Starting last year, Amazon has continued to offer a bonus credit when trading in an old Amazon device (or related devices from other brands).

Amazon is offering the largest discount on Echo devices, specifically 25% off on the purchase of a new Amazon Echo, Echo Dot or Echo Show. In order to qualify for the discount, you have to trade-in older Echo devices.

For instance, a 1st generation Amazon Echo in good condition will get you $25 back in a digital gift card as well as a 25% off coupon on a new Echo device. You could go from 1st generation to 4th generation for roughly $50, which is half the cost of the 4th gen Echo speaker.

You could also pursue a large discount by trading in a third gen, Echo Dot for $5 (ideal for anyone that took advantage of the Echo Dot for $9 deal last year) and use that 25% off discount to get $62 off the new Echo Show 10.

Beyond 25% off on new Echo devices, Amazon is offering 20% bonus discounts for trade-ins across a barrage of categories:

• 20% off Fire TV with trade-in: LINK
• 20% off Kindle with trade-in: LINK
• 20% off Fire Tablets with trade-in: LINK
• 20% off Ring security with trade-in: LINK
• 20% off Eero Wi-fi Mesh with trade-in: LINK

Regarding trade-in value, Echo devices appear to offer some of the better trade-in values while Fire TV devices off the worst. But if you were planning on upgrading anyway, it’s going to be worth it for the additional discount.

Two things to keep in mind to save even more money:

1. The % off discount is automatically applied in your cart when you purchase the new device through midnight on November 30, 2021. That means the discount will be available during Prime Day as well as Black Friday & Cyber Monday. You may save even more money by waiting for additional sales on your new device.
2. Watch for bonus % back offers on the Amazon Prime Visa card. The base is 5% back, but Amazon likes to offer additional discounts on Amazon devices during Q4. Potentially, you could save up to another 20% by using that specific credit card during checkout.

Want to pay less for a new Amazon Echo? Get an extra 25% off with a trade-in.

Amazon Echo Auto ($40) is basically a mini voice-controlled Echo speaker for your car. Here in Minnesota, where a new “hands free” law just went into effect, we’re all looking for the best way to control music and make calls/texts without ever touching our smartphones (and risking a hefty fine!). I haven’t been completely happy with just using the Siri hands free function on my iPhone, and was hopeful the other lady robot in my life, Alexa, could help.

Unboxing and Setup

Echo Auto itself is nice and small (about 2″ x 3″) and comes with an easy to install air vent mount. It totally looks like a little Amazon robot face that I quickly discovered you can make look happy or sad depending on which way to place it in the mount.

To set everything up, you’ll need the Alexa app to pair your Echo Auto to your phone via Bluetooth, and then connect it to your vehicle using either Bluetooth or auxiliary cable (included in the box). My car doesn’t have Bluetooth, so I used the aux input.

You’d think the initial setup would be a piece of cake based on the very simple instructions included in the box (download the app–it’ll walk you through it!), but that wasn’t the case for me. Apparently there’s a setting within the Alexa app that needs to be manually turned on (“turn Alexa assistant on on this phone”) that wasn’t mentioned anywhere in the instructions. After messing around for 15 minutes and getting pretty frustrated (sad little Amazon robot face), I happened upon this magical setting that seemed to be the key to making it connect (happy little Amazon robot face).

Connection

It appears that every time you turn the car on, you need to reconnect your phone (phone settings -> Bluetooth -> connect to Echo Auto). If you’re the only one who ever drives your car, this is obviously really annoying. However, for couples/families who share a vehicle, this can actually make it easier to switch between whose phone is in control (sad robot face/happy robot face depending on your situation).

Music Control

The main thing I do on my phone while driving is play music. We use Apple Music so I was a little concerned Alexa was going to make me jump through hoops to stream from something other than Amazon Music Unlimited. And she kind of does. You have to remember to add “from Apple Music” at the end of every request. For example, “play Christmas music” will default to Amazon Music unless you say, “play Christmas music from Apple Music.” Not a huge deal, but kind of annoying (sad robot face).

