Amazon has introduced the two new versions of the Echo line up in India, the Echo 3rd gen, and the Echo Dot 3rd gen. The Amazon Echo is a smart speaker that supports Alexa voice assistant and it’s the latest Echo smart speaker in India. Here’s what we have to say about the Amazon Echo 3rd generation smart speakers.
Design & Features
The new Amazon Echo has an identical design just as the 2nd gen Echo, no major upgrade in the design aesthetics, the edges are curved and the Echo is wrapped with plush fabric that looks appealing.
The top side of the Echo has four physical buttons, one is the main Alexa button that has a dot symbol, another is the mute microphone button, and the rest two keys are for volume control.
Also on the top are a total of six far-field microphones that pick up your voice commands. The microphones can listen to your commands from another room as well, it catches the voice from a distance.
The top panel is surrounded by a translucent light ring that glows in blue color when you give trigger Alexa button or give voice commands. It also glows when Alexa is talking or listening while during setup, it glows Orange and glows Red when you mute the microphone.
The backside has a 3.5mm connector for audio output and a power input port which uses a 30W power adapter provided in the box. If you want to connect the Echo to a larger speaker, make use of the 3.5mm port as an Aux input.
Performance & Audio Quality
The Amazon Echo needs to be connected to the Alexa app on your smartphone and it’s available on the Google Play Store and App Store. Once you plug in the device, you need a quick setup, check the Echo if it glows Orange means it’s in setup mode.
On your smartphone, download the Alexa app, turn on GPS and Bluetooth, and launch the Alexa app. Go to the settings menu, select Add Device and select Amazon Echo and follow instructions.
The Alexa app is at times laggy and responds slower, it’s better if you use voice for controlling the device rather than from the Alexa app. Like other Echo devices, you can simply ask Alexa to ask about the Weather, book an appointment, play your favorite songs, as well as control using smart home commands like turn on the lights, turn on the AC, lock the doors, discover my devices.
The sound quality is been improved a little bit, and of course, it’s louder than the rival Google Home, the new Echo offers enhanced audio quality with support for Dolby Audio.
For music, Alexa can play anything you ask for, it plays from its own music library available in the Amazon Music as well as from the Apple Music, and Spotify. You can always connect your phone to the Echo over a Bluetooth connection and play the music you want if you don’t find your music on the services Alexa offers.
You can also control your home with the smart home devices, there are a bunch of Alexa-complaint devices you can use with the Echo, all you need is to speak the Alexa commands that control the smart home devices.
For instance,
- Alexa, Good Night – Turns off the light and locks the doors using the smart locks
- Alexa Good Morning – Gives you
Pricing & Verdict
The Echo Smart Speakers is impressive, the sound quality is great in its class, thanks to the Dolby support, the Echo sounds powerful and appears to be good for its price. If you have a budget of Rs 10,000, the Amazon Echo gives undoubtedly the best smart-speaker experience using the Alexa voice assistant. The Amazon Echo Smart Speaker is available on Amazon India for Rs 9,999.
If you want to experience the Alexa on a budget, you can always go with the Echo Dot (Rs 3,499) and the much cheaper Echo Flex Plug-In Smart Speaker (Rs 2,999) but with a compromise on the audio quality compared to the larger Echo.
