Amazon Echo Auto it is the latest member of the Amazon Echo family but it stands out for one important characteristics: born to work in the car. It is therefore not a home assistant, which you can connect to your home Wi-Fi, but a product dedicated to mobility that brings Alexa to cars. But how does it work? How much? Is it worth buying? We talk about it in this review.
Amazon Echo Auto: the video review
Amazon Echo Auto review: how does it work?
Amazon Echo Auto landed in Italy a few weeks ago with the aim of offering consumers the same features that we have found for years in traditional Amazon Echo devices: home control, answers to the most varied questions and music reproduction.
The device, for sale at 59,99 €, it is sold together with a stand - which helps you to attach it to the air conditioning vent -, a USB / microUSB cable, an audio cable and the car power supply.
The device itself is extremely compact, made of plastic and equipped with only two buttons: one dedicated to mute and one with which to call Alexa. On the top we also have 8 microphones, which allow the voice assistant to hear you even if you stand listening to music or immersed in traffic, while on the front we have an LED bar that helps you to interpret the status of the device. On the side finally there are USB input and 3,5mm jack.
Installation is pretty straightforward. First of all you need to connect the Amazon Echo Auto to a power source, which can be the car's USB directly or the 12 volt socket. Once this step is complete, you will need to use the Alexa app to configure the new device, simply by following the on-screen instructions. There are two possible variants at this stage: you can connect Amazon Echo Auto to the car via Bluetooth or via the audio cable in the package.
Two small warnings:
- not all cars are compatible with the product. Before buying it, we suggest you consult the list of unsupported vehicles that you find here.
- Amazon Echo Auto needs connectivity to work, which is provided by your smartphone. So make sure your rate plan has enough GB.
Echo Auto - Take Alexa in the car with you
- Take Alexa in the car with you - Echo Auto connects to the Alexa App on your phone and plays content from ...
- Perfect on the road - Thanks to 8 microphones and long-range voice recognition, Echo Auto is able to ...
- Much more than a car stereo - Control Echo Auto from the Alexa App and stream content from Audible, Amazon ...
What can I do?
In reality, the differences with a classic Echo device are few. Yes, that's right, it works in the car, uses mobile data and uses the car stereo, but the functionalities are identical. Amazon Echo Auto can then play music for you, answer questions, play a specific radio station or audiobook, manage your smart home or add items to your shopping list.
Add to this the possibility of handle calls, starting one, responding when you get it, or stopping it when you're done. Obviously, the functionality of “drop-in”, that is to use it as a sort of intercom to communicate with the rest of the family and the Amazon Echo you have at home.
And the messages? There are those too. Just indicate the recipient and dictate the text.
Amazon Echo Auto review: who is it for?
In my opinion Amazon Echo Auto it is suitable for two types of users. On the one hand we find those who already use Alexa in their daily lives, those who like to interact with the voice assistant, who are already used to consulting it for traffic, calendar, weather, smart home control and much more. If you recognize yourself in this description, know that the experience will be similar to the home one and everything will seem very familiar to you.
On the other hand we have instead those who want to modernize the car, those who do not like the voice commands of their car, those who do not have the Android Auto or the Apple CarPlay of the situation and do not want to give up Spotify. For this kind of customers it is undoubtedly a good investment: with 59,99 euros bring your car in 2020.
To this we add an obvious advantage: Amazon Echo Auto is a travel companion that helps you to perform most of the actions without distracting you or taking your hands off the wheel. An incentive to drive safely.
Echo Auto - Take Alexa in the car with you
- Take Alexa in the car with you - Echo Auto connects to the Alexa App on your phone and plays content from ...
- Perfect on the road - Thanks to 8 microphones and long-range voice recognition, Echo Auto is able to ...
- Much more than a car stereo - Control Echo Auto from the Alexa App and stream content from Audible, Amazon ...
