Amazon Echo review

What is it?

  • The Amazon Echo is a wireless and voice command device designed by Amazon. The device consists of a 23.5cm tall cylinder speaker.
  • The device is capable of voice interaction, music playback, making lists of things to do, setting your alarm, streaming music, playing audiobooks, and providing weather, traffic and other real-time information.
  • It can also control several smart devices.

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The benefits

  • A very useful tool to have in the household and excellent voice detection.

The negatives

  • The battery of the Amazon Echo lasted only for a year.

Price

  • The price of the speaker comes at $179.00 on Amazon, which is quite reasonable for an intelligent voice command device.

Summary

“Got my Echo yesterday and so far am very pleased.  I paid $99 for the unit and at that price it is an absolute bargain.  Contrary to CNET’s review, I thought the sound quality was excellent and surprisingly full for a relatively small unit.  And the microphones are amazing: 1)they can hear me talk in a normal voice from 20-30 feet away even when music or the TV is playing; and 2) they are very accurate and 90% of the time the device does what I want it to do with no issues. The range of what the personal assistant can do is relatively limited now but I imagine future updates will expand that.  For now that’s a fun and nice to have feature but in now way a game changer.  The real benefit is easy, hands-free access to my and Amazon’s entire digital music library as well as numerous internet radio stations.  The echo app on my Kindle works great and I can also control the unit via Safari on my IOS devices.  All in all a wonderful bargain at $99.  I’m not sure it’s worth $199 but I can’t imagine it will be long before Amazon is discounting these like they do their other devices.” – CNET

 

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