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Hello everyone, I'm Lucy and welcome to another episode of All Things Lady A for the Unmute Presents podcast series. This time we'll be talking about the different Lady A devices you can purchase and just a little bit about some of them. Now these are just some of my favorites that I picked out to talk about. There certainly may be other devices out there and I will just give you a little bit of an overview about these devices and I'll give you some prices. But these may be just approximate as they are always subject to change and things go on and off sale. So my prices are just a general idea of what you can expect to find. So picking the right Echo device depends a lot on where you'll use it, as well as what functions you want or don't want, such as a video camera or powerful audio. And all Lady A devices have built in microphones in order to function and some have cameras. So if you want to ensure privacy you can manually mute or disable both of these features. All right, so the first one is the Echo fourth generation and I found it for $5,499. The baseline of the Lady A hardware experience is the Echo, the fourth generation of which takes the power and smart home hub of the Echo plus and puts it in a round package. Alexa equipped Echo Orb features three audio drivers, Zigbee, Bluetooth, Low Energy ble, Amazon Sidewalk, which is an Amazon operated network to help all of your Alexa devices and Amazon's AZ1 processor. All right, the next one is the Echo Pop and that is 1799. Put a slant on things with the angled Echo Pop, effectively a cheaper version of the orb shaped echo dot. The POP boasts a larger front firing speaker and slightly different look without sacrificing its Alexa powered voice assistance functions. It's designed to fit into small spaces like a dorm room or bathroom, and the Echo Pop also features Amazon's AZ2 Neural Edge Processor and can serve as a network network extender for Eero mesh networks and I have one of these and it sounds great for its size. Next is The Echo Pop Kids and that is 22.99. This kids version of the Echo Pop smart speaker features Marvel or Disney Princess characters and comes with six months of Amazon Kids for free. Next is the Echo Spot and I found this for 44.99. The original orb shaped echo spot came out seven years ago as a more compact clock radio like alternative to the Echo show devices, but it was largely ignored until recently when Amazon released an updated Echo Spot that sits between a smart speaker and a full smart display. In my review I found that new Echo Spots display isn't too impressive, but it performs quite well as a smart speaker and it provides useful bits of information and offers basic smart home controls. And it does feature VoiceView which is Amazon's screen reader. So all of the devices that Amazon offers with a touchscreen feature Voice View. Next is Echo Studio and this is 199.99 with surprisingly robust Dolby Atmos compatible directional audio. Amazon's Echo Studio delivers just as much power as smart speakers that cost twice as much. It's truly impressive for its size and price, enough to earn the Editor's Choice award. Now I have one of these as well and I'm not quite as impressed with it, but it's okay. The sound is okay, but I don't feel that it's as great as what Amazon likes to say it is okay. That's just my opinion. Next is the Echo Show 21 and this is 399.99. The Echo Show 21 is wall mountable so it could be doubled as a picture frame, a small tv, a security camera feed, a smart home lighting hub, or even a digital fireplace. Amazon is also selling an adjustable stand for an extra $100. Of course there's a 13 MP wide angle camera with auto framing, while a visual ID feature can identify anyone in a household who stands in front of it and loads their own calendars and lists. It features Wi Fi 6e capabilities and costs 399.99. Like I said. Now I've seen one of these and I think it's fairly expensive and produces only like, I don't know, average sound, but it's worth checking out if you want the biggest smart display possible. And it also has Voice View. Next is the Echo Show 15 and this is 299.99. The Echo Show 15 is designed to be easily mounted on a wall, though Amazon is now selling it with an adjustable stand for an additional hundred dollars. Of course it features a 15 by 6 inch 1080p LCD surrounded by a large picture frame like bezel that can look like a painting or smart frame when not in use. It includes Fire TV support and the visual ID feature and it got an upgrade in November with Amazon promising better audio quality plus more bass and noise reduction technology than the original as well as an improved camera for video calls with a 65.0 zoom and auto framing to keep you centered in a video chat. It's available now for 299.99 like I said or $20 more than the first generation and I have not seen one of these so I can't comment. So it also has Voice View. All right, next is the Echo Hub and this is $124.99. This scaled down Echo Show 15 looks like a thermostat or home security system, but it's an 8 inch touch enabled display where you can manage smart cameras, organize widgets or just check the time. It's an excellent value compared with the similar Brilliant Control 399 version, a dedicated smart home control panel that retails for more than twice as much. The Echo Hub stands out for its smart home prowess, especially if you prefer to control your devices from a screen rather than with your voice. Okay, next is the Echo Show 10 and this is $249.99. The third generation Echo Show 10 smart display features a motorized base that lets it follow you around the room. There's a 13 megapixel wide angle camera with digital pan and zoom so it automatically keeps you centered in the picture during video calls which now support up to seven other people. Thanks Alexa Group calling Echo show devices also support Zoom as well as Amazon's own Chime video conferencing service. And I have actually gotten into a Zoom call using one of the Echo show devices and it's it's not easy to do but it's possible. And it also has the Voice View feature. Next Echo Show 8 and this is 84.99. The Echo Show 8 features a rounded edge and a bump out on the back which makes it slightly bigger than its predecessor. The 13 MP front facing camera is also centered versus off to the side. The main internal upgrade here is the built in Zigbee Smart Home Hub and Amazon's