Hello Grey Ghost my apologies for the delay in responding. You are welcome. I appreciate you noticing. Thank you for watching and leaving this comment. Have a great day.
I have had this echo Auto since the initial test offering and I am lukewarm at best about it? It just won't stay connected in between my trips in the car? It really is hit-or-miss if I have two or three stops in that outing! The navigation is glitchy at best! My cell phone can accomplish all of these features without fail! But it is kinda baller to have it in your car when you pick up your date!😎
Hello Matt, glad to hear you’re liking your echo auto so far. I think that is the strength of the echo auto. It is a nice transition from the home to the car. I know the phone will do pretty much everything echo auto will do. But a lot of people don’t use their phone for smart home control in their house. This definitely makes a smart assistant in the car more available tomorrow people. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
@@CraigsTechTalk the funny thing is that whenever I go into the Alexa app it thinks I'm in a car and forces me to say I'm a passenger before it will let me continue... This happens even when I'm not in a car at all lol!!
my car doesn't have Bluetooth so this was a great device for me. I've tried a few of the other Bluetooth connectors and they all had their issues. The fact that i start the car and everything connects and is ready right away. Also, all the other devices I tried lacked in their microphones. Everyone always complained that could not hear me when I talked over the Bluetooth. That no longer is a problem with the echo auto. Anyone who doesn't have Bluetooth already in the car this is the way to go!
I don’t see anyone reviewing this thing mention that it absolutely blows away any other option in its price range for Bluetooth adapters for cars with no Bluetooth, but have an auxiliary port. I recently changed cars to one without Bluetooth and was desperately trying to find the best affordable solution. After trying 3 other units that never worked great (most wouldn’t automatically connect to my phone when I turned the car on) I tried the Echo Auto as a “why not” option. It’s amazing! Using voice to play music and pull up directions is great. It is a high quality Bluetooth adapter, ESPECIALLY for phone calls. Call quality on this thing is better than my last car that had it built in from the factory! I’m guessing the multiple mics help with that. If you have an older car with no Bluetooth check this thing out!
Thank you for sharing this. Using it as a Bluetooth adapter isn’t something I would need or use in my car. But it is great to know that it can provide that value. That is awesome. Thank you for sharing this.
Great video as usual, I've had mine for about 4months now and I really like it. I use it with my deezer music service,disarm my ring alarm when I get home,make phone calls and for news updates.
I got mine on Thursday. After a bit of an issue getting it to pair with my phone and a call to Amazon support we got it running. I am pretty happy with it so far. My car's bluetooth system works mainly just for calls so being able to run the Alexa Auto through the AUX port allows me to use the car speaker system much more to my advantage. I found it stayed connected to a signal pretty well even in weak areas.
Hello John, that’s great you got yours. Glad to hear that you were able to get it working and you are enjoying it. I had not tried the Aux. That is great it is working well. Thanks for sharing and watching. Have a great day.
Great video Craig. I have had the Echo Auto for 2 month . It boots up and is ready to go very quickly ( 5 - 10 seconds ). I use this device to open/close garage door, listen to the radio … I wait for you to share more about the features of this devive. Thanks.
I use it to drop in on echos at home but haven't tried it between vehicles but the echo auto doesn't show up on the drop in list from my phone so I would guess not.
I have one for several months and your right , I love the map convenience and not having tight where I'm going and look at my phone. Also I love being able to hear commercial free radio since I don't have a paid service, it's great to be able to do things at the house, and it's great on trips.
I’ve had mine since the Amazon Glitch! 😉 One other thing I found a great feature for me was creating lists that I can easily add verbal thoughts as they come to me on my commute. Example would be I have an important meeting that day and want to capture some bullets for the conversation. Simple! Alexa, add Project Timeline to my Work List. Definitely handy, and when I reach the parking lot I quickly email the list to myself in the Alexa App. Besides all the things you mentioned, I’ve also used it to control my garage door opener and make Announcements and play my Amazon Music Playlists, something I couldn’t do completely hands free with Siri. I look at it as a nice add to my Echo ecosystem. Heck, $25 is one trip through McDonald’s Drive Thru! Lol ... Can’t wait to see your in-depth review. Take Care and have a great holiday! 😉👍🏻
for it's price, Echo Auto is surely great, I ordered it a month or two earlier, therefor I got it for 21$ and it's the greatest delivery from amazon, for me
I have trouble connecting my Echo Auto. Even when I have a connection, it tells me to open my Alexa App, for what reason I don't know. It's annoying yo have to wait until I'm on the road before it tells me I'm connected to the internet. Bummer.
