Published 14:01 IST, December 4th 2019
Amazon’s Echo Input Portable is a battery-powered Alexa smart speaker for India
Amazon goes so far as to say that the Echo input Portable is built for customers in India.
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Days after launching the Echo Flex, Amazon has launched the Echo Input Portable smart speaker in India. Like the Echo Flex, the Echo Input Portable also aspires to put Alexa in every corner of your home, no wires, no cables required. But while the Echo Flex plugs into any electrical wall socket, the Echo Input Portable is a battery-powered affair.
The Echo Input Portable is, in fact, the only battery-powered smart speaker that Amazon sells currently, and at this point of time, it seems exclusive to India. Amazon goes so far as to say that the Echo input Portable is built for customers in India. The echo Input Portable is now available for pre-order and will be available for buying from December 18 at a price of Rs 4,999.
“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,” Parag Gupta, Head of Amazon Devices India said in a statement. “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.”
Amazon says the Echo Input Portable is as useful as any of its other Alexa smart speaker. It has a 4-microphone array and 360-degree audio, so it can do all your run of the mill Echo stuff like switching on the lights as you enter your home or turn off the AC as you leave the room, all using voice commands. The added battery inside means you can carry it around with you – which seems to be its sole purpose.
The 4,800mAh battery inside the Echo Input Portable is claimed to offer up to “10 hours of continuous music playback time (up to 11hrs of stand-by time)” on single charge. The built-in 4 LED array will also give you an idea of the current battery level by tapping the power button.
Amazon is really ramping up its efforts in India of late. The company has launched a slew of Echo smart speakers here recently, including the flagship Echo Studio. While a product like the Echo Input Portable, it says, is designed specifically for this market going on to show how crucial it is for the company in question.
13:57 IST, December 4th 2019