Amazon has brought their stylish alarm clock like Echo device to India, the Echo Spot. But don’t get deceived by the looks, with Spot, Alexa can show you more rather than just speaking to you. Well, if you don’t know who Alexa is, she is Amazon’s cloud-based virtual assistant. So let us see how the Echo Spot can make daily life easier for you.
Echo Spot Specs
The Echo Spot measures 104 x 96 x 91 mm and has got a circular 2.5-inch touchscreen display with 480×480 resolution. It also has a built-in camera for video calls, ambient light sensing and more. Even though the Spot has got a 1.4-inch speaker of its own, you can hook up bigger ones via Bluetooth or 3.5mm out.
The Spot has a 4 microphone array setup for far-field voice recognition, and with Alexa, you can have voice profiles. There are a few physical buttons on its top for controlling volume and disabling mic or camera. It runs on 15W and 1.25A DC power and has a regular power port instead of micro USB. An optional adjustable stand is also available from Amazon for this smart speaker.
Echo Spot Features
The Echo Spot along with Alexa can perform all the task that an Echo Dot is capable of. But there is even more, with the added screen and camera, the Spot can be used for video calls, video surveillance, watching videos, and display stuffs like news, weather etc. However, it might not give you a good movie watching experience, since it has got a letterbox type frame with rounded corners.
The Spot is powered by an Android-based OS, which offers customizable watch faces, photo frames and Alexa skills. You can also create custom routines with Alexa for your daily activities. In order to get Spot running, all you need is an Amazon account, a 1 mbps internet connection, a wireless access point and a power socket. If you get those supported smart appliances viz lights, thermostats etc, then Spot can make your home smarter.
Pricing And Availability
The Echo Spot is currently available for purchase from Amazon for Rs 10,499 as an introductory offer. If you need one of those adjustable stands, then the price will go up to Rs 12, 498. Amazon has also reduced the pricing of other Echo devices and is offering additional cash back for select bank debit or credit cards.
Remarks
Echo Spot is the first smart speaker with a display to arrive in India. Even though people are buying these smart speakers out of curiosity, many of its skills are left unused. Moreover, very few third-party apps or appliances work with Echo devices in India. However, in time these devices can transform our lifestyle. Meanwhile, Google also made their entry into the smart speaker market in India by launching Home and Home Mini. Hope the article was informative, Peace!