Following the Amazon FireTV Stick launch, Amazon on Thursday announced the Echo Input in India. The all-new Amazon Echo Input brings Alexa voice assistant support to any of your old speakers.
For starters, it was first unveiled in the US back in September, last year. Same time, the US giant promised of bringing it to India by early January.
“Our customers tell us that they love the convenience of being able to ask Alexa to play music, get information, control smart home devices, and much more. With Echo Input, we are giving users even more options to choose the best Echo device for their needs. Adding Echo Input to your existing speakers is the easiest way to begin your voice-first experience with Alexa,”- said Jayshree Gururaj, Director, Amazon Devices.
Amazon Echo Input
The Echo Input can be connected to any of your existing dumb speakers either over Bluetooth or else via the provided 3.5mm aux cable.
Talking of the device itself, it measures a mere 12.5mm in thickness, less than a deck of cards. Anyways, the Echo Input has a slim, low-profile design and can fit in anywhere easily.
There are two dedicated buttons on the top face. This includes the Action button for triggering Alexa and a microphone button for turning off the mic. There’s also an LED light for indication. You get a total of four microphones, ready to hear “Alexa” at your service. It is touted to recognize your voice from across the room, even when music is playing.
That being said, you can also stream music hands-free from Amazon Prime Music, Saavn, Gaana, Hungama Music, Radio City Gold and more on your connected speaker. Just ask Alexa to play your favorite song, artist or request a specific genre or mood- “Alexa, play latest Bollywood song” and sit back & relax.
For connectivity and power, the Echo Input gets a microUSB port accompanied by a 3.5mm headphone jack port to the side. Furthermore, the presence of dual-band 802.11 Wi-Fi a/c allows you to connect the device to your home WiFi.
Echo Input requires Alexa app, available on Android as well as iOS for setting it up. Box contents include a 5W power adapter, a Micro-USB cable, an aux cable, and a quick start guide.
As a matter of fact, Google has now discontinued the Chromacast Audio, giving an edge to Amazon. For those unaware, Chromecast Audio was used for converting old speakers to smart speakers, just like the Echo Input.
Amazon Echo Input Price & Offers
The Amazon Echo Input has been launched in India for Rs. 2,999. It is already up for purchase on Amazon India’s website along with an optional 2-year OneAssist protection plan for additional Rs. 399.
As for the bundled offers, Amazon has partnered with certain brands to bundle the Echo with specific products. Following the same, buying the JBL Go 2 bundle grabs you a flat Rs. 1,499 discount. On the other hand, you can get the Echo Input for free while buying the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 or the Bose SoundLink Revolve.
