After a booming success in the US, Amazon has now brought its Alexa-powered Echo speakers to its Canadian customers. Echo has already been through two generations of the US population and all that time the Canadians were just watching and waiting for the device to come to them. Due to this, the release of the Echo hardware was eagerly welcomed in Canada.
Amazon Echo And Alexa
The products offered by Amazon in Canada include the second generation Echo known as the Echo Dot and the Echo Plus which features an integrated smart home hub. Both these devices come complete with full Alexa voice assistant support and have already been made available for sale in Canada.
The actual price of the Dot is around $70 but currently, it’s being offered to Canadians at a limited time discounted price of $49.99. Also, the Echo device which is normally priced around $130 is now being offered at $99.99. The Echo Plus, with an actual value of $199.99, is currently available $169.99.
The mentioned versions of Echo were launched as Amazon announced the opening of a new store in Canada that was solely dedicated to smart home devices. Through this store, the company is offering Canadians an easy access to Amazon Prime Music that features over 1 million songs made available to Prime members through free streaming.
A reliable news source has reported that a good number of Canadians are already using the Echo and Alexa devices which they have obtained from US-based retailers and third-party traders who ship equipment across the border. Interestingly, all these devices require a US Amazon account and this is precisely why Amazon sees good business in Canada.
Experts say that the availability of Echo to Canadians officially is actually a great step for Amazon and it may strike a pleasant chord with the customers. Since Google Home was launched in the Canadian market earlier this year, the consumers will now have a good variety in their smart home speaker options.
Although the Echo devices are on sale now, their shipment will commence at the beginning of December.
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Image Credit: Steven Combs