8 reasons to buy an Amazon Echo
Smart speakers are a quintessential modern luxury, but they’re pretty affordable these days. Amazon’s Echo speakers start at $50 for the basic Echo Dot and climb to $200 for the beefy Echo Studio, and they’re frequently on sale. AsPrime Day 2022approaches, you’ll have plenty of chances to grab one at a discount. On the fence? Here are eight reasons to buy an Amazon Echo.
To ask it all kinds of questions
This is Echo 101: you can use your Echo speakers to get quick answers to all kinds of questions. They’ll tell you the weather, solve simple math problems, do unit conversions (“What’s three cups of flour in grams?"), answer trivia, and more. Basically, any question you can answer with a quick search online, you can probably ask Alexa through your Echo.
Just be aware that if you have a child in the home, you may want to prevent your Echo from saying what packages might be on the way, as it’s an easy way to spoil Christmas or birthdays.
To control your smart home
Smart speakers are a fantastic way to control any and all connected gadgets you have around your home, likelight bulbs, outlets, switches, or thermostats. Just about every smart home brand works with Alexa — you can have your Echo speaker turnHue lightson or off, lock your August lock, change the temperature on your Ecobee thermostat, adjust your Honeywell dehumidifier, and more.
Your Echo can also alert you if someone rings a video doorbell or triggers a smart security camera, funneling the video to your connected Fire TV or anEcho Show display.
To set alarms and timers
Hands-free timers and alarms are a cornerstone of smart speaker functionality. Any Echo speaker can set a timer for whatever length of time you want or an alarm to wake you up in the morning, and all that works even better on theEcho Dot with Clock. The $60 speaker features a simple LED display that can show either the current time or your ongoing timer, making it an excellent fit for your bedroom or kitchen.
To get the news
you could use Echo speakers to stay up to speed on current events. Just ask Alexa to play the news. You can ask for news from a specific source or change your default sources in the Alexa app. You can get a live news feed or a recorded news brief, depending on your source. Being able to catch up on the news without sitting through a half-hour of television commercials could help the Echo earn its price all on its own, depending on how local a news source you can get through Alexa.
To add items to your calendar
A speaker isn’t the most efficient way to manage your schedule, but you can use Echo devices to add events to your calendar or tell you when your next meeting is. Alexa can keep its own calendar for you, or you can also link calendars from Google, Microsoft, or Apple, if you’re already using them elsewhere. You can even cancel events you set on the Echo by voice.
To use it as an intercom with Drop In
it’s possible to talk to people inside and outside your own home through Echo speakers using a feature called Drop In. Once configured in the Alexa app, Drop In lets your Echo speakers function as intercoms, relaying audio back and forth in real-time. To start a session, you just have to say, “Alexa, drop in on the living room Echo” (or whichever speaker you want to talk through). You’ve got options to either allow this functionality inside your own home or open it up to contacts who live elsewhere, so it could be a fun sort of home phone replacement if you were so inclined.
To play music and podcasts
Of course, every Echo speaker can play music through various services, including Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Deezer, and more. You can configure your providers in the Alexa app, so when you ask your Echo to play a song, it picks the right service automatically. You can’t play music from YouTube Music, though — you’ll need aGoogle Assistant speakerfor that.
Like Assistant speakers, Alexa-powered speakers can be used to create multi-room speaker groups to synchronize music playback throughout your home. Unlike Google’s smart speakers, Echo speakers feature 3.5-millimeter headphone jacks, so you’re able to wire them to any larger, “dumb” speakers you have around for better audio quality.
To shop hands-free
Amazon, being a commerce company, makes it easy for you to buy things through its smart speakers. you’re able to add items to your cart with your voice as you think of them, then review your order later on a device with a screen — or, if you’re feeling especially brave, complete the entire process by voice. (This is all optional, of course; you candisable voice purchasingand should if you have small kids.)
Echo devices can also remind you to re-order items Amazon thinks you might need more of, like shampoo or pet food. An Echo speaker could save you some serious time if you’re a frequent Amazon shopper. But as mentioned earlier, if the speaker is in a room that kids have access to, add PIN protection so that you can prevent little Timmy from ordering 100 chocolate bars.
More to consider
We’ve been talking about speakers made by Amazon here, but there are tons of great smart speakers made by companies like Sonos, Google, and Bose — some have Alexa, some have the Google Assistant, and some even offer both. For a wider range of options, check our list ofthe best smart speakersoverall.
Buy Echo speakers:
See Echo Dot at AmazonSee Echo at AmazonSee Echo Studio at Amazon
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