Yes, your car has just got smarter! Amazon on Tuesday announced Echo Auto - a device that gives you access to Alexa inside the car. The device comes with an eight-microphone array designed for in-car acoustics and speech recognition technology. This means that Alexa can now hear you over music, A/C, and road noise. The Amazon Echo Auto is powered by your car's 12V charging socket or USB port.  

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You can connect the device to your car's stereo system for audio playback using a 3.5 mm auxiliary cable or Bluetooth connection. At the same time, the device needs to be connected to Alexa through the Alexa app on your smartphone. It will run on mobile data to stream music, make calls or send messages to your phone contacts. Echo Auto is available for pre-order starting today for Rs 4,999 from Amazon India. The customers will start receiving it from January 15.

“Customers in India tell us they want to take Alexa with them everywhere they go, and we’re delighted to offer them an easy way to add Alexa to the car they already own”, said Parag Gupta, Head of Amazon Devices India. “Enjoy ad-free music with no breaks or RJ talks, listen to that unfinished audiobook on-the-go, or make calls without the distraction of looking at your smartphone by using simple voice commands. We cannot wait to see how customers in India take Alexa on the road.”

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What can Echo Auto do?

You can ask the device to read the morning news, Audible books, ask for the nearest coffee shops, petrol pumps and more. You can also control smart home appliances, set reminders, add errands to your to-do list and check them off when they’re complete, build your shopping list or manage your calendar—all while your eyes stay on the road. With Echo Auto, customers can stream ad-free music from Amazon Prime or access music from other providers such as Apple Music, JioSaavn, Gaana or Hungama Music.

The device can also help make hands-free calls to contacts saved on the smartphone. Android phone users can also send text messages.