Amazon Echo

Amazon Echo review

The Echo is one of the most exciting gadgets in years and has huge potential. There’s a decent range of skills available in the UK, but check if your smart home kit is supported before you buy an Echo as it’s only half as useful otherwise. Sound quality good, and much better than the £49.99 Echo Dot but the Dot is great value if you already have a good Bluetooth speaker or hi-fi. Being able to control smart home gadgets with your voice, or simply get a weather forecast or train times by asking while you’re doing something else is not only brilliant fun but also saves time.

Amazon Echo review review

Stellar audio quality; Impressive voice recognition; Useful hands-free apps; No hands-free calls, texts or emails; Somewhat creepy;

Amazon Echo review

You’ll either think Echo is creepy or convenient, then. Put it this way, notorious AI-paranoid Elon Musk probably doesn't have an Echo on his kitchen countertop. Just as society has had to adapt to screens and cameras everywhere, though, it's time to realise that eavesdropping robots are here to stay. For all its limitations and frustrations, Echo is so much smarter than a radio and so much easier than a smartphone - in the kitchen at least - that there's no way I'm getting rid of Alexa now. Buy the Echo here from Amazon