The Amazon Echo is one of those products that helped to launch an entire industry. The greatest smart speakers are now available from all around the world, with many of them sharing the same Alexa voice platform. Amazon wasn’t the first to introduce a voice assistant to the public; in fact, Apple, Google, and Microsoft were the first.
Alexa made her debut on the initial Amazon Echo in late 2014. The Genesis moment has arrived. After that, the rest is history. The Amazon Echo faces stiff competition, but it continues to exist and develop with each generation. The Amazon Echo is currently on its fourth iteration, and it looks a lot different than the original. The famous cylinder is no longer available, but Alexa as a platform has increased in popularity with each passing year, and it has become a member of the family in many households. My children are unaware of the Amazon Echo; all they know is to ask Alexa for the Encanto music.
The Amazon Echo has always been a terrific product because of its ease of use. You undoubtedly know who — or rather, what — Alexa is, even if you’ve never owned one. It’s one of those technologies that has moved beyond its original hardware and into the larger world. Alexa is now ubiquitous, and the Amazon Echo is just one component of the jigsaw. In your automobile, on your speaker, on your wrist, on your TV, or on your speaker But it all began with the Echo.
It’s already 2022, almost eight years after the Amazon Echo debuted. Google offers several excellent options, Apple has its own, and third parties such as Sonos have voice assistants on board. Is the Amazon Echo still relevant, or has a younger, funkier rival taken its place?
Amazon Echo Pricing and Availability
Both the Amazon Echo and Alexa have a lot of global support, and Amazon sells them through its own store. Even individuals who use “foreign versions” have access to a variety of services, albeit not complete support.
Unsurprisingly, the Amazon Echo (4th Gen) is only available through Amazon, with a regular retail price of $100. You can also choose from three different colours: white, blue, or charcoal. For the same price, you can get them from third-party shops like Best Buy in the United States.
The real joy of buying an Amazon Echo is getting one during one of the frequent sales. Every year, the largest ones are Prime Day and Black Friday, but there will also be irregular events throughout the year, and Amazon isn’t afraid to provide big discounts.
Amazon Echo Specification
| Specification | Amazon Echo 4th Generation |
|---|---|
| Audio | 1 x 3-inch woofer, 2 x 0.8-inch tweeters |
| Connectivity | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz)ZigbeeBluetoothAmazon Sidewalk |
| Ports | 3.5mm audio jack |
| Controls | Voice-activatedPlay/pauseVolumeMicrophone mute |
| Dimensions | 5.7 x 5.7 x 5.2 inches |
| Weight | 0.96kg |
| Colors | CharcoalWhiteBlue |
| Price | $100 |
Design and Features: The center of your smart home
For the first time, the latest edition of Amazon Echo ditches the cylindrical shape. Instead, you’ll get spherical, which, given its size, reminds me of holding a crystal ball as you take it out of the box. The base is inherently flat, but it’s a perfect Echo ball elsewhere. The power connector is still around the back, and the controls are still up top. When you use the magic word, though, the ring light now goes around the bottom with the same famous blue tint.
Because it’s now spherical, it’s a lot bigger than any of its predecessors. However, I believe that this design simply looks better in the home. Of course, this is subjective, but having owned prior generations all the way back to the original, the newest is without a doubt my favourite in terms of appearance. I went with the blue one this year as a change from previous years, and it’s OK. However, I wish it had been one of the others. It’s not an awful colour, but it’s not the best shade of blue I’ve ever seen, and it clashes with the aesthetics of almost every room in my house. My recommendation is to get the white one, although the blue one might work for you.
The design is intended to be unobtrusive, and it succeeds. You can touch it if you need to, but you’ll be using your voice 99 percent of the time. The power cord connects in the back, right next to the 3.5mm socket, allowing for some nifty wire management. The Amazon Echo may be connected to your existing music system via cable to provide intelligence and audio power.
However, the option to build a stereo pair in the Alexa app is even better. If you also have a Fire TV, you can create a low-cost, easy-to-use home theatre system that you can control without ever leaving your couch. It’s akin to the Apple TV and the HomePod Mini in terms of ecosystem, and you can’t deny how cool it is. Bluetooth is the last option for getting audio from the Echo. This feels more like Amazon couldn’t possibly leave it out, but having it and not using it is preferable to the other way around.
