Amazon Echo Speakers To Roll Out This Holiday In Retail Stores; Best Buy Not Included?
Amazon will soon release Echo speakers for purchase in over 3,000 retail stores in the U.S.
Vice President of Amazon Echo, Greg Hart, said, "Amazon Echo is a must-have gift this holiday season, and we're excited to work with retailers across the country to make Echo available to their customers," according to Amazon Media Room.
Amazon Echo is not just a speaker but a voice controlled artificial assistant that is capable of providing information for the to-do-list and weather news update. It can control smart devices at home and also has more features.
This smart speaker will be available in retail stores such as The Home Depot, Sears, Staples, Brookstone, Fred Meyer, RadioShack and P.C Richard & Son which costs for $179.99, according to The Verge.
It can be controlled by talking to Alexa, the voice of the Amazon Echo speakers. Alexa is programmed in the cloud that could accept command even coming from the other room with the use of its beam-forming technology along with seven built-in microphones.
The device compatibility with several third-party software like enables its full functionality to take command within the area. United with products such as Philips Hue, Lifx's color-changing LEDs along with platforms like Wink, SmartThings, Insteon and Belkin WeMo's on/off switches allows the ability to control smart home appliances, according to CNET.
The Home Depot Merchandising Vice President, Jeff Epstein said, "Our customers continue to show interest in smart home products across the many categories we carry," he said in Amazon Media Room.
"One of our newest products, Amazon Echo, is a smart device that helps make connected home easy and fun." He added. "Echo, paired with smart lighting devices, is an excellent gift for this holiday season," as he continued with the statement.
The release date for the Amazon Echo speakers will be during this Holiday Season, but dates would depend for each retail store. As of the moment, Best Buy is not included in the list to sell the smart speakers, according to The Verge.
