Amazon has launched the Echo Input Portable smart speaker, especially for India. The portable voice-controlled smart speaker houses a 4,800 mAh rechargeable battery and is claimed to deliver up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge. Priced at Rs 4,999, the device comes with 360-degree audio and allows customers to access Alexa from anywhere in the room using the same far-field voice recognition as other Echo devices. Those interested can pre-order the device starting today from www.amazon.in/EchoInputPortable. The company will start shipping the speaker to customers from December 18.
‘Customers in India love Alexa and told us that they want to carry their Echo device from room to room so that they can have an uninterrupted hands-free Alexa experience. We’re excited to offer this new Alexa experience in India, and we cannot wait to see how our Indian customers enjoy the flexibility of a portable Alexa in their homes,’ Parag Gupta, Head of Amazon Devices India, said in a statement.
#JustLaunched
— Amazon India News (@AmazonNews_IN) December 4, 2019
Feedback from our Indian customers that they wanted to carry around their Echo devices was the inspiration behind the Echo Input Portable Smart Speaker, says Miriam Daniel (VP, Alexa Devices, @amazon) #JustAsk @AmazonEchoIndia pic.twitter.com/4ckxZapaXg
The Echo Input Portable is fitted with a four-microphone array, which enables customers to talk to Alexa from across the room. Customers can stream music from Amazon Prime Music, Apple Music, JioSaavn, Gaana, or Hungama Music. They can also connect Echo Input Portable to a Multi-Room Music group for synchronised streaming.
If customers have multiple Echo devices within hearing distance, Amazon’s Echo Spatial Perception (ESP) technology calculates the clarity of their voice and determines which Echo is closest and then responds to the request. People can also control smart home devices such as lights, plugs, and fans from Philips, Wipro, Syska, and TP-Link.
Like all Echo devices, Echo Input Portable is built with privacy protections, including a mic off button that electronically disconnects the microphones. Additionally, customers will also have control over their voice recordings, and they can listen and delete utterances at Alexa Privacy Settings or in the Alexa app, at any time.
