Amazon announced thesecond-generation Echo Autoat its September hardware event in 2022 - and it’s now available to buy outside the US. That means that customers in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Japan can all add the Alexa device to their car for a more connected driving experience.
Amazon Echo Auto (2nd Gen, 2022 release)
Amazon’sEcho Autobrings Alexa inside your car, so you are never without your handy assistant. It gives you hands-free control over your music and makes it easier to get directions, make calls, or send messages.
The new Echo Auto is a lot slimmer than the original device and comes with a new adhesive mount so you can place it anywhere in your car. There are five microphones built-in, so it will better hear your commands over road noise, the air conditioner, or music.
Naturally, it uses the sameAlexasystem as before although that’s also been tweaked with new in-car features. You can get roadside assistance using just your voice, for example.
Just say, “Alexa, call roadside assistance,” and it’ll contact an Amazon agent to request help on your behalf - although this feature might not be available in all regions.
Of course, you will need an online connection in your vehicle for it to work, generally by connecting it to your phone through the Alexa app. However, once connected, you can use it to control your smart home devices, play music instantly and all the other fun features you normally get on an Alexa device. It is even smart enough to be able to assist with navigation, able to interface with the likes of Waze to help get you where you’re going.
The new Echo Auto launched originally in the US, with the delay coming to other regions around the world not uncommon for Amazon devices. That means that it’s already been reviewed, with various reviewers saying that the new Echo Auto is smaller and more convenient, but not much has changed on the AI side of things. We found thefirst generation Echo Autoto be a little temperamental, offering a good range of services, but it lost connection a little too often, which usually meant it was just better to use a smartphone rather than Alexa.
The newEcho Auto is available on Amazon now for £59.99for those in the UK.
