So I've got the Amazon Echo auto here.
Which is this new echo device.
It's invitation only at the moment that rides along in your car with you.
I'm excited to see what it can do.
So as I'm kind of unboxing here I'm seeing like a lot of echo products.
You've got these devices that are really easy to access.
It looks like it's quick to set up.
This is really small and unobtrusive.
I kind of like the size of this I think it would fit well on my dashboard.
And you can see it has these microphones here so it'll hear you but it doesn't have a speaker so it's it's going to go through your speakers via Bluetooth or auxiliary wire, and those are right here in this box as well.
So we've got this thing on box.
I'm really excited to check it out.
Let's go ahead and install it in my car right over here.
[MUSIC]
The setup for the echo auto is super simple.
You have the vent clip that slides right into most vent shapes.
You have the magnetic rack that holds onto the device itself and you have to cut.
I literally have the device in place within a minute.
You will also notice these little microphones up here, that go auto has eight of them.
And it's built to hear you overrode noise AC and your car stereo.
One nice perk is that you don't have to connect to Wi Fi.
The auto just relies on your mobile network I already have an echo back at home too.
So once my app connected to this device, I automatically had access to my amazon music account, my skills, everything, that covers the basics.
So let's go ahead and take the echo auto for a spin.
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So the Amazon Echo Dot costs 50 Bucks which is the same as this Amazon Echo Auto.
But the Dot has a speaker and the Auto doesn't so, part of my question is what does the Auto bring to the table or in this case the dashboard That an Amazon Echo from your house doesn't.
[SOUND] What's traffic like on the way home?
At the moment, traffic to home looks good.
The fastest route takes about 20 minutes via iTunes 65 and KY 155.
So the echo auto can clearly be really helpful as a tool when you're driving.
But watch what happens when I asked her direction.
[SOUND] Bring me home,>> Getting directions.
If you don't see them, tap the notification on your iPhone when it's safe to do so.
So what happens is the Amazon Echo auto sends me a notification through the [SOUND] app, and I actually have to tap on that brings me to a Maps app So that I can follow directions there.
I don't like that at all.
[MUSIC]
What are most people going to use the Amazon Echo auto for in their car, probably listening to music.
So let's see if this thing can hear me over really loud music.
[BLEEP] Play Pressure by Quiet Hollers.
Pressure by Quiet Hollers starting now on amazon music.
[MUSIC]
[MUSIC]
What time is it?
The time is One [INAUDIBLE].
5 PM.
That's not bad.
So what does the echo auto really heard?
Well, it's supposed to hear you in a noisy car.
So let's give that a shot.
Here's what we did.
After loading my kids into the van.
Feeding them sugary donuts and driving them around to get them riled up.
They stayed totally quiet and well behaved.
One of them even fell asleep.
So maybe we need to give this another try bus pretend my kids are older, way older.
So we didn't donuts do I feel like I'd be much better if I got doughnuts.
God!.
And sk then am writing the right be sacred of.
Hello, dad?
I can't anymore.
Dad you are not listening to me.
Whioch I was quite a feeling and affection towards.
Where is the nearest adoption centre?
Go find this rapid so a person need look at the.
Here are a few nearby ones.
So the echo out you can clearly here of a crazy in a minivan.
Let's start forward.
The kids are all grown up.
They've gone off to college and I finally saved up for my midlife crisis car.
This thing should be able to hear me overrode noise with all eight of these microphones.
Let's see how much road noise it can handle.
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So, we're driving in the convertible right now.
We've got the wind whipping past.
We've got the air conditioning blasting at full.
I want to see how well the echo auto can hear over all of this noise.
So let's give it a shot.
[SOUND] How fast can afford Mustang go?
[SOUND] How fast can afford Mustang go?
Ford Mustangs maximum speed is 164 miles
[MUSIC]
Alright, so we took this thing on the highway to see how the echo auto deals with all of the noise when it's maxed out.
[SOUND] So tell me a car Joe.
[SOUND] Tell me a car Joe.
[NOISE] You can tell even when all of the noise around and even with me shouting, she really has trouble hearing what I'm saying and responding.
[SOUND] So you can definitely tell when you get to a little bit of a quieter spot that the Echo Auto does a fine job of hearing you over moderate noise.
Well, once you have that top down, that wind whipping that air conditioning blasting, it really does struggle to hear you.
That said, the same thing is probably true for anyone riding in a convertible on a highway.
So at the end of the day, the Amazon Echo auto does exactly what it advertises.
It puts a voice assistant in your car.
Ensure those voice controls are nice.
But if you want directions, you still have to go to a screen, whether that's your phone or a smart dash display.
So listen, 50 bucks may not seem like that much money, but for this thing it is.
And that makes it just feel like a little impractical.
You can get an Echo Dot for half that on sale.
So if you find this on sale and you have an old minivan like mine, then go for it.
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