The Amazon Echo smart speaker will soon hit thousands of stores in the U.S. and interested customers will be able to test the gadget before purchase.
While you can get a pretty good idea of a device by checking out its specs and features, a hands-on look allows for a far more informed decision. With this in mind, Amazon and its retail partners will allow customers to try out the Amazon Echo to see how it performs.
"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," said Greg Hart, Amazon Echo and Alexa Voice Services vice president.
Amazon Echo is, of course, available for purchase directly from Amazon, sporting a $149.99 price tag. Aside from Amazon, 12 sellers will also be offering Amazon Echo soon, if they don't have it in stock already.
Just in time for the lucrative holiday shopping season, here are the 12 retailers offering the Amazon Echo, as listed by Amazon:
- ABT
- BJ's Wholesale Club (Members Only)
- Brookstone
- Fred Meyer
- Fry's
- HH Gregg
- Home Depot
- P.C. Richard & Son
- Radio Shack
- RC Willey
- Sears
- Staples
In total, Amazon Echo will be available from more than 3,000 stores across the U.S.
Staples actually launched the Amazon Echo a few months back and the device proved to be successful, according to Eric Cayton, Vice President of Technology at Staples.
For those unfamiliar with the device, Amazon Echo is a hands-free, always-ready smart speaker that packs beam-forming technology, seven speakers and a number of other neat specs. Amazon Echo can take voice commands even if users speak from across the room, while music is playing. Echo relies on Alexa, a smart assistant based in the cloud. Echo allows for hands-free voice control for a range of information, including weather, news, alarms, to-do lists, Wikipedia information, Yelp reviews and so on.
The regular price for Amazon Echo is $179.99, but customers can now get it for $30 off. The full retail rollout should complete within the next few weeks, making Amazon Echo available nationwide.