Hello Dennis, Welcome. I am glad you found the channel. Thank you for the nice words. That is how I would love to be thought of. Thanks for watching and subscribing.
I finally got mine a couple of months ago. It took forever to get the invitation. I really like it ... It works great for playing SiriusXM and other music.
I was given an opportunity to get one of the devices before they released it to the public. We used it all of the automobiles that we own. (I love all things Alexa enabled! I am getting the Versa 2 because it has Alexa on it. So I am a big fan.) The thing is, if you own an automobile that already has a tech package like my 2017 Chevrolet Cruise hooking up your "auto echo" is a complete nightmare. Partly it is because I have Wi-Fi in that vehicle which is separate from using your Alexa Buy Bluetooth. The people on my OnStar helped me problem solve it after an hour and a half. Basically I had to go through Bluetooth and not use my Wi-Fi. I'm not a big fan of hot spots so I found that disappointing. Besides, my tech package with OnStar, the car is aready able to do everything like make calls, give directions, read my text messages out loud, tell you how the weather is what traffic looks like ahead Etc..) However, with our older car a Chevy Traverse 2012 and the audio jack it was very easy to connect even with the available on Star. I found all the features of the echo Auto easy to access and reliable. Lastly, we took a family trip using it in my husband's 2017 150 Ford (that does not have OnStar or any type of service). My husband eventually made me disconnect it because while the setup was quick and easy just like in the Traverse,. the connection would drop inexplicably and so he preferred his Waze app feeling it was more reliable. Also there was a time lag using the auto Echo between what and you request something and when it performs it, which I think you are video also demonstrated perfectly. Surprisingly, unlike all the chevys we own, there was a buzz through his speakers when using the auto echo at a louder volume which disappeared when we turned on his SIRUS radio (to prove it wasn't in the speakers themselves). In conclusion, since I like to listen to Audible, want the ability to drop in to my kitchen echo or turn on my interior lights without pulling my cell out of my purse, I'm going to continue to use it in the Traverse but not in any of the other cars. Hope my experience is helpful to someone, I just wanted to mention those situations as something to think about when contemplating buying one.
I don't really us the Echo Auto to talk to when driving but I do use it for geofencing. When i get home it triggers a routine that announces I'm home and then opens garage. Geofencing didnt work before and know its seamless. In the evenings it shuts lights off and turns lights on when we arrive home. Everything seems be pretty seamless since we got the Echo Auto. Cant wait to get our second one. Just wish they opened it to the public already. Another great video Craig!! Thanks again.
I have been using geofencing with my echo dots for the last 8 months or so to turn on and off lights and open my garage door when I arrive home. You should not need an echo auto to utilize that option at least I didn't.
@@timdatoolman7865 unfortunately before without the echo auto it I didnt work as well. Not sure if the Echo Auto forces the app to stay open helps it work better. Before the geofence would only work if I had the Alexa app open.
@@DamionOrona I'm glad the geofencing is working well for you now using Echo Auto, I have not decided if it's going to be worth it to me to get one yet or not but I could definitely see how someone could find EA useful. Have a great rest of the weekend.
It does everything I want it to do and it was super easy to set up. I can set the thermostat at home before I get there, play music, radio stations, turn lights on and off. All hands free.
I was a little disappointed in this device. My husband sometimes forget to take his phone. And for those times when I am out and my family can not contact me through my phone. It is good to know that they can always do a “drop-in” through the echo dot that is in our cars. This is something the echo auto can not do. No matter where you are outside of your home you can always drop-in on a “echo dot” that’s in your vehicle from any Alexa device in your home. Other than that my phone can do everything else that this little device can. Why waste the money?
I got one for my Tesla for the sole purpose of operating my garage door via the Nexx Garage controller. Most of the things you discussed my Tesla does and more by voice command.