The sound itself, however, is great. We’ve gone through a lot of cheap Bluetooth aux adapters over the years, and the sound that comes out of the Echo Auto is louder and more clear (happy robot face).

Making Calls

Making calls is pretty easy and straightforward using Echo Auto. As long as the person is in your phone contacts, you can simply say, “Alexa, call ___.” The sound quality is good, easy to hear, no delay (happy robot face). When I tested this from the other end (me on my iPhone at home talking to my husband in the car), I did notice a slight well, echo, when I talked. I haven’t used it enough to know if this is a consistent issue with the device (maybe sad robot face?).

Texting

Texting is a joke with the Echo Auto. If you say, “Alexa, text ____”, you’ll get a prompt to set up the Alexa Messaging app, and can only message people who also have that set up. No one’s gonna do that. Definite sad robot face.

Getting Directions

I was really surprised at how difficult it was for Alexa to pull up driving directions. You have to be really specific with your requests. I tried “Alexa, get directions to the nearest Target” to no avail. “Alexa, get directions to Target off Highway 7” was also not specific enough. Then when I finally figured out a request that would get me to the right location, Alexa told me to accept a notification on my phone to proceed. Kind of defeats the purpose of “hands free”.

Once the directions were going, they were fine. Easy to hear, got me to the right place. But the difficulty this thing has figuring out where you want to go, and the fact that you have to touch your phone to proceed every time, are big flaws in my opinion (double sad robot face).

Conclusion

If you’re mainly looking for something to play and control music in your car, Echo Auto is a (mostly) great option. As far as the other features, it might not be ready for Prime time quite yet (get it?).

Amazon Echo Auto Review: Great For Music!

The barrage of Amazon products announced at the Fall Amazon Echo event recently was pretty overwhelming. Beyond the next generation of Echo smart speakers, Amazon expanded into the Home segment with an Alexa-enabled microwave, a smart plug and the Echo Wall Clock.

We got our hands on the Echo Wall Clock this weekend. Inside, you will find the setup instructions, the 10″ Wall Clock, a four pack of Amazon AA batteries, and one wall anchor / screw for hanging the clock. The actual weight of the clock is fairly light. I tried hanging the clock on an angled penny nail in drywall and it was perfectly fine without having to use the wall anchor.

How Does It Work?

Since Alexa tech isn’t built into the clock, you will need to own an Echo device (or Echo app on your smartphone / tablet) to set it up. After installing the four AA batteries, you basically just ask your Echo device to setup the clock.

There’s a tiny blue button on the back to the clock that you push to sync. When your Echo device connects to the Echo Wall Clock (within a range of 30 feet), a LED light on the front of the clock will turn orange, then blue when setup. This is the same light that will turn on when the batteries are low or when there’s a connectivity problem with your Echo device.

The entire process took me less than two minutes. In that time, I connected to my Echo device and the hands on the clock automatically set to the correct time. If you live in a region that observes daylight savings time, you won’t have to change your clocks. Your Echo device will automatically update your clock (similar to your smartphone).

You have the ability to set multiple timers via your Echo device and those timers will show up on the clock face via bright white LED lights. A timer of 1 minute or less with light up to 60 LEDs and those will disappear as the seconds go by. A timer of more than 1 minute will light up multiple LED lights around the clock face going clockwise (each light is one minute).

If you have set several timers, you will see single lights representing each timer. For instance, setting a timer for 15 minutes and a timer for 45 minutes will light up two LED lights, one at the 3 on the clock face and the other at the 9 on the clock face. Those lights will move as the timer counts down.

There are no speakers in the clock, thus there’s no audio cue coming from the clock when your timer has finished (only a visual LED flourish at the end). The clock hands are also relatively silent, no “tick, tock” sound of a second hand obviously.

You do have to keep the clock within 30 feet of your Echo device for timer functionality (in order to connect via Bluetooth). You are also limited to connecting a single Echo device to the clock (also due to Bluetooth). Ideally, you will want the clock and Echo device in the same room, but it still works from about a room away.

How Does It Look?