AZ2 Neural Edge process. There are also some audio upgrades and a feature that will sense where you are in the room to display fewer things when you're far away and more detail as you walk closer. And this also has Voice View. Now we have the Echo Show 5 which is $44.99. For something even smaller, the third generation Echo Show 5 improves on the previous model with a speaker designed for deeper bass and 20.0 faster request response time so you can set that alarm, add that grocery list item or hear that joke marginally quicker. This is available in black, blue, white and the 5.5-inch smart display fits virtually anywhere in your home and comes with a 2 MP HD D camera and built in shutter as well as the option to turn off the microphone and camera. All right, now we have the Echo Show 5 kids and this is $49.99. The kids centric Echo Show 5 makes it easy for little ones to ask Alexa for homework help, make video calls to pre approved contacts, and set wake up alarms in the voice of their own favorite characters. Now with an additional mic for improved voice assisting responsiveness and a faster AZ2 Neural Edge processor. The device comes with a one year subscription to Amazon Kids for access to thousands of books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, games and skills. And there's also a two year worry free guarantee which offers a free replacement for broken displays. And I don't know how much that warranty costs, but that's kind of cool. But I, you know, like I say, I don't know how much it costs and I'm sure it's not cheap. Now we have the Echo Dot and this is 2299. The echo dot has long been a space conscious affordable way to bring Alexa into your home. And Amazon's formerly puck shaped smart speaker now has a more orb like form and a glowing blue LED. In late 2022Amazon announced an update with a new audio system, a custom full range driver that Amazon says doubles the bass. The previous models can put out ultrasound. Motion detectors are also built into the new smart speakers letting them respond to tap gestures and movement. Plus it includes Eero Mesh WI fi support, letting Amazon Dots serve as network nodes that can add up to 1,000 square feet of coverage to an Eero Wi Fi network. The fourth generation dots also got an update adding EERO support, so a version with an LED clock was unfortunately discontinued over the summer. And I have a couple of these and I like them a lot. Now we have the Echo Dot Kids Edition and this is 27.99. The echo dot Kids Edition is shaped like the Echo Dot but comes in Owl and Dragon prints. It packs some kid friendly features like one free year of Amazon Kids for thousands of hours of kid friendly audible books, interactive games and educational skill. And this Echo Dot also comes with the two year worry free guarantee. So if it breaks, Amazon will replace it for free. But I'm sure the warranty is not free. Now we have the Echo Glow and this is 2299. This colorful smart light orb is intended for kids. Ask Alexa to change the Glow's colors tap to make it flicker like a campfire or flash while an Echo dot plays music for a dance party. The Echo Glow doesn't work with any Alexa skills and can't be set to flash or give any indication of you getting a message or alert. But for the price it seems like a fine smart light for your kids rooms. All right, now we have the Echo Buds 2023 and these are 2499Amazon's Echo Buds true Wireless Earphones and these are not to be confused with the 2021 Echo Buds with ANC model compromise up to 5 hours of music playback per charge and a sub for your and it's a 50 price tag for the sub and the in ear accessory which supports an easy hold stem. Connect to two devices at the same time so you can take that video call from computer to phone without missing a beat. Echo Buds are compatible with iOS and Android with hands free access to Alexa, Siri and the Google Assistant. And now we have the Echo Buds with active noise cancellation 2021. These came out and these are 3499 the second generation Echo Buds with active noise cancellation ANC which is what I said previously that the 2021 Echo Buds had which offer hands free Alexa voice control improve upon Amazon's original True Wireless earphones with a smaller lighter design and active noise cancellation. While there's not much reason to upgrade if you already own a pair of the originals, the second generation Echo Buds are smaller, lighter and offer genuine active noise cancellation. A version with a wireless charging case is $20 more of course. All right, so now we have the smart plug at 2499. The smart plug is part of a line of products called Alexa Gadgets which need to be connected to other Echo smart speakers. It connects to Echo devices like the DoT to turn compatible devices with mechanical on and off switches into smart ones. You can then say things like Alexa turn on the coffee pot. All right, those are cool. Yeah, I've seen these. I do not own any of these, but they're pretty cool. Next we have The Echo frames third generation and these are 269.99 and it is 389.99 for the Carrera branded version which I don't know what that is anyway. They offer hands free access to Alexa to make calls, request podcasts or audible books, set reminders and other tasks. The third gens promise extended battery life, up to six hours of continuous media playback, better Alexa performance, and a more stylish look. So I don't know anything about these, but supposedly they are better looking and more comfortable than ever while falling short on audio quality. That's what the review that I found said. So last we have what they call the Echo Sub and this is 129.99. The Amazon Echo Sub provides much needed sub bass to your Echo smart speaker as long as you're willing to overlook some frustrating limitations. It can't shake the walls like home theater subwoofers and it's by a bizarre incompatibility with Bluetooth streaming. So that is my take on some of the available Alexa smart devices. Like I said in the beginning, there are more of these out there I am sure, but these are just the ones that I chose to talk about and so I hope this is helpful to you and I will be back next month. I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do, but in the meantime everybody have a happy holiday season and enjoy using your Alexa devices.
The music used in this content was thanks to Andre Louis and his Shorts collection.
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