Video shot/edited by Jennifer Hahn. (video link)
No one knew what to make of the Amazon Echo when it first debuted. Originally described as a Siri-like, tube-shaped home assistant, how could this glorified speaker be more useful than similar phone features? But in its year-plus of existence, the Echo has been quietly taking over households everywhere. Amazon hasn't released official sales information, but we can deduce the device has experienced some success based on more than Alec Baldwin's endorsement. According to Slice Intelligence, the Echo's sales grew an average of 342 percent during Q3 and Q4 of 2015. And a new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners estimates that 3 million Echos have been purchased in the US since 2014.
Clearly, Amazon isn't going to let the Echo go anywhere any time soon. The company even recently expanded the Echo family with Dot and Tap, giving customers more affordable hardware options for Alexa access. While often compared to Siri, Microsoft's Cortana, and Google Now's nameless voice assistant, using Alexa feels fundamentally different. And after just a few weeks living with the Amazon Echo, I can see how—and in what capacity—I could be convinced to use a virtual assistant.
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