I asked my wife this question and her response was one word, “Ugly.” I can’t really disagree. The build quality feels a bit cheap in my hands and the design reminds me of a classroom / office clock; not a clock that’s designed for a warm, inviting home. While the utilitarian design does make the clock easy to read / see LEDs, the black & white design is arguably boring.

The fact there’s no clear protective glass / plastic covering the face of the clock bugs me for a couple reasons. First, dust / pet hair seems to stick to the clock face, even when hanging it on the wall. Seems like you will have to clean it occasionally and carefully clean under the clock hands as well.

Second, if you move from apartment to apartment relatively frequently, you will have to protect the clock face with bubble wrap (or save the original box). It seems like the hands could be easily bent / broken in a moving box; also not ideal if you have young kids in the house & the clock in a position where they could reach it (like on a stand).

The white LED lights are probably the coolest aspect of the design, although it would have been nice to have different colors for multiple timers. I do really like the final minute of the timer, easy to spot when the LED lights are ticking away. I also like the LED flourish when the timer goes off, easily capturing your attention if you can’t hear your Echo device.

Alexa, set a timer for 20 minutes.

Should You Buy This?

It really depends how much you use timers. Personally, I like using Echo timers when I cook. I can set multiple timers on my Echo in the kitchen, head into my living room where the clock is located and watch for the visual cue when my timer goes off. I could see how this would be useful with kids as well, setting visual timers for TV / video game time or perhaps even a visual timer for a time-out.

If you don’t use timers, you should probably skip this first gen version of the Echo Wall Clock. Having a wall clock that adjusts itself automatically is nice, but you are paying a premium price for a fairly cheap looking clock. I’d wait until 3rd party clock makers incorporate Alexa into their own clocks or Amazon releases a second generation of clocks with several designs. Adding a feature like a small E-Ink display for the current Day / Month would be useful on a new design, for instance.

Regarding price point, $30 is just a bit steep for this gadget. $15 – $20 seems like a solid price point based on build quality / functionality. This is the first time Amazon has released a clock, thus we have no price history to predict price drops. However, you may see sales on the Echo Wall Clock by Spring 2019, especially if third party clock makers embrace Alexa as a feature.

Check Echo Clock Price on Amazon

Echo Wall Clock Review: Great for Timers, Boring Design

The Echo Glow ($30) is marketed as a “smart lamp” for kids. My three young kids and I set out to see how brightly this new addition to the Amazon devices family really shines.

So…what is it?

The Glow is a small (about the size of a large grapefruit?) color-changing lamp that you can control with any Amazon Echo device. It does not have a speaker or microphone, so you can’t talk directly to it. Basically, you need to have an Echo Speaker, Echo Dot or Echo Show in the same room, and with that you can ask Alexa to “turn on Glow”, “turn Glow to purple”, or whatever else you would like it to do.

Also note that it’s not wireless. The Glow needs to be plugged into the wall, just like in the “olden days” as my kids like to put it.

What does it do?

Well, mostly the Glow just glows! You can tell it to glow a specific color, or you can tap the top of it to make it cycle through all the colors. It also has a couple preset light programs you can ask Alexa to start: “campfire” (flickering red/orange/yellow) and “color flow” (rainbow).

You can also set a light schedule/routine using the Alexa app. Here’s where this device makes a lot of sense for kids! The Glow can essentially work as an “okay to wake” clock (super popular right now). For our kids, we scheduled the Glow to turn green (the signal that it’s okay to get out of bed/come downstairs) at 7AM on weekdays and at 8AM on the weekend. We also scheduled a “sunset” each evening and a “sunrise” each morning, mostly just for fun.

Within the app you can also adjust the brightness/dimness of the light (helpful if you’re using this as a night light).

Does it work?

So far, we haven’t had any major issues with it. The Glow is smaller than I would have expected–more of a night light size than a lamp, but the light it produces is fairly bright. The colors are pretty. Honestly, there’s not that much to “do” with the Glow, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing (as long as you know this when you buy it!).

Should you get one?