Great rundown, Craig. We put in two invite requests on the first day almost a year ago and so far have only received one invite (finally) a few months ago. A couple of thoughts after playing with it for a bit. First, that vent mount is an add on accessory you have to pay extra for, but there is a very nice sticky mount that sticks well with a non destructive goo to the top of your dashboard. Look in your box, I almost missed it when unpacking the Auto. It has the same magnetic square on top that the Auto clicks into once the mount is stuck on your dash. I wish they sold those sticky mounts separately, it would make swapping out the Auto from one vehicle to another much easier. Another observation, the Auto does a heck of a lot but not everything an In-home Dot or regular Echo can do. I could play Jeopardy but when it offered to tell me more about paying for an update (or paying for anything actually) it said I had to do that on a regular Dot or Echo, the Auto did not have that ability. Getting directions hands free using Waze or Google Maps is very nice and so is asking for music and having it play without the need to look at my phone is awesome. The only real downsides I’ve encountered had to do with poor network connectivity on my phone or not having the Alexa app open in the background. But once the cell signal improved, the Auto started working and not saying “I don’t understand.” Is it worth getting once someone gets their invite? For $24.95 it’s a no brainer Yes. Once they hit regular price at $50 it may be a harder sell. I’ve heard people have gotten the 2nd gen Dots and installed them in their cars or bought the Echo Input and done it for cheaper too. All I can say is this slow rollout was done very poorly. Some people who have been waiting almost a year for an invite have given up by now. And in our case, two invites for the same household on the same first day and only one gotten so far, months ago. Very frustrating.
Wanted to mention that the Echo Auto is no longer shipping with that free mount pad in the box and is instead now shipping with the car mount at no added cost. Not sure why that's the case, but it has been since about the 1st of September.
Erinescence - I saw that. My sister finally got her invite a couple of weeks back and I thought I was going nuts trying to find the sticky dash mount in the box and not finding it. Then I looked at her invoice and saw the Auto was $15.62 and the vent mount they added was $9.37 to get the $24.99 total price. Now she’s got this monstrosity clipped to her air vent blocking half the cold air flow coming out. Shame, she has a nice flat dash and that dash mount would have looked much nicer. I hope they either bring it back at launch or at least sell it separately. The vent mount is hideous looking.
Having Echo devices all over my house, and using them all the time throughout the day, I have often asked Alexa to do something or other while in the car, forgetting that I do not have an Echo device in my car. The Echo Auto is still not available in the UK, so I obviously cannot get Echo in my car yet, but I would love to have it when it becomes available. What I don't like about it is all the cables required - power and audio - and would much prefer a truly wireless and battery powered device as I am a little OCD in that department and hate cables running across the dashboard and in front of the controls for the car.
Totally agree. This feels like version 1. Good is it's tiny. Bad is it needs blue tooth speakers. Mine didn't include an air mount. It had a dashboard sticky mount.
Just got my invitation today and ordered it. Looking forward to seeing if I’m in my car enough to make it useful. I have several dots and smart home tools so this will be a welcome and familiar addition. Thanks for the v!
Hello Paul, that’s great you got your invitation. I hope it works out well for you and your smart home. At least the way it’s priced right now it’s not too bad to give it a shot. I’d be more hesitant at the $50 range. Thanks for checking out the video. Have a great day.
I really like my echo auto. Having Alexa in my car is convenient and it helps to encourages me to be hands free. My car did not come with built in Bluetooth and the echo auto has been a really easy, cheap way to integrate Bluetooth into my car for music and phone calls. This is definitely my most used Alexa device
Recommendation: If you get the invite, buy it. I live in Las Vegas and it works perfectly. It comes with the air vent stand and all the necessary cables. One caveat, make sure you have a good data plan.
It's great if you use an aux cord with your phone regularly. Like if your car doesn't have bluetooth. Connects automatically on power up. Along with a wireless charger setup there is 100% never a need to mess with wires. A bluetooth adapter on its own is 10 bucks. To me it's definitely worth the 25$ sale price.
Still waiting for it to come to Canada. My car doesn't have bluetooth so Echo Auto would both give me voice command control as well as let me stream Spotify easier than I do now (using aux in with a phone).
