Amazon Echo 2nd generation review Better than the original, but not as important
0Amazon Echo (2nd generation) review Better than the original, but not as important.
The Amazon Echo, powered by Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant, were breakthrough products that forever changed how we control our smart homes. The inexpensive Echo Dot that came later made it possible to put Alexa in every room of a home without spending a fortune. The second-generation Echo is better and less-expensive than the first full-sized Echo, but it’s not nearly as important as those first three products.
The new Echo is roughly 1/4-inch wider than the original, but it’s about three inches shorter. That makes it much less likely to topple over than the too-tall original. The second-generation smart speaker’s cloth grill renders the new model more attractive than the plasticky first-gen device: Where you could buy the original Echo in black or white, the new one is available with your choice of three colors of fabric: charcoal (black) sandstone (tan), or gray.
If you don’t mind paying an additional $20, you can get it one in your choice of three hard finishes: Silver, oak, or walnut. The woodgrain finishes are plastic, not genuine wood veneer, but they’re not ugly. The shell can be removed, so if you change your mind about color choices, you can swap out the original for any of the other fabric or hard finishes (the shells are sold separately for $20 each).