Amazon released over a dozen products at its hardware event, and the retailer is bringing five products to the Indian market. The all-new Echo Dot, Echo Plus, and Echo Sub are currently up for pre-order, with sales set to kick off from October 11.
Amazon is also set to launch the second-gen Echo Show in India at some point next year, along with the Echo Input, which offers the same functionality as a Chromecast Audio but for Alexa.
The new Echo Dot has a fabric finish and offers vastly improved sound quality thanks to a 1.6-inch driver. It is 70% louder and has an aux port that lets it connect to other speakers, and you also get Bluetooth connectivity. The Echo Dot is available in black, grey, and white color options, and Amazon is retaining the ₹4,499 ($62) price point, which makes it an enticing option for those looking to get started with smart speakers.
The Echo Plus has also picked up a fabric design that makes it resemble the standard Echo, and it now includes a temperature sensor in addition to the ZigBee smart home hub. The 3.0-inch woofer and 0.8-inch tweeter allows the Echo Plus to be louder while delivering more bass. Like the Echo Dot, Amazon is selling the new Echo Plus at an unchanged ₹14,999 ($207), and the speaker is available in black, grey, and white options.
The Echo Sub is a new addition to the Echo family that's aimed at delivering room-filling sound. The sub pairs with a single Echo or Echo Plus in a 1.1 setup, or you can set up two Echos for a 2.1 stereo configuration. The subwoofer on its own costs ₹12,999 ($180).
To incentivize the launch of the sub, Amazon India is offering a 25% discount when you pick up two Echo or Echo Plus speakers along with the Echo Sub. So if you're buying two Echo Plus speakers and the Echo Sub, the total comes out to ₹42,997, but you can get it for ₹32,248.
Other products that Amazon launched today include the Echo Auto, which lets you easily integrate Alexa into your car. The Echo Auto connects over an aux port or Bluetooth, and can undertake location-specific tasks. It isn't able to connect to the internet on its own; the accessory relies on your phone for that, and you'll be able to access navigation on Google Maps, Waze, as well as ask Alexa for directions, and more.
Amazon also unveiled a $60 Alexa-integrated microwave in the AmazonBasics brand, as well as a $30 wall clock that shows your Alexa timers. Here's the full list of all the products Amazon announced today:
Here's everything Amazon announced at its 2018 hardware event
