Amazon now has four Alexa-powered Echo speakers in India with the launch of the Spot, a spherical super alarm clock with all of the usual Alexa functions but also a screen for additional ones. If you’re tempted to buy one or more for your home, which one should it be? Here’s a quick ready reckoner:
The Echo Plus is definitely the one if you love listening to music a lot and don’t have other speakers. While it’s not the speaker one should be blasting in a room or powering a party with, it is very nice for personal use. All the Echo speakers can be hooked up to other speakers via Bluetooth or cable. The Plus also incorporates the equivalent to the Philips hub so one will immediately be able to use it with Philips Hue lights without having to buy anything additional. It costs ₹14,999.
The plain Echo is for you if you don’t want to spend so much and want a reasonable little speaker, which you will occasionally listen to music on but otherwise interact with a lot in its smart speaker avatar. If you plan to use it to control Philips lights, you will need to buy the additional hub. There are other smart lights however that will be usable with the device. The Echo costs ₹7,999 on Amazon.
The little Echo Dot would work if you plan to connect to other speakers. Other Alexa functions are the same as for the rest of the range but again, the bridge must be purchased separately for Philips smart lights. The Dot is also for you if you’re on a budget but want to experience a smart speaker. It costs ₹3,999.
The clock speaker Echo Spot costs the same as the bigger Echo Plus but has a screen on which you can glance at information and supplement voice interaction with images and even video. You can even watch a whole movie on the device although this will not be ideal as it is small and circular.
But for anyone who tends to video call family and friends a great deal, the Spot has the display for just that purpose. A ‘Drop In’ feature lets those who are already allowed, to call and connect any time. The feature can be turned off as can the screen and the camera. If one were to find the right products to connect to, the Spot would also make for a good baby monitor. The Echo Spot costs ₹12,999 but is available for an introductory price of ₹10,499
Another Echo device with a larger screen and bigger speakers, the Echo Show, is not yet part of the portfolio launched in India but all the rest are available on Amazon for current combo deals.