Amazon is introducing two new Echo products, expanding Alexa’s availability in Australia and New Zealand. The latest additions are the Echo Pop, a compact smart speaker for the home, and the Echo Auto, a flexible device for the car.
According to Patrick Walker, Amazon’s country manager for Australia and New Zealand, Alexa has gained global trust and popularity, with over half a billion Alexa-enabled devices purchased worldwide. These new devices aim to provide customers with more options, catering to various environments and budgets, allowing them to create a personalized smart home experience. As Amazon continues to enhance Alexa’s capabilities with generative AI, the devices will improve over time.
The Echo Pop is a stylish semi-sphere smart speaker available in four colors: Lavender Bloom, Midnight Teal (new), Charcoal, and Glacier White. Priced at AU$79, it offers excellent audio quality with a front-facing directional speaker, making it ideal for small spaces like bedrooms or apartments. Users can utilize Alexa to play music, listen to audiobooks, manage their calendar, control compatible smart devices, and more. The range of accessory options includes silicone sleeves in various colors, a glow-in-the-dark option, a shelf wall mount, and bases like a USB charging base and a battery base.
For those wanting to bring Alexa on the road, the Echo Auto (2nd Gen) is available for AU$99 in Australia and NZ$119 in New Zealand. It features a slim design and a new adhesive mount for convenient placement. With its five microphones, the device can pick up voice commands over background noise such as music, air conditioning, and road sounds. Echo Auto enables hands-free access to music, calls, podcasts, news, and smart home control, allowing users to stay focused on driving.
Amazon emphasizes privacy in its Echo devices, ensuring multiple layers of privacy controls. All Echo devices come with a microphone on/off button and the ability to view and delete voice recordings. Parents can also use Amazon Kids on Alexa to monitor and manage their child’s activity through the Parent Dashboard.
