Amazon has a record number of smart home products, and it’s getting difficult to keep track of them all. Here’s a summary of the state of Amazon smart home products to help you get an overview of the devices and decide which you want to explore in more depth.
The Echo line now includes eight unique devices – designed to work alone, or in tandem for a whole-household experience.
Echo
- This is the original smart home speaker. It has a cylinder shape, and is a speaker-only (no screen). It’s a great starter product for those getting into smart home technology.
- The Echo costs approx. $100, and is available in five different colors.
Echo Plus
- The Echo Plus is an enhanced Echo; it does not have a screen, but it can act as a smart home hub. The Plus is a great product for those that are looking to have a multi-device but fully connected smart home, and will allow them to create IFTTT scenarios.
- The Echo Plus costs approx. $150, and is available in three colors.
Echo Dot
- The Echo Dot is a mini version of the original Echo. It is a speaker-only, but instead of being a cylinder, it is more of a small circle. It’s a great addition to a smart home network, as a device used in personal spaces, like bedrooms.
- The Echo Dot costs approx. $50 and is available in three colors.
Echo Dot Kids Edition
- The Echo Dot Kids Edition has all the same functionality and options as the Dot, but its system is set up to be kid-friendly right out of the package.
- This device costs approx. $70, and includes a 2-year gurantee and one year of FreeTime Unlimited. It is available in three kid friend colors.
Echo Show
- The Echo Show is Amazon’s flagship video-enabled Echo, as it has a large screen. This device also includes a camera, so that you can watch videos but also so that you can view live streams of your home security cameras and make video phone calls.
- This devices costs approx. $230, and is available in two colors.
Echo Spot
- The Echo Spot is a mini version of the Echo Show. It has a screen, but the screen is circular, and much smaller than that of the Show. It does have a camera, and works great in both personal and shared spaces; particularly in smaller spaces.
- The Echo Spots costs approx. $130, and comes in two colors.
Echo Auto
- The Echo Auto is a brand new devices, and, as you probably guessed, was made for the car. It’s a small unit, maybe the size of a smartphone, and does not have a screen or speakers (since it runs through your car speakers). It allows you to access music, books, and maps, and also lets you manage your lists and calendar with your voice.
- The Echo Auto is still in beta, but is likely to cost approx. $50.
Echo Look
- The Echo Look is Amazon’s personal assistance smart home device. This device has a camera, and offers fashion advice while allowing you to keep a log of your outfits. The device hasn’t been much of a success, though, and isn’t even really mentioned in Amazon’s core Echo product line.
- The Look costs approx. $200.