I had mines for about a month tbh I dont even use so it basically relies on your phone because you need your phone to use it use it and it uses your phone features so it's a waste of money I just use my phone and forget that i even have it at times 🤷♂️ and half the time it kept disconnecting the sound
I like the way you review things. You are not judgmental like Paul Hibbert sometimes is. You aren't biased either. In fact your expectations were lower and more realistic than other reviewers I have seen. I am not just talking about this product. I mean in general. Other reviewers of Amazon Echo products have such high unrealistic expectations that no one can meet. But as for the Echo Auto device itself. I have had mine since June. I got mine due to the Glitch on Amazon's website discovered by a Reddit user. I was able to purchase it despite not having received my invitation. The Glitch has been fixed by Amazon. So I am still waiting on my official invitation so I can buy one for my Mom. Not sure if I will get it since I already bought one. They may or may not prevent me from getting a second since they know I already have one. I hope not though. I like the Echo Auto. I don't love it, but then again. I didn't love my Roav Viva either. Just like with my Roav Viva. I like the fact that I can make phone calls better than the Bluetooth calling I have built into my car. My car's system is always misunderstanding me where as my Echo Auto understands me. I like that I can play games like Jeopardy, Song Quiz, or Price it Right while I am on a long drive. I don't like the Drop In feature because I was able to see my parents when I Dropped In on them with the Roav Viva but with the Echo Auto it is audio only. I know I know that is not safe, but if you are sitting in bumper to bumper traffic seeing and chatting with people made the sitting in traffic less annoying. I know it is for my safety and I get it. Doesn't mean I have to like it. Overall when Amazon decides to improve what functionality Alexa will have the Echo Auto will benefit. So I am not worried. It will get better. BY THE WAY: Craig you should mention that the vent mount does not come included and is a separate optional purchase. I didn't buy the vent mount. Where I have mine is fine and it hears me well.
Hello Nikki, thank you very much. I appreciate the nice words. I really try to be as unbiased as possible and show the good and bad of these devices. I want to be open. I think one of the things I’ve excepted is that we are in the infancy of these devices. I also see the limitations that I think Amazon and Google have painted themselves in the corner with. I don’t like it but I can’t change it and I need to see what they have now that offers value or not. I want these devices to do it all. I just know I can’t right now. But if we’re still doing just this stuff in five years, I’m not gonna be very supportive. I will expect more out of them. 😀👍 That is great that you were able to get it on that glitch. I had just missed it. Very cool you have been able to use it for a while. It is surprising how much a 1st gen product like this does. I do think Amazons cloud only approach with these devices is helping them with this. That is funny about drop in. I can understand what you are saying. It is hard not to take advantage of video chatting when you are barely moving. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience. I do appreciate your insights and nice words. Especially since you will challenge me if you disagree or think I am off. That makes the compliment appreciated more and not feel like you are just saying it to be nice. Thank you also for mentioning the vent mount. This was sent to me from a supporter of the channel and I was not aware it did not come with it. I will put a comment at the top that lets people know. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.
Craig, Being a early-adopter of the Amazon Echo system in my home and using many of its iterations or skills ... my Echo Auto suites me fine. I installed mine 3 months ago in my 2016 Lexus ES 350 within 5 minutes and it has always connected without fail. Like Nikki, your review impressed me in its overall fairness. This is the first generation E-Auto and perfection rarely comes immediately. Many of the comments and negative reviews seem to be given by individuals who expect this device to replace their phone or they simply misunderstand what it can do that their phone cannot. Issue: Occasionally it will suggest I use my phone to mute my calls. Ignore her, I will ... that's that. Nearly every command and skill I use at home on any of my 5 Echo speakers, functions well in the car. Using WAZE, Google Maps, etc, with my Samsung S8, the E-Auto has yet to misunderstand my verbal instructions. The multiple microphones pick up my commands in the noisiest conditions. PS: In the box I got a nested, flat, sticky-backed magnet mount for my dash top. The vent mount wasn't available when I got the unit. It now sits just behind the shifter on the center console. The separately purchased, 2 foot, 90 degree micro USB cable makes for a tidier power connection. Bluetooth only. No 3.5 mm AUX connection needed!
Great review....and as a person who has a ALEXA AUTO and more than 7 Echo / Dot devices in the house...I agree 100% with your review of the Alexa Auto....GOOD device...not GREAT....! Nice job of covering some of the features...
Hello Frank, thank you very much. Its good to hear that I wasn't off with my assessment from another Echo user. You have a good size setup going. It is a good device and a much better first attempt than I was expecting. Thank you for the nice comment and watching. Have a great day.
I really like it. I can control the stuff in my house from my car. I dont use any gps capabilities, mainly for music. Rather dissapointed in how it handles playing music. If I stop at the store, or get gas on my way to work I have to ask it to resume each time. Occasionaly i can press the pause/play button on my display on my car (2014 Charger) and it will play.
I have had the Roav Via for awhile now and love it. I does all you talked about. It does not take up and dash real estate since in plugs into power plus and connects to my phone via bluetooth. I have an older car and it still works great
Has had many firmware updates and mine works great. If you need to lengthen the cables like I did, then make sure you do not use cheap cables or you will get feedback.
