After months of rumours, Amazon’s Alexa voice-activated assistant and its Echo speakers are officially coming to Canada.
Amazon Canada is now taking pre-orders for the Echo Dot, Echo, and Echo Plus, with each device bering priced at $69.99 CAD, $129.99, and $199.99, respectively. However, in a move that is primed to take on Google’s Home, Amazon is offering Canadians “special introductory pricing” that slashes the cost of each device by up to $30. It seems Amazon is not bringing the Echo Look or Echo Show to Canada yet.
The Echo Dot is Amazon’s lowest end smart speaker option and must be connected to a Bluetooth speaker in order to operate. The 2nd Gen Echo, on the other hand, is similar to its predecessor, though it features a new fabric covered body. Finally, the Echo Plus is Amazon’s high-fidelity option and features higher quality sound along with a built-in ZigBee smart home hub.
The standard Echo is set to be available in ‘Sandstone,’ ‘Heather Grey’ and ‘Charcoal,’ while the Echo Dot is available in ‘Black’ and ‘White.’ The Echo Plus on the other hand, comes in ‘Silver,’ ‘White’ and ‘Black.’
“Tens of millions of customers are already using Alexa, and today we’re excited to bring her to Canada with an experience designed from the ground up for our Canadian customers,” said Tom Taylor, senior vice president of Amazon Alexa, in a statement sent to MobileSyrup. “The combination of Alexa and Echo provides customers with hands-free access to music, weather, news, information, and more — just ask.”
As for distribution, Amazon Canada is the direct route when it comes to pre-ordering. Echo devices will start shipping on December 5th and are also available through other retailers such as Best Buy, The Source, Staples, Bed Bath & Beyond, and TSC: Today’s Shopping Choice.
From a Canadian carrier perspective, it looks like Telus and Bell will also offer Amazon’s suite of Echo devices to their customers.
In terms of French language support, Amazon Canada sent MobileSyrup the following statement:
“At this time we don’t have any news to share on the French capabilities in Canada.”
Update: It looks like Amazon is offering up a promo for those interested in buying the Echo Plus. The cost is the same at $169.99 the online retailer is giving a free White plus Philips Hue Smart Bulb for free.
Source: Amazon Canada
