Other Alexa (or Alexa compatible) speakers
- $40 on Amazon Echo Pop: Echo Pop (7/10, Wired bedenceS) is a completely fine, small speaker and is the cutest speaker in Amazon's lineup. Does it sound great? no. It's enough if you're limited to background songs or dorm rooms, but similar sizes can sound much better from the Echodot (but I'll pay a little more. The colours are cute!)
- Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Generation) for $90: This smart display is another refined option, but it's too small to make for a great display. It is better to use the above echo spots or echo dots.
- Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Generation) for $250: This smart display has a big sound, but its quirky shape makes it difficult to fit seamlessly into your home. It's cool that it can chase you while you talk to it, but it's a bit weird. If you have a large kitchen island that is always moving, that's great, but there aren't many others.
- Amazon Echo Show 15 (2nd Generation) for $300: This smart display is a great display, but obviously I'm hoping to double as a TV and I'm not very good at it yet. Hopefully, TV-related performance will improve in the future, just as it is worth adding to your kitchen or office. However, thanks to the huge 15.6-inch screen, it does a great job with the widget. There's also a bigger Echo Show 21 ($400). This is essentially the same thing, but it's big.
- Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Generation) $227: The Beosound A1 is durable, beautiful, and a great listening companion, with this second-generation version having Alexa integration, making it an Alexa speaker anywhere. It's a great speaker, but more expensive than the Sonos Roam.
Other devices with Alexa inside
Why do you just ask Alexa for help while you're at home? With these accessories, you can take your favorite audio assistants anywhere.
- Echo Frame (3rd Generation) ($330): Wired Reviews Editor Adrienne was perfectly prepared to dislike these combo glasses and headphones, but she actually loved them so much. They look good, they are surprisingly comfortable and the sound is ok. However, the speaker is placed right next to your ears, so take it a little bit. You can answer the phone while you run or go for a walk. The microphone was good enough that she still sounded like she was on the phone. However, the charging base is a nuisance. The arms of the glasses don't fit in the stand at all. You need to be careful to balance the frame at two points.
- Echo Buds (2021 release) ($120): I liked the original Echobud, but the 2021 version of the fan has become even bigger fans (8/10, Wired is recommended). Amazon's earphones come with wireless charging, noise cancellation technology and an incredibly ergonomic fit. A better microphone means that Alexa Voice Control works in noisy environments as well. The overall experience of using headphones feels like the future we saw in sci-fi movies. Do I need to set a timer, check the weather, and see what happened with my favorite sports team? Ask these earphones. Amazon also has a 2023 version ($50) with no ANC, much cheaper, much more ugh.
What is Alexa+?
Amazon will soon begin rolling out a new, improved Alexa named Alexa+. This second generation Alexa Voice Assistant is thought to be more conversational and can perform complex tasks to learn new information and more personalize it. This is due to the power of the generated AI.
If you have an Amazon Prime membership, it's available for $20 a month. If you add your Alexa device to your home, you may have a membership, but it's a big jump from a free assistant before. Amazon said early access will begin rolling out in the US next month, starting with Echo Show Smart Displays, particularly the Echo Shows 8, 10, 15 and 21.
How to remove spam from the echo show screen
If you are using an Echo Show device, you may notice that there is a lot of default content that your device will display. Sports score! Local news! An interesting recipe! Having your device nearby can be exhausting and annoying.
Here's how you control what you see:
- Swipe from the top of the echo show to pull up the menu.[設定]Select .
- [設定]In the menu, select Home Content.
- There are over 40 options that can be toggled on and off in this menu and you should remove as much as possible that you are not using. I usually remove everything except the weather forecast and recently played audio.
You can turn off interest-based ads from third-party skills (this is under Alexa Privacy in the Settings menu), but you will not stop all ads. The only setting without ads is to select the view mode for your photos. This can be a library of photos included on Amazon or your own photos. The only drawback is that it turns it into a digital photo frame. So it doesn't even show features like clocks or widgets.
