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 Amazon Echo Buds ($130) are Amazon’s first foray into “true wireless” headphones, a burgeoning product category that evokes the in-ear devices that the Cybermen use to control people in Doctor Who. Considering the Echo Buds’ big feature is “always on” Alexa, we’re not that far from this terrifying nightmare scenario. (Just kidding, right?)

Are we under the control of the Cybermen?

Because Alexa is primed (heh) to hear your every word, the Echo Buds, true to their name, are the first truly portable Echo devices (sorry, Amazon Tap). Once you’ve done the initial setup with the Alexa app, you’re ready to talk to yourself–I mean Alexa—wherever you happen to be (Wi-Fi or mobile data required, of course). And don’t whisper: you need to say voice commands loudly, just like that annoying guy who’s yapping on the phone in public.

Amazon’s pretty good at recognizing the right price points for its products but after testing them out, in my opinion—and since we’re a deals site—it seems like $100 would’ve been just right for the Echo Buds. On Ben’s, we’ve seen the 2nd Gen Apple AirPods sell for as low as $130.

So expect the Echo Buds to get close to $100 around Black Friday.

The YMMV World of Headphones

In the box, you get 3 sets of silicone tips, plus 3 sizes of optional wing tips that wrap around the ear buds to help secure the fit. Because they insert deeper into the ear canal, the Echo Buds are more similar in form factor to Apple’s new Airpod Pros ($249) rather than the standard AirPods. Some people like this “in-ear” form factor, others don’t.

Echo Buds (7.6 g) are also heavier than the standard AirPods (4 g). After a few hours, I found them to be uncomfortable (and even more so with the wing tips), but as with any headphone, “your mileage may vary” with fit and comfort.

Setup via the Alexa app was less trouble-free than I expected. I recommend setting up the Echo Buds on the Alexa app before opening the case and it should go breezily. However, I opened the case first and played around with the different ear tips and wing tips, and they lost ability to pair with the phone. I put them back in the case again then took them out, and the problem was solved.

Online, Offline and Echo, Echo, Echo

After a couple days of use, I encountered an annoying bug with the Echo Buds going offline after removing them from the case. The only way to get them online again was to put them back in the case and “pair” them by pressing the small button on the bottom of the case. And it’s not a battery issue because the buds were nearly fully charged.

Then I found this Amazon forum where people have been complaining about the same issue.  Hopefully it can be fixed with a firmware update or app update. Obviously, we’re at version 1.0 and these kinds of bugs tend to get worked out, but it’s something to consider.

If you’re in a home with several Echo devices, saying “Alexa” into your Echo Buds gets other Echo devices in the vicinity very confused. Sometimes the Echo Buds would “hear” first, but at other times the Echo Dot more than 10 feet away would respond first. And you can’t whisper into your Echo Buds to avoid this issue.

One workaround when you’re in the company of other listening Echo devices (or simply in a noisy environment) is to tap the ear buds to trigger Alexa, but I had varied success with this manual solution and sometimes she never responded.

In general, the touch controls are finicky, plus you can’t adjust the volume with them (you must use your phone controls or voice command).

The Alexa app does allow for some nice customizable features, like changing your voice assistant to Siri or Google Assistant.

Some consumers will have privacy issues with the always-on Alexa. The mics do turn off when you take the mics out of your ears and they can also be muted via the touch controls or app.

Noise “Reduction” and Sound Quality

Echo Buds advertise the Bose Active Noise Reduction (ANR) feature, but if you’ve ever used Bose’s products with active noise cancelling, you will notice immediately they are not the same. Amazon isn’t claiming the Echo Buds are noise cancelling, but you can see the confusion. ANR didn’t cut out much ambient sound for me, but that’s also a product of how good a seal you can get (again, YMMV).

Switching to Passthrough mode is supposed to enhance outside sound to allow you to hear conversations better (and not be anti-social). The result is increased digital noise, like someone jacking up the gain on ambient sound (you can adjust the levels).

Sound is about what I’d expect from these kinds of headphones: lacking in low end with an average soundstage. You can fiddle with EQ in the Alexa app.  If you’re listening to streaming music and YouTube and audiobooks, the Echo Buds do just fine. Phone calls and clarity were also satisfactory, though a bit quiet. There were no dropouts within the standard Bluetooth range.

The Echo Buds are rated at 5 hours of battery life, and I found them to be in the range of 4+ with normal use. It would’ve been nice if the case were wireless, but most people won’t care (nor will they care that it’s a micro USB cable instead of the newer USB-C).

Conclusion

Despite some early bugs, the Echo Buds are fun to use with the rewarding hands-free Alexa feature, and they do what they’re supposed to do, which is to let you enjoy audio without wires—whether you’re sitting, walking, running or washing the dishes.

I recommend waiting for them to drop in price for the holidays and remember to set a deal alert on Ben’s!

Amazon Echo Buds Review: Alexa In Your Ear & Everywhere

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

Matching Amazon with a barrage of new product announcements, Google has released information on new Home smart devices as well as a new Chromebook, a new lifecam and headphones that translate foreign languages in real time.

In addition to the $130 Google Home standalone device, the $50 Home Mini is Google’s answer to the Amazon Echo Dot. Of course, it will be difficult to match sale prices on the Echo Dot since the Home Mini hardware is brand new. Expect the Home Mini to fall to a minimum of $40 during November’s Black Friday sales while the Echo will fall to $30 to $35.

The Google Home Max is a much larger speaker designed to match up against the $500 Sonos PLAY:5. In addition to being a smart home device, users can connect to the speaker wirelessly via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Google is bundling it with 12-months of YouTube Music.

The $160 Pixel Buds are a new device that includes Google Assistant in the earbuds. Basically, you just touch the earbud on the right and say something like “Help me speak Spanish.” It also has one-touch controls, tapping it for play / pause or swiping for changing the volume.

The other devices include a $250 lifecam called Google Clips. It includes 16GB of storage and connects directly to your smartphone to offload the photos and videos. There’s a new high-end Chromebook, the $999 Google Pixelbook, and a new smartphone, the $650 Pixel 2.

Google announces $50 Home Mini, $400 Home Max, $160 Pixel Buds