Craig, when I first saw this new video I thought you were saying that the Echo Auto is now available for general sale. I went straight to Amazon to order mine and discovered that they're still by invitation only. (Strangely enough, the air vent mount IS available.) In frustration I called Amazon support to ask about this. As I told them I applied for an invitation the first day the announcement appeared on their website. I own 12 echo 3rd generation Dots (and one 2nd gen in the laundry room), two Echo Show 5's, and the subwoofer. I've probably given away another 10 or more Dots as gifts. Why, then, can I not get an invitation for Echo Auto? The man I spoke to said that this was controlled by another department which is not available for customer contact, so there was nothing he could do. How long must we wait???
Christian, I got mine rather quickly, so it may be driven by lottery or the car you drive or some other criteria we know nothing of - is how they allow the unit purchase. It also may help that I sell Lexus! Like you I have multiple units in my home and have given away many Dots. As you already know, the "Skills" are many and most work very well with the Echo Auto. Be patient. The second generation will be an improvement, don't you think?
@@richardjoseph4546 Interestingly enough, FOUR days after I made the post above I received my invitation and ordered it. (I wonder if "someone" saw my post?) Anyway, I've been enjoying it for a week or so and have very mixed feelings about it, although in general I'm enjoying it very much. It certainly was very well worth the $25! Yes, I do look forward to the 2nd generation, as well.
Craig, my experience with Alexa is that "she" doesn't have access to enough data/information data bases to be able to answer my typical questions. "Hey Google" seems more mature and will typically answer questions that Alexa can't answer. (I don't work for Google.)
Thank you very much Chris. I appreciate it. That’s cool that you know the area and are from around here. Thank you for the support. I’m glad you enjoyed the video too. What part of the Conejo Valley are you win?
Redundant, redundant...would be good for older cars that don't have these features..between a newer car and mobile phone..u are covered with all these features.
I did not pursue auto echo primarily because of the unsightly cords. I really don't want something like this product as an obvious add-on. I will wait until Alexa gets integrated into the auto. Thanks for the review... it confirms some of my questions I had in mind.
I have the Rova Viva. It plugs into your auxiliary power port and you pair it with Bluetooth. It also has two USB power ports on it. It does what that unit does but without the mounting and wires.
Another great video Craig. I regularly use and echo at home so I naturally got the echo auto for my car. I think it is really good and I am just starting to use all it’s features. Keep the videos coming.
I got mine in July and I don't use it very often. I've got an older car without Bluetooth or aux jack. I have to run the Echo Auto through a Bluetooth/FM transmitter, which does work well but adds steps in setting it up. For short trips or trips with multiple stops where I and my phone are in and out of the car a few times, it's not worth the setup time for me. Really like it on longer trips though. I have an Android phone and find that I don't have to touch the phone once the Echo Auto is set up. Google Maps will open automatically if I request directions, for example. iPhones may be different in that regard. It's also interesting that the Echo Auto is now shipping with the vent mount. It wasn't when I received mine in early July.
I have a Moto G7 phone which has Alexa built in. Basically all the things that the echo auto can do my phone can do as well sometimes even better. Setting up the first time was a pain because I had to disable/reconfigure the alexa app on my phone to run the echo auto so it won't run at the same time. As far as search/map goes I prefer to use google assistant/maps only cuz I feel its much faster and a little more accurate for now. So I gave the echo auto to my nephew and he's having a blast using it. We are regularly using the drop in feature.
I kinda wondered with they way Amazon rolled it out on an invitation only process it would creat some anticipation for the product only to be a let down with a 1st gen device. I wanted one but now that I bounce in and out of three cars, having to constantly hook it up in whatever car I drive would become a pain .
This a great device to me if it plays delivery notifications. I like to know as soon as my packages are delivered, especially if I am awaiting a delivery but do not want to sit at home waiting.
How are the microphones? I have the app on my Android phone set up as my default voice assistant so all I have to do is long press the middle button but I have to mute my stereo for my phone to understand me.
Hello Bill, so far the microphones have been great. I have seen some other videos with people playing the music loudly to test the microphones and it has worked well. Part of the reason I think it is taking so long for it to get out is for Amazon to be able to test blocking out external noise. I haven’t had an issue so far. But I don’t get too crazy with my music. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
the big issue that I have with google is that on my phone, any attempt to use the voice operated stuff other than maps is muted while I am driving, forcing me to look at the phone, which is dangerous and renders