We were selected to Review the Amazon Echo Auto before it's release! Thank you Amazon!
8 mics. Musics. Less distraction, $25 bucks, and access to Alexa while driving. Worth it - if you want to give Alexa more access than you might be comfortable with, and some subpar mobile screen-in between experiences.
$25 could save your life. For all it's shortcomings, getting Music selection is WORTH IT.
Today we're here with the Amazon Auto - Thanks Amazon for selecting us to be a part of the initial testers - here's my review
The device feels like an in-between one of those midstep devices.
Amazon's priority is to get Alexa Assistant into every nook and cranny where PC's and Phone's don't exist. AI assistants, the final frontier.
So that's bed stands, kitchens, living rooms, TVs, and cars.
The problem is - the Alexa Auto depends on your smartphone - which is namely your iPhone or Anrdoid.
Where other Echo devices don't depend on a smart device, this requires quite frankly use of the Alexa app that I wasn't prepared for - so here are must do's before setting up your Alexa.
Alexa App - mandatory
Enable Location Services - Always - even while not using the app.
Alexa - how is traffic - now you have to put in your home address - which is integrated with HERE maps instead of Google. So you have to manually put in your home address. And manually put in your work address. Pretty tedious as your stuck in traffic.
I couldn't find the home or work inputs - but the Amazon Alexa will prompt you -
Oh wait you have to enable notifications on your Alexa app too.
And then your phone has to be connected to bluetooth on your car. And you have to set it up while the USB power is on in the car - which you can't be driving. So you're idling.
And then the Echo Auto piggybacks connecting to your phone and car bluetooth. And then when you play the welcome Amazon Echo Auto intro the car get's confused which Audio should be on top.
But…
The eight microphones are so much better than any smart device in the car. It picks up Alexa prompts and thinks so much faster than any badly integrated Nissan solution.
This assumes you don't have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. This assumes you don't have a Tesla.
The Echo Auto depends on a screen - your phone which will probably be Google Maps and having the Alexa app open - which is too much middlemen. You ask for locations, but you can't see exactly where they are located, so you open up the notifcation and Google maps anyways. You are still tapping - and Google maps are mapped to coordiantes -
Google Maps is the de facto Auto Experience. If it's not broken don't fix it - and to be honest I won't be using Android Auto find gas stations - because you need a screen and the phone has all that you need for that.
But I will use Android Auto to connect to Alexa's strengths - music, radio, general questions, reminders. Main use case for me is requesting a song. I got the echo for $25. This could literally save me from prompting a song and a car accident. And that is already worth.
For all it's shortcomings - Spotfiy has made the mobile prompts for music larger, integrated with Waze, to make it easier to switch songs to not be distracted.
So I'll use it for spotify requests. Calls? Not so much. It couldn't make a call.
And then it needs access to my contacts.
There you go, give the Alexa app access to location always, input your work home location, enable notifications, and give it access to your contacts. And only after then you'll have a 'seamless' experience.
To me that is too much trouble. And maybe after having an Echo Show, Echo Dot and Echo's, smart swithces Echo TV 4K I'm not a power user. But aren't I?
8 mics. Musics. Less distraction, $25 bucks, and access to Alexa while driving. Worth it - if you want to give Alexa more access than you might be comfortable with, and some subpar mobile screen-in between experiences.
Our next stop is the Amazon Echo Show and our Prime Day Haul - see you in the next video!
-Sean
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Amazon Echo Auto Unboxing and Review: Alexa In Your Not So Smart Car, accessing your location, contacts, home and work for Spotify while driving