If you’re in the market for a nice night light/okay to wake clock for the kids’ room anyway, then yes, I think you’ll be pleased with the Glow. For comparison, the two most popular similar options run about the same price or more (the LittleHippo Mella Ready to Rise Children’s Trainer is $50 and the original Mirari OK to Wake! Alarm Clock & Night Light is $28).

If you are expecting a true “smart lamp”, however, you may be disappointed. The Glow could really benefit from having its own speaker/mic, and could also really use a wireless upgrade (this is not, in fact, the olden days, Amazon!).

Conclusion

The Glow glows, but a few more lumens are needed to really make it shine.

Echo Glow Review: Colorful, but Not Smart Enough

Shopping for an Amazon Echo? Or perhaps a Echo Show? We’ve looked through all the Black Friday ads and broken down where you can get the cheapest Echo Dots, Echo speakers, Echo Show, Fire TV and Fire tablets this year.

For the most part, Amazon sets identical pricing for all retailers; but you can find bonus offers or bundles with specific product at Amazon and other retailers.

Best Price on an Amazon Echo: $60

This will be the same price at all retailers, a $40 discount off the MSRP. It’s possible that Amazon will also discount the model with 4-months of free Amazon Music Unlimited to the $60 price point as well. It’s unlikely this will go out of stock at Amazon.

The current generation of the Amazon Echo comes in five colors, utilizes a 0.8″ tweeter and 3″ woofer, includes a 3.5 mm line in/out and is compatible with Dolby Audio.

• Amazon: Echo Speaker

Best Price on an Echo Dot: $22

The 3rd generation Echo Dot will be on sale for the same price at all retailers, $22. That’s a $28 discount off the $50 MSRP. It’s unlikely this will go out of stock at Amazon.

If you are buying in bulk, head back to Kohl’s. If you purchased 5 Echo Dots at Kohl’s, that would cost $110, but you would get $30 in Kohl’s Cash back. If you want the version with the clock face built-in, Amazon will have it on sale for $35.

• Amazon: Echo Dot
• Kohl’s: Echo Dot in Bulk
• Amazon: Echo Dot with Clock Face

Best Price on an Echo Show 5: $50 + $15 GC

Advertised on the front page of the Kohl’s ad, this offer is likely to sell out quickly. You get the same sale price found at other retailers, but $15 in Kohl’s Cash back after the purchase. This price is a $40 discount off the MSRP.

The Echo Show 5 comes in 2 colors, offers access to Alexa, uses a 5.5″ smart display and includes a switch to turn off the microphone & camera if you prefer privacy. If you want the larger 8-inch model, Amazon has it on sale for $100.

• Kohl’s: Echo Show 5
• Amazon: Echo Show 5
• Amazon: Echo Show 8

Best Price on an Fire TV 4K Cube: $90

This will be the same price at all retailers. It’s unlikely this will go out of stock at Amazon. This is a $30 discount off the retailer price of $120.

The Fire TV 4K Cube offers 4K video playback with HDR, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision support as well as a built-in speaker, a hexa-core processor, 16GB of storage, Dolby Atmos support and 802.11ac dual-band MIMO Wi-Fi.

• Amazon: Fire TV 4K Cube

Best Price on an Fire TV 4K Stick: $25

Again, this will be the same price at all retailers. There are two versions available, the 4K model at $25 and the 1080p model at $20. That’s a 50 percent discount for each model. It’s unlikely this will go out of stock at Amazon.

The Fire TV 4K Stick offers 4K video playback support for HDR, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision as well as a quad-core processor, 8GB of storage, Dolby Atmos support and 802.11ac dual-band MIMO Wi-Fi.

• Amazon: Fire TV 4K Stick
• Amazon: Fire TV Stick

Best Price on an Fire 7 Kids Edition: $60 + $15 GC

This is the 2018 model, but the pricing is better than the 2019 model.  This tablet will be the exact same price at every retailer, but you can earn $15 in Kohl’s Cash if you buy it at Kohl’s.

This tablet includes a kid-proof case, a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, a 1024 by 600 display, 16GB of storage, 1GB of RAM, a 2MP camera and 1-year of FreeTime Unlimited. The model without the kid case can be found on sale for $30.

