so I used it to work with Android Auto

The use of voice assistants in Europe has become popular, especially in homes, thanks to smart speakers, where Amazon is leading with Alexa. We also use them on mobile, although in this case Google has a clear advantage. The next place the participants want to conquer are the cars, and Amazon’s proposal is different from Google’s.

In September 2022, Amazon announced a new version of its in-car voice assistant system, the Amazon Echo Auto, in the United States. This new Echo (69.99 dollars) recently arrived in Europe and, in EL ESPAÑOL – El Androide Libre we could prove it for a few days, integrating it into two different cars.

In one of them we used it as a voice interface on Alexa, while in the other we even integrated it into a system with wireless Android Auto, which we were able to have thanks to the Motorola MA1 . And this is precisely one of the advantages of this system: we can connect it by bluetooth, by cable or by Android Autoboth conventionally and wirelessly.

A complex setup

I usually test a lot of devices throughout the year and setup is usually something I run quickly. In this case, it was not so. It is true that in the case of pairing this device with the car’s Bluetooth audio, the system was recognized quickly, but when I tried to pair it with Android Auto, I had another problem.

With all, In about 15 minutes I already had it ready to use, be able to use the system by voice commands or by pressing one of the two buttons it has. The other button simply mutes the microphone, which all devices with Alexa have.

The Amazon Echo Auto comes in a small box with everything you need to connect it to the car. On the one hand we have the device itself, with a fabric finish reminiscent of the speakers in the living room. It is very small and has a magnet on the back. This serves to put it in the second element, a magnetic support that sticks to the car with an adhesive. It is a very small support, which allows you to always leave it in view without attracting attention. It is done like this in case we are going to leave the car on the street for a long time and we do not want to leave the Amazon Echo Auto in sight.

The third element is connected by cable to the first, and it is the loudspeaker, which we will not use if we want to use those of the car, as we have done. it’s there too 3.5mm audio output, to connect the system by cable to the car if desired. The 3.5mm cable to connect it to the car is the fourth element.

The cable continues and we move on to the fifth element, a cigarette lighter charger that comes in the sales package and which, in addition to the UCB-A port to connect the Amazon Echo Auto, has anot

Finally, you can buy a particularly useful optional accessory: a magnetic support (9.99 dollars) which, instead of an adhesive, physically clings to the ventilation grille, allowing it to be moved from one place to another. .

What is it worth?

The Echo Auto works like Alexa’s Other Screenless Speakers, be able to play music, make voice calls, ask questions of general interest, etc. The operation is no different from what you have already tried. It is especially useful if we have, for example, the automated garage door, to be able to arrive and enter after having opened it by voice a few seconds before.

We can also ask where our car is, opening a menu on the mobile screen that will locate the last saved position. It serves more to know where we parked it, since it does not have GPS, but it saves the position in which it was last connected to our mobile. We can even ask a speaker at home where the car is and it will tell us the address.

Voice recognition is quite good, even when there is noise inside the car, you can tell that Amazon has thought of this, putting nothing less than five microphones in total on this device. This helps when making calls, whether by voice or to other Alexa devices, the Drop-inas Amazon calls them.

Incidentally, if we wish, we can activate the Auto mode of the Alexa mobile application, which will use the phone screen to display certain informationlike the route we take, the music, etc.

This is especially useful in the event that we do not have Android Auto in the car. If we have it, we can control the music that appears on the Android Auto car screen with our voice through Alexa. It’s a little weird, but it works. However, it is not mandatory to use the Echo Auto, being able to use the voice assistant for anything non-visual by simply speaking.

I buy it?

The Echo Auto is on sale for 69.99 dollars. It is compatible with the vast majority of cars and cell phones, but not all, so it is advisable to check the list provided by Amazon beforehand to avoid problems.

It can be used in cars with Android Auto, although the best thing is to buy it for cars that have a Bluetooth connection, but do not have a voice assistant. That is to say in vehicles that are already a few years old, but can still last a few more years.

The price might be a bit high, compared to the cost of other Amazon devices with Alexa, however, it’s a good way to make a vehicle that doesn’t have a smart system smart – and if we’re used to to use Alexa at home. Of course, the master stroke is to wait for a possible reduction later, when the quality/price ratio will be optimal.

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