What Does the Amazon Echo Auto Do?

Echo Auto is the latest addition to the Amazon’s Echo series. It brings Alexa into your vehicle, something that many have anticipated ever since the release of the original Echo. But with so many Echo devices released, people are wondering if Echo Auto is worth buying. Well, if you want Alexa in your car, it is.

But what can Amazon Echo Auto really do? What’s the benefit of having it in your vehicle?

Necessity Rather Than Commodity

Echo devices, in general, can make your life at home significantly easier and more comfortable. You can ask Alexa to do whatever you want for you, from playing music and TV shows to looking things up and activating the devices that are a part of your smart home ecosystem.

That being said, you can actually walk up to your computer and play the song that you want to. You can use your remote to change the TV channel. You can even get up and look through the peephole yourself, instead of relying on your Amazon front door camera.

When it comes to driving, things are slightly different. You are the safest with your eyes on the road and every little distraction, from changing the radio station to manually calling someone using the speed dial, will take your eyes off the road.

Accidents tend to happen split-second. With Alexa by your side, you can activate everything that you need inside your vehicle with your voice. She’ll plot your destination for you, change the stations, look things up, you name it.

It is clear that having Alexa in your car is a necessity more than it is a commodity.

What Does It Do?

So, let’s get to the nitty-gritty – what can Echo Auto actually do for you? Well, first of all, it can play music from Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible audiobooks, Sirius XM, NPR news, and podcasts. Additionally, Alexa can make phone calls for you with a simple voice command. Echo Auto can add items to your shopping lists, check your reminders, as well as deal with calendar appointments.

Navigation-wise, Echo Auto uses Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Waze to provide you with directions. Alexa can also locate points of interest such as the nearest gas stations, motels, auto repair shops, etc. Finally, you can give special names to places you frequently visit and, instead of asking for the street and the number, you can just tell Alexa to take you to “work,” “home” or “school.”

How Does It Work?

Amazon Echo Auto is very simple to set up. All you need is a USB or adapter-based power source and radio with either Bluetooth or an AUX input. The Micro USB and the auxiliary (AUX) cable are both included in the Echo Auto package.

But what makes Echo Auto so different from your home-based Alexa devices? Why wouldn’t you just use, say, Echo Dot in your vehicle? While it’s true that any Amazon Echo device will work inside your vehicle as long as you provide it with a power source, none were made specifically for road use.

Additionally, you can’t properly fix a home-oriented Echo to the dashboard, whereas Echo Auto comes with a washable sticky side that perfectly adheres to the dashboard.

Finally, and most importantly, your home Echo device wouldn’t be able to hear you with windows rolled down and going 50mph. Echo Auto, however, is equipped with eight microphones that can hear you even when you’re Doing 70 with the windows rolled all the way down. Echo Auto doesn’t care about the wind howls and road noise – it has been designed not to.

Amazon Echo Auto

Echo Auto is there to make your vehicle smarter and your ride safer. If your car isn’t already equipped with a perfect driving assistant, Alexa will do a great job.

Amazon Echo Auto is perhaps the most anticipated release from the Echo line and it doesn’t disappoint.

Have you tried Echo Auto? Do you find it convenient and useful? What’s your favorite thing about it? Feel free to discuss this and anything Echo Auto-related in the comments section below.