A Zigbee smart home hub is also included in the Amazon Echo. Alexa is the most frequent way to integrate an Echo with your smart home. Alexa, on the other hand, requires a data connection, whereas a local Zigbee hub does not. Zigbee devices also use a separate connection with a significantly lower data throughput, resulting in devices that are both power efficient and do not add to network noise on your home Wi-Fi. Read also; How to use Google Assistant to voice shop at Walmart
I don’t have any Zigbee-compatible gadgets on hand to use with the Amazon Echo, although the technology is supported by a number of well-known manufacturers. The most well-known is arguably Philips Hue, which is followed by SmartThings, Ring, and even certain smart door locks. You may never use it, but it’s good to know that it’s available for those who do. The Amazon Echo becomes a true smart home hub as a result.
Alexa is there for everything else. When you don’t want the Echo to hear you, you can mute the microphone, but most of the time you just say her name and walk away. There isn’t enough space in this review to cover all of Amazon Echo’s services and skills. Just be aware that it’s a significant amount. There’s a ludicrous array of devices that can connect to Alexa, including all of the main smart home devices, most of the lesser-known ones, your Xbox, and your Fitbit.
It implies that the Amazon Echo can be whatever you want it to be. You might simply listen to music and podcasts on it. You might also use it to control and automate your whole house. That goes for home security as well, though Alexa Guard isn’t likely to be the primary reason you buy an Echo. The motion-sensing features aren’t included, but it sends a strong message about why smart home fans should go to Amazon.
Audio: The Amazon Echo Pack a Punch
The Echo Studio is available to those in search of the highest quality audio. The Amazon Echo is generally wonderful for individuals who simply want something that sounds good. That begins with what Amazon stuffed into this bouncy ball of delight. You get a lot of bass thanks to a 3-inch (76mm) woofer and two 0.8-inch (20mm) tweeters. I’m not a big fan of overpowering lows, but the Echo’s output is generally pleasant.
You get a pleasant tone with the default settings, but vocals lose some clarity and power. At higher volumes, the sound doesn’t suffer from distortion, and it’s a good room filler. The Amazon Echo has the appearance of being a much larger speaker than it is.
There are some rudimentary controls for adjusting the audio, however, they are buried deep within the settings. Amazon could do a lot better when it comes to making audio controls for your devices more accessible. You do, however, have sliders for bass, mids, and treble when you discover them. Although equalizer presets would be helpful, you can still tweak them yourself.
If you want even more bass, connect the Amazon Echo to the Amazon Echo Sub. You’ll have a real room shaker with a stereo pair and one of these.
However, the Amazon Echo’s sound quality is excellent, especially for a device that costs only $100 and has all of the smart capabilities. For music, the Google Nest Audio may sound a little better, but the Echo will astound you with how fantastic it is. Read more; Samsung The Freestyle Review: Ultra-portable Projector
Is the Amazon Echo (4th Gen) worth it?
Should you buy an Amazon Echo in 2022? That is the $64,000 question. Yes, it’s a resounding yes. The Amazon Echo is an excellent addition to most people’s homes. If you’re a music listener, the extra money spent on the Echo Dot is certainly worth it for the extra, well, everything. The new design is the nicest yet, and while the blue is the least appealing, it isn’t a complete disaster.
The LED clock found on the Amazon Echo Dot may be the only thing missing from the latest Amazon Echo. Even if it was an optional model that cost a little extra, it would be a pleasant small touch. But, on the whole, it’s difficult to criticize this work.
Amazon’s eight years of experience with smart speakers is evident. When the Echo initially came out and Alexa was brand new, it was an exciting item to be excited about. That’s worn off to some extent. It’s the best at what it does, everyone can use one, it doesn’t cost a lot of money, and there’s nothing really, truly wrong with it. To be honest, the Amazon Echo is so excellent that it’s actually a little boring. Is there, however, anything wrong with that?
