If you reside in the states, you may be familiar with Amazon’s Alexa and its connected gadgets. Consumers in the UK, not so much although that is changing as the company is finally going to roll out the Echo and Echo Dot for techies in the region.
The Amazon Echo has been on consumers shopping lists in the states for a couple of years, and Amazon has improved the product considerably since it first launched. They are finally going to show folks in the UK some love by releasing the Echo and the Echo Dot, and you’ll even be able to get it in a cool new shade to boot.
If you are unfamiliar with the Echo, here’s the scoop. It’s basically a speaker with a voice-assistant hiding inside along the lines of Siri… except this one is named Alexa. Through the magic of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the connected devices will recognize your commands and give you the lowdown on anything from news and weather to sports scores. It’s smart as well, so it will learn your preferences as you use it more.
As for the Echo Dot, it extends the Echo’s capabilities and comes in a very small form factor. The slick little disk can be synced up to your Echo and to your own speakers which allow for additional functions. While it can still handle many of the Echo’s abilities, the main draw is the fact you can place them all over your house to extend the Echo’s reach. This also ensures Alexa can understand you better, especially if you have a loud or large home.
With today’s announcement comes another bit of good news. The Echo Dot is now cheaper at $50/£50 and can be purchased in packs of six or twelve. It will ship out next month to consumers in the UK, whereas the Amazon Echo is priced at £159.99 and will roll out within the next few weeks. Preorders are already open for the Echo, and Prime members will be able to shave an additional £50 off the product for the next two days.