Amazon Echo: UK release date, price, features, and what you need to know

The futuristic new device is finally coming across from the US

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14 September 2016

Amazon have a new device coming to the UK – and it’s seriously futuristic.

Named the Amazon Echo, it’s a speaker-based device that connects to your Wi-Fi, and has all sorts of tricks up its sleeves.

Here’s what you need to know.

1) It’s kind of like Siri

A major part of the Echo is the voice-control component.

Like Apple’s Siri, you can ask it questions – what’s the news today? How hot is it in London? – but instead of getting web pages in return, it will read out the information you want to know through an in-built speaker.

As anyone who’s tried the voice remote on the Amazon Fire TV, Amazon’s voice-recognition software is very strong – and can handle pretty much any accent you throw at it.

2) Its software is called Alexa

Amazon’s software has a name – and to activate the Echo, you have to say it out loud. Start your command with “Alexa” to activate the tech.

The Echo connects to Amazon’s Fire tablet devices, and to iPhone and Android using the Alexa app.

3) It can play your music

Whether you use Amazon’s own Prime Music service, Spotify, or TuneIn radio, you can use the Echo as a speaker.

You can ask Alexa to play a specific Spotify playlist, or find an artist on Apple Music – and have it play out of the device.

4) It can order your food – or an Uber

Alexa can interact with a variety of apps, including the likes of Just Eat, Uber, and National Rail.

That means you can ask it to re-order your last takeaway, or book you a car, or check the status of your commute – and the number of ‘skills’ is set to grow as more apps become compatible.

5) It can interact with your Smart Home

If you’ve just shelled out on a smart boiler or heating system, the Echo can interact with that too – you can ask Alexa to turn your TV and lights on and off, turn the heating up, even make a coffee if your machine is Wi-Fi enabled.