Amazon Echo has officially become the first smart speaker to be available in India. Powered by Alexa, the Intelligent AI based voice assistant from Amazon, the Echo line of speakers are available at 30% discount in India which makes it cheaper compared to the prices in US and other international locations. These devices are currently available exclusively through invites, but soon will be available to everyone. Apart from the discounted price, users will also get a 1 year free membership of Amazon Prime which is a really attractive offer.
Speakers at 30% Discounted Rates
The line of smart speakers include the Echo Dot, Echo and Echo Plus which can be purchased through an invite-only program. Amazon had told that the already placed orders by customers have started shipping and will arrive in November. Amazon’s Intelligent voice assistant Alexa has also got a new update and is now available in Google Play store in India. Alexa has been customized to give an Indian experience to their customers and will use an Indian English voice. The virtual assistant is also getting an Hinglish Voice – a blend of Hindi and English in an Indian accent which will make it more suitable for Indian users.
Alexa App officially Launched
The Alexa app was officially launched in India this Monday for both iOS and Android users. It has been giving an Indian English voice and can understand commonly used Indian words and even spices such as such atta (flour), haldi (turmeric), jeera (cumin seeds) etc. It can also connect to websites such as Saavn, Amazon Music, Ola, Times of India, NDTV etc. Ahead of launching the Echo line of smart speakers, Amazon has partnered with certain local brands and companies to create tailored skills for Alexa which can cater to Indian customers. Parag Gupta, the head of product management of Amazon Devices India has stated that “Alexa will have an Indian personality and we want our devices to talk, walk and feel Indian”. At present Alexa has more than 10,000 skills which are specially suited for Indian customers and it is also open to developers for further enhancements.
All the three speakers are available for pre-order from Amazon.in with a discounted price. Amazon Echo Dot is priced at Rs. 3,149 or approximately $48 while the Amazon Echo is priced at 6,999 rupees which is equivalent to $105. The 2nd generation Echo comes with a new design and enhanced speaker with Dolby surround sound which can give you an immersive 360 degree audio experience. It comes in 6 different styles including wood veneers and fabrics. It can connect to Alexa and you can ask your device to play music from any of the Apps such as Spotify, Saavn, Pandora, Amazon Music etc. It can also play radio stations, news briefs, audio books etc. You can also play music on compatible Echo devices located in different rooms through Alexa voice assistant. The all-new Amazon Echo Plus is available at 10,499 rupees which includes a built-in hub, a free Philips Hue Smart LED Bulb and various exciting features.
Amazon is also offering a free prime membership for 1 year to all the Echo buyers which costs around 999 rupees for annual subscription in India. Amazon is striving hard to establish a stronger presence in India which is a growing market with huge consumer base. India has proved to be a great place for e-Commerce businesses and online retail is expected to grow at a rate of 1200% in India based on a research by Morgan Stanley group. Amazon is trying to capture the market share from it’s rival Flipkart which also is growing steadily.