• Kohl’s: Fire 7 Kids Edition (2018)
• Amazon: Regular Fire 7 Tablet

Here’s the cheapest Echo, Echo Show, Fire TV & Fire Tablets on Black Friday 2019

On the heels of the announcement of a new Fire TV Cube and other updates to the Fire TV platform, Amazon just announced a large quantity of new products. The most notable was the Echo Buds, a direct competitor to Apple’s AirPods.

Echo Buds

Priced at $130 (significantly cheaper than AirPods), the wireless Echo Buds offer up to 5 hours of music playback per charge, up to 2 hrs with a 15-min quick charge, and up to 20 hrs with the charging case.  It also offers Bose Active Noise Reduction Technology, a feature that’s absent from AirPods.

The Echo Buds include 3 sizes of ear tips to adjust for different ear sizes, offer hands-free Alexa access for music streaming, connects you to Siri or Google Assistant with an iOs or Android device, and includes a sweat-resistant if you are using the Echo Buds while working out.

Check out Echo Buds on Amazon

Echo Studio

Designed to go head to head with the Apple HomePod ($300) and the Sonos Move ($400), the $199.99 Echo Studio is the largest speaker Amazon has produced. The Echo Studio includes 5 speakers built into the design; a 1″ tweeter, three 2″ mid-range speakers, and 5.25″ woofer.

It also includes Dolby Atmos technology, ideal for a home theater setup, as well as a built-in Zigbee smart home hub. In regards to music playback, the Echo Studio comes with sensors that automatically detect the acoustics of your space. Of course, it also acts as a standard Echo device with access to Alexa and intercom functions.

Check out Echo Studio on Amazon

Echo Flex

If you are looking for an inexpensive way to add the Alexa voice assistant to a room without adding a speaker, the $25 Echo Flex is the device for you. It plugs into a wall outlet and lets you use voice commands for smart home features.

It also includes a USB port for mobile device charging. In addition, Amazon is selling add-ons for the Flex, a $15 motion sensor and a $15 nightlight that plug into the bottom of the device. The motion sensor could be ideal for smart light functions, turning on the light as you enter the room.

Check out Echo Flex on Amazon

Echo Glow

If you are looking for a decorative LED light for a desk or perhaps something fun for your kids, the $30 Echo Glow is a smart light that uses a compatible Alexa device to control color and brightness with your voice.

If used in a kid’s room, you can use lighting cues (like changing colors or brightness level) to alert kids that dinnertime is approaching. It can also by used as a timer, perhaps ideal for setting limits on screentime or time spent playing video games.

Check out Echo Flex on Amazon

Echo Show 8

Adding another model in between the standard $230 10-inch Show and last year’s $90 Echo show 5, the $130 Echo Show 8 is a new 8-inch model of the stand-up screen. The device offers 1280 x 800 resolution, identical to the 10-inch model. It also includes two 10W speakers, also identical to the 10-inch.

It does not include Dolby processing (like the 10-inch) and the camera is identical to the 1MP on the 5-inch model, not the step-up to the 5MP on the 10-inch model. It also doesn’t include the Zigbee smart home hub. This model could be ideal for a kitchen, assuming counter space is limited.

Check out Echo Show 8 on Amazon

Amazon Smart Oven

Following up on the $60 Alexa-enabled microwave announced last year, the $250 Amazon Smart Oven is a 4-in-1 device; a convection oven, microwave, air fryer, and food warmer. It includes 30+ built-in presets and voice control via Alexa while using a compatible Echo device.

Using the Announcements feature, Alexa will notify you when the oven is preheated or when your food is done. There’s also a built-in temperature probe that will help you get your meals to safe temperatures.  There’s roughly 1.5 Cu. Ft. of space in the oven, enough to cook a 5-pound chicken.

