Developed by Amazon.com, Amazon Echo is a smart speaker that connects to the voice-controlled intelligent personal assistant service Alexa. (Photo : YouTube/Amazon)
E-commerce giant Amazon recently announced that 3,000 retail stores have all agreed to sell the Amazon Echo device on their respective stores. The Amazon Echo can be purchased online through Amazon's official website but no retail store have it on their shelves yet.
Amazon said that retail stores including Best Buy, Sears, The Home Depot, Sears, RadioShack and Brookstone will start selling the Amazon Echo before Christmas. Other confirmed retailer to sell the Echo are BJ's Wholesale Club, HH Gregg and P.C. Richard & Son.
Amazon Echo and Alexa Voice Services vice president Greg Hart told PC Mag, "Amazon Echo is a must-have gift this holiday season, and we're excited to work with retailers across the country to make Echo available to their customers."
The Amazon Echo was launched in November 2014. It is a cylindrical-shaped voice-controlled device that can provide news and weather, set timer and alarms, play music, create to-do-lists, and even tell jokes.
The Amazon Echo measures 9.25 inches in height and has seven microphones to catch voice commands from its user. The device is equipped with far-field voice-recognition technology which allows it to capture commands anywhere in the room, even if there are noises or music playing in the background.
Amazon Echo can also integrate its functions into connected homes, read Audible audiobooks, access Google calendars and provide search details through Yelp. It can also provide traffic reports, sports scores and breaking news.
According to ZDNet, the Amazon Echo is currently available at Amazon online store for $179.99. However, market experts are predicting that the price will go down with the coming of the holiday shopping season.
