Amazon has a new and improved Echo smart speaker - here's how it sounds

Monica Chin/Business Insider

• Amazon introduced a new version of its popular Echo smart speaker at a launch event in September.
• The third-generation Echo costs $99.99 - just like the previous one - and you can preorder it now. It will ship on October 16.
• The new Echo has similar specs and design to last year's second-generation Echo Plus, plus, it comes in a new color. 
• I tried it out at Amazon's launch event - here's what it's like to use the new Echo. 

Amazon announced a lot of new devices at its September 25 launch event. From rings to headphones and even eyeglasses, the company appears to be stuffing Alexa into whatever it can get its hands on.

But Amazon hasn't forgotten its roots. And amidst the hardware cacophony, the company snuck in an update to its popular Amazon Echo, the Alexa speaker that started it all. 

If you think the new Echo's design looks familiar, that's because it is. The Echo (3rd-Gen) is identical to last year's Echo Plus (2nd-Gen) in both design and audio specs. There are only three differences: 

• The Echo (3rd-Gen) comes in a blue shade, in addition to the Echo Plus's hues of Charcoal, Heather Gray, and Sandstone. 
• The Echo Plus sports a built-in smart home hub and temperature sensor. The Echo (3rd-Gen) does not have those. 
• The new Echo is $99.99, the same price as its predecessor. The Echo Plus is $149.99. 

I spent a few minutes with the Echo (3rd-Gen) at Amazon's launch event. Here's what it was like to use. 

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