SMART HOME SPECIAL
HEY ALEXA!
Low prices and lots of great devices make Amazon’s smart home ecosystem awfully tempting
Barbarism begins at dome
Previous Echo Dots sounded very weedy but the fourth generation is a huge improvement unless you like your music very loud. It looks great too.
A mazon launched its first Echo back in 2014. We’re now on the fourth generation, alongside the Echo Dot, the Echo Studio, the Echo Flex, the Echo Show 5, 8, 10 and 15, the Echo Sub, the Echo Link, the Echo Buds, the Smart Plug… and that’s just the Amazon devices, not including its Blink and Ring security cams.
And then there are the very many third-party devices that can also be controlled by Alexa… including Hue lights, Samsung smart TVs, Sonos speakers and Motorola phones. If you want the widest possible range of connected devices to choose from, Amazon has you covered.
IN TOO CHEAP
If you’re considering smart home tech on a tight budget, or intend to buy lots of devices, Amazon beats its rivals here: its smart speakers start at just £30, and that’s before the huge discounting Amazon offers on a regular basis.