Amazon is finally sending out invites to those that registered interest in the Echo Auto. Meaning, that nearly a year after the device was announced, customers will soon be able to actually buy it.
When Echo Auto was announced last fall, by Amazon, it did also say that it was going to be an invite-only thing, at launch. But Amazon never said when that launch was going to take place. It now looks like it’ll be starting in the next few days. Echo Auto is Amazon’s way to bring Alexa into your vehicle, without needing to play nice with the car makers, and getting it built-into cars.
Echo Auto plugs into your car charger, and sits on your dashboard. It acts as a smart speaker in your car, allowing you to ask Alexa to do things like open the garage door, turn off the lights in your home and much more. It can also provide you with directions, so you can get to dinner and meet up with your friends. All of which is hands-free. Which is the whole point of having a smart assistant in the car with you. So that you aren’t as distracted as you would be when you are actually using your phone to do the same tasks.
It also works with the sound system in your car, so you can ask Alexa to play a podcast, or play a specific song from Amazon Music Unlimited, Spotify or another provider. It’s a pretty small smart speaker for your car that should work pretty well, though it is still a first-generation product, so it could be a bit slow or non-responsive at times. However, for just $25, it’s worth taking a chance on it.
If you registered interest in the Echo Auto when it was announced last year, you should be getting an email fairly soon. The email will give you instructions on how you can purchase your Echo Auto. Which is no different from purchasing anything else on Amazon’s website. Just go to the product page, add it to your cart and then checkout.
Amazon’s email does also mention that because of the high interest in the Echo Auto, your invitation is going to expire in seven days. So if you are still interested in getting Echo Auto for your vehicle, you’re going to want to do it pretty quickly, before the invitation expires.
Amazon Echo Auto normally is priced at $49.99, but right now it is down to just $24.99. Likely because it is part of the Echo sale that is currently going on, ahead of Amazon’s Prime Day next week. At $50, this was a bit expensive, given how simple Echo Auto is. But at $25, it makes it a much more viable device to add to your car, and definitely one that you should take a chance on. It won’t compete with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, since it is just a voice assistant and not an entire operating system, but it does offer a pretty unique experience.