Check out the Amazon Smart Oven

Other announcements included:

• A new $60 Echo Dot with built-in clock. -> LINK
• An update to the standard $99 Echo speaker -> LINK
• A new $99 model of the eero mesh WiFi router / extender -> LINK
• $180 Echo Frames (glasses with Alexa built-in) -> Invitation Only
• $130 Echo Loop (A ring with Alexa built-in) -> Invitation Only
• A $59 Ring Indoor Security Camera -> LINK
• A $99 battery-powered stick-up Ring camera -> LINK

Amazon announces 14 new products, Echo Buds, Echo Studio, Echo Flex

For those that have been hesitant to pick up an Echo Show due to the cost, Amazon has finally brought the MSRP of a Show under $100. Starting at a $90 MSRP, the Echo Show 5 features a 5.5-inch touchscreen.

That’s roughly half the screen size of the $230 Echo Show (2nd Gen), but twice the screen size of the $130 Echo Spot. The Echo Show 5 screen has a 960 x 480 resolution versus the 720p resolution on the larger 10.1-inch model.

Interestingly, this is the first Echo Show with a privacy shutter for the camera. It also comes with a button to disable the camera and microphone, ideal for anyone that wants to completely eliminate the possibility of Amazon listening.

Of course, there are some downsides to a sub-$100 device. The camera in the Show 5 is only 1MP, versus the 5MP camera in the $230 model. There is no Zigbee smart home hub integration and there’s only one 4-watt speaker versus the two 10-watt speakers in the $230 model.

However, these specs are better than the $130 Echo Spot, which features a 2.5-inch display at 480 x 480 resolution, a VGA camera, and a single 2-watt speaker. All devices are integrated with Amazon Alexa obviously.

The Echo Show 5 will ship on June 26, 2019. It comes in two colors, charcoal and sandstone. You can check out the device in the pictures below:

Shut Up and Take My Money: Echo Show 5

Announced in a press conference earlier today, Amazon is rolling out a new generation of Echo devices that are 45% less expensive than the 1st generation models. The new Amazon Echo starts at an MSRP of $99.99 and Amazon will be running a promotion that reduces the price by an additional $50 when you purchase three.

The new Amazon Echo is shorter and fatter than the previous model, somewhat similar to the Google Home. Due to the increased width, this has allowed Amazon to upgrade the speakers within the device providing an experience that’s more similar to Sonos Play:1 or Apple’s HomePod. It will also be available in a variety of designs like wood and cloth.

This move was anticipated after Amazon pulled existing stock of the original Amazon Echo from the online storefront. While the white Amazon Echo remained the stock, the more popular black model has been OOS for the past couple weeks. Beyond refurbished models at Amazon, the only outlets to get the original Echo were Whole Foods locations and third party retailers.

But wait, there’s more. Amazon has created a new device called the Echo Spot, somewhat similar to the look of an alarm clock. The $130 device includes a 2.5″ video screen, basically a smaller version of the Echo Show. Beyond watching Amazon video, the device does support video calls; which means it includes a camera.

Amazon is also making a push into the smart home hub market with the Echo Plus. Fairly identical to the original Echo in design, this $150 device has a smart home hub built into the housing and comes with a Philips Hue smart bulb as well. It will work with more than 100 smart home companies right out of the box.

In addition to the updated Echos, Amazon announced other gadgets & gizmos. There’s a new Alexa-enabled device for anyone with a landline called the Echo Connect. The device connects to your home phone line and turns it a landline speaker phone. Ideal for voice calls, definitely in an emergency when 911 is needed. That device will be available in Q4 for $35.

Pushing into games, Amazon is also launching a new push button device called Echo Buttons. Retailing at $20 for 2-pack, one way these buttons could be used would be buzzing it on game night during trivia games. However, these buttons would be tied to literally any Alexa Skill, potentially offering up limitless options when it comes to controlling your smart home.

Finally, Amazon is updating the Fire TV line with a brand new device somewhat similar to the Chromecast in design. The new tiny device supports supports 60fps 4K playback as well as HDR video and Alexa voice searching. Some specifics:

• Handles resolution up to 2160p at 60fps.
• Includes Dolby Atmos support.
• 802.11ac WiFi connectivity.
• Uses a 1.5 Ghz quad-core CPU.
• Comes with an Alexa-powered remote for voice control, but can also be controlled by any Echo in the room.

