Amazon Echo

Amazon Echo is a line of smart speakers and displays from Amazon, controlled by voice through the Alexa assistant. The first Echo device was announced on 6 November 2014 and became widely available in the United States on 14 July 2015. The family includes Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show (with a screen) and Echo Studio, among others.

The devices respond to a wake word (by default "Alexa") and can play music, podcasts and audiobooks, set alarms, reminders and routines, check weather and information, shop, and control smart-home devices. Their functionality can be extended with "skills" built by third-party developers, and the Echo also acts as a home automation hub.

In February 2025 Amazon introduced Alexa+, a new generation of the assistant built on generative AI and running on large language models available through Amazon Bedrock (including Amazon's own Nova model and Anthropic's Claude models). Alexa+ holds more natural conversations, remembers user preferences, takes actions (such as reservations via OpenTable or orders in Uber Eats) and integrates with services such as Spotify and Philips Hue. Alexa+ costs $19.99 per month and is free for Amazon Prime members; in January 2026 it was also made available in the browser at Alexa.com.