Amazon Echo fans appear to be going all-in on the dream of having a connected home.
The Echo Dot, a pared-down version of the original Echo, was the top-selling product on Amazon.com during Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
Like the original Echo, the Dot is a voice-activated personal assistant that allows users to do things like turn on the lights or call up a song on Spotify by starting their command with the word “Alexa.” The difference is that the Dot doesn’t contain a full-size speaker, which means it’s best paired with an external bluetooth speaker.
The device, which can be used on its own or paired with an original Echo to add voice-activation to more areas of one’s home, retails for $49.99—much less than the $179 Echo.
Amazon’s Mike George, Amazon’s VP of Echo, Alexa, and Appstore, says the device is attractive to many different types of customers due to its simplicity.
“We all use our voice to communicate,” he says. “We’re seeing that people with some disabilities are attracted to this device. We’re seeing folks who are a little older, who aren’t accustomed to technology, feeling very comfortable interacting with their voice.”
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As for the future of Alexa? George says his team is working on making the system more intuitive by learning customers’ habits and environment.
Watch the video above to see the Echo Dot in action.
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