What is Amazon Echo?

Amazon Echo is a wireless, voice-activated home audio speaker system sold by Amazon.com.

This futuristic device containing bluetooth and WiFi connectivity will respond to any spoken commands with its digital voice assistant.

The device itself consists of a cylinder speaker (23.5 cm) with a microphone array which responds to the name “Alexa”.

Echo’s clever technology is constantly learning and adapting to your speech patterns, vocabulary and personal preferences. It continues to become smarter adding new features and skills to increase the capabilities available to the user. Examples of its skills include ordering a pizza and getting an Uber. 

This compact and intelligent device is capable of many things:

• Voice interaction
• Play music from a range of sources including Spotify and Prime Music
• Make and add items to your to-do list
• Create and manage shopping lists
• Set alarms
• Stream podcasts
• Play audiobooks
• Search the Web
• Check the weather, news and traffic
• Control lights, switches, and thermostats 

Echo can also control several smart devices, for instance you can control the temperature on your Nest Thermostat and your lighting with Philips Hue.

Amazon has rated Echo’s audio quality – “Echo has been fine-tuned to deliver crisp vocals with dynamic bass response. Its dual downward-firing speakers produce 360-degree omnidirectional audio to fill the room with immersive sound.”

It’s far-field voice recognition, enables it to hear you from across the room even whilst playing music. 

The Echo was featured in Amazon’s first ever Super Bowl advertisement in 2016.

Before Echo’s release in the USA in 2o15 Amazon had been developing the Echo since at least 2010!

Unfortunately the Amazon Echo isn’t currently available to purchase in the UK, however if you’re in the US you can purchase it for $179.99.

Here at Nexus we believe smart devices such as Echo will be a common household essential in the foreseeable future, so keep an eye out for more products like this.

We’d love to hear your feedback! Please share and comment your views on the Amazon Echo and let us know whether you would buy one.