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Amazon Launches $50 Echo Dot

echo-dotYesterday’s rumor about a new $50 Echo Dot has come true.

Amazon announced the second-gen Echo Dot on Wednesday. It’s going to be available on 20 October, and it’s also launching in the UK and Germany:

Amazon today introduced an all-new version of the groundbreaking Echo Dot for under $50, so you can add Alexa to any room in your home. Just like Echo, Echo Dot gives you access to all of Alexa’s capabilities—she can answer questions, play music, turn on the lights, set timers, give sports updates, check the weather, access over 3,000 Alexa skills, and much more. The all-new Echo Dot is available for pre-order and will begin shipping next month.

When Amazon launched the $90 Echo Dot earlier this year, it was the cheapest way to interact with Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant. Now it’s even cheaper, and the new hard feature an improved voice recognition circuit, volume buttons, and a more compact design.

You can get the new model in black and white.  They’re $50 each, or you can buy them in sets of six and get a free one. Amazon clearly wants us to get one for each room in the house, and I will – just as soon as Amazon builds in an intercom feature.

Come one, surely I’m not the only one who wants to say "Alexa, call X", and carry on a conversation?

That is not a practical idea if all you have are $190 Echos, but now that we have a $50 Echo Dot it’s not so crazy.

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Comments


Michael Anderson September 14, 2016 um 10:26 am

So true! I plan to grab one for our kitchen, where we have a nice speaker for music, to augment the Echo in our upstairs master bathroom. The ability to intercom between them 'call kitchen' would be amazing …


Patrick Grote September 14, 2016 um 10:48 am

If you bought a dot previously, you get a discount. From an email this morning:

"Something just for you As a customer who purchased the previous–generation Echo Dot, you can get a $10 Alexa Shopping credit when you order the All-New Echo Dot using Alexa Shopping. Order today through October 20 and a $10 Alexa Shopping credit will be applied to your account within one week after your new Echo Dot has shipped."

Nate Hoffelder September 14, 2016 um 11:48 am

Sweet!


Fjtorres September 14, 2016 um 11:05 am

Six packs and twelve packs.
And they added a voice location feature so multiple Dots don’t answer at the same time, only the closest one.
Also, the weight is down.
I can see using double sided tape to wallmount it right next to the power outlets.
I can see a lot of contractors adding Dots to the smarthouses they build.


Scott Lewis September 14, 2016 um 2:20 pm

So Michael Anderson is a genius. Intercom. That’s brilliant, and I really, really hope Amazon either makes it happen, or expands skills functionality enough that a third party can make it happen.

If you look at the "Nucleus Anywhere Intercom", it’s a wall mountable color LCD panel with video intercom and Alexa support. At $249 a pop, I’m not about to equip it, but that’d sure be great.

I think Amazon does have a real winner here at $50. I already use the Echo for podcasts, news updates, weather, music playing via Spotify, and recently, smart home control of lights, thermostats, etc. In some rooms, I’d want an echo for all of that except music. For other rooms, I might like a nice Bluetooth speaker for even better sounding music.

Amazon is already bundling Dot with Bose SoundLink and other products, it’s a really great idea.


John Stanton September 14, 2016 um 8:32 pm

Now people can listen to their family on the toilet for only $50 !


Syn September 16, 2016 um 9:05 pm

I have two Amazon echo, a Tap, and a dot. I need two more, maybe three to cover the house. Six pack good idea to hand off as gifts.


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