Until now, only those with an invite could purchase Amazon's new Echo smart speaker, but that's about to change.
The Web giant on Tuesday announced that the Echo is now available for everyone, no invite needed. Even better — it's also getting a price drop. Originally priced at $199 (Prime members got a temporary $99 price), you can now order it on Amazon's website for $179.99. It's slated to start shipping on July 14.
First launched in November, the 9.25-inch cylindrical-shaped, voice-activated speaker does more than just play music: It provides news and weather, creates to-do lists, sets timers and alarms, and even tells jokes. The always-on device is connected to Wi-Fi, and reacts only when you say the "wake word" of your choice. The Echo can then answer questions like "What time is it?" or "How tall is Mount Everest?"
Greg Hart, Vice President for Amazon Echo, said customer response to the new device has been "incredibly positive"
"We've been working hard to build more as quickly as possible," he said. "We are grateful to our early customers for their incredible engagement and for providing us with invaluable feedback to help shape Echo as it evolves — with their help, we've been able to add features like Audible, Pandora, home automation, sports scores, calendar, and more. We're excited to get Echo into the hands of even more customers and continue to invent new features and experiences."
The Echo received a Good rating in PCMag's review, earning points for its excellent voice recognition, attractive design, and solid sound quality. It lost points, however, for not having a built-in battery and distorting sound at high volumes.