock face, and alarm tones that grow more energetic after snoozes. The device has no camera. Its hardware includes a smart-home hub supporting Zigbee, Thread and Matter, allowing compatible lights to be paired with it. Amazon offers the standard model in pink, black and white; children’s editions cost $209.99 and include one year of Amazon Kids Plus, with bedtime routines and a Sleep Studio feature.
A Bedroom Clock With Sleep Sensing
The Echo Time brings sleep-related sensing into a standalone bedside clock, rather than requiring a user to wear a watch or band. For people who already use Alexa or connected lighting, its combination of alarms, a display and a smart-home hub could consolidate several nighttime and morning functions in one device. Touchscreen alarm-setting may also help users avoid speaking aloud while someone else is sleeping nearby.
But Amazon’s description of an alarm timed to a favorable point in a sleep cycle is a product claim, not proof that the device can reliably identify sleep stages or improve rest. The distinction matters to buyers weighing a $199.99 price against simpler clocks or wearable sleep trackers. The available hands-on report assesses the product’s design and demonstrations; it does not report overnight testing or measured sleep outcomes.
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How It Builds on Echo Spot
The Echo Time follows the Echo Spot as Amazon’s screen-equipped smart alarm clock. The Verge reviewer, who said the Spot was among their favorite smart alarm clocks, described the Time as a more polished device with a larger, fully circular screen. The new model also makes alarm-setting possible on the display, rather than relying on a spoken Alexa command.
The announcement came alongside a new Echo Dot with the same hardware platform, according to the report. Amazon’s addition of sleep sensing distinguishes the Time from a standard smart speaker, while its clock-first display and lack of a camera address features relevant to bedside placement. The report’s reviewer noted that the Time is considerably more expensive than the Spot, making its usability and sleep-related performance important questions for prospective buyers.
“The alarm can wake users at an “optimal” moment up to an hour before the set alarm time.”
— Amazon, as described in The Verge report
Sleep Estimates Await Overnight Testing
The report does not say how accurately the Echo Time can distinguish sleep stages using breathing and small movements, or how often its alarm would sound before the user’s chosen alarm time. It also provides no evidence that waking at the device’s estimated moment leaves users feeling more rested. Those points would require testing beyond a brief product demonstration.
Other practical details are not covered in the source material, including the device’s dimensions, battery or power requirements, privacy and data-retention arrangements for sleep sensing, and whether the feature will work in every market. The reviewer also flagged the Time’s size as a concern but did not provide further assessment. These details remain unconfirmed in the report.
Real-World Reviews Will Test Claims
The Echo Time is available to order now at the stated price, according to The Verge. The next useful evidence will come from extended use in bedrooms: whether the display dims comfortably at night, whether sleep estimates are consistent, and whether the alarm’s timing changes users’ experience of waking. Buyers may also want details from Amazon on sleep-data controls and availability in their region before ordering.
The Verge reviewer said they would need to test the display at a bedside table, rather than rely on the bright-room demonstration. The source does not give a shipping date or announce a timetable for further tests, so those details remain open.
Key Questions
What is the Echo Time?
It is Amazon’s smart alarm clock with a 3.2-inch round touchscreen, Alexa functions and an opt-in feature that estimates sleep stages from breathing and movement.
How much does the Echo Time cost?
The standard Echo Time is listed at $199.99. The children’s editions cost $209.99 and include one year of Amazon Kids Plus, according to The Verge report.
Does it diagnose or accurately measure sleep stages?
The reported feature estimates sleep stage from breathing and small movements. The source provides no clinical validation or accuracy results, so it should not be treated as a confirmed diagnostic measurement.
Can users turn off sleep sensing?
Yes. The report says sleep sensing is opt-in and can be disabled quickly by pressing the mute button.
When can buyers order it?
The Verge report says the Echo Time is available to order now. It does not specify a shipping date or provide more detail about regional availability.
Source: theverge.com