While the new Fire TV retails at $70, Amazon is promoting a deal that bundles the new Fire TV dongle with the $50 Echo Dot for just $80!

Amazon announces $99 Echo, $69 4K Fire TV, $129 Echo Spot

Announced earlier today in a press release, Amazon has added multi-room audio playback to all Echo hardware. This means you can synchronize music across multiple Amazon Echo devices in your home. The song you are playing in your kitchen can also be played on the other side of the house in your bedroom.

This functionality is ideal for parties or generally anyone moving all over the house all the time. In addition, Amazon will let you group specific sets of Echos for music playback. If you only wanted to play the speakers downstairs, you would setup an Echo group with all the devices on the first floor.

All of this is integrated into Alexa voice control as well. For instance, you would be able to say something like “Alexa, play Taylor Swift upstairs,” and all the Echo devices upstairs will play all the music Swifties can handle.

At launch, Amazon is currently supporting Amazon Music, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and Pandora. Support for Spotify and SiriusXM is in the works and coming soon. Amazon is also working with speaker manufacturers to integrate Alexa into speakers directly to support multi-room audio.

Amazon is the new Budget Multi-Room Audio Leader

With a software update, Amazon just moved into 1st place when it comes to cost. If you don’t have any speakers yet, purchasing a Dot + a speaker is significantly cheaper than going the Sonos route. Here’s an example:

An Echo Dot + a VAUX Cordless Home Speaker (designed for the Echo to drop into) will run you about $90 most of the time. Let’s say you purchase five of these for different rooms in your home. That will run you about $450.

Conversely, if you go with the base model Sonos speaker, the Play:1, that’s going to cost you $199 a speaker. Five speakers will run you roughly $1000, more than twice the price of the Amazon alternative!

However, the true value of the Echo is that it doesn’t force you into a specific, expensive speaker ecosystem. An Echo Dot can be attached to any speaker system in your home to tie it into a whole home, multi-room audio system.

If you have speakers already (which most people do), you don’t actually have to buy anything beyond an Echo Dot. The Dot occasionally goes on sale for $35, an ideal time to stock up if you are going the multi-room audio route.

Any Downsides?

Yes, Amazon’s multi-room audio system doesn’t appear to be tied into Apple Music. While you can connect directly from a smartphone to an Echo device to play music within Apple Music’s app, Alexa functionality currently isn’t available. That functionality that requires a Sonos for multi-room (for now).

However, you can upload your iTunes music into the Amazon cloud in order to take advantage of Alexa. Another option would be to setup a media server in your home, like Plex, in order to have a central location for all your music.

Goodbye Sonos? Echo devices just got multi-room audio for free

Starting in September, Walmart customers will be able to use Google Home devices to place orders using only their voice; quite similar to Amazon’s Alexa via Echo devices. In order to accomplish this, the nationwide retailer will make their products available on Google Express.

Similar to placing voice orders with Alexa, Google Home devices will reference your ordering history when purchasing items. Basically, if you placed an order for a 12-pack of Bounty paper towels a month ago, Google Home will be able to repeat that order. It’s unclear if items can be placed on subscription though; ideal for repeat ordering.

To use this service, customers will have to link their accounts to Google. Walmart estimates “hundreds of thousands” of products will be available through Google Express. However, that’s a small fraction of the retailers entire catalog of more than 65 million items.

Obviously, Walmart is attempting to grab a larger piece of the online shopping ecosystem. While Walmart is frequently the 1st alternative search option after people look for an item on Amazon, Walmart lags behind in average customer orders. The average Amazon customer spends over $150 each month on Amazon while the average Walmart customer only spends a bit over $25.

Besides Google Home devices, anyone with an Android smartphone will be able to use Google’s voice assistant to place voice orders as well. In addition, Google has started offering free delivery on Google Express as long as your order is above each retailers’s minimum purchase when checking out. Shipping speed on Google Express is usually one to three business days.

Google & Walmart team up on voice ordering to take on Amazon’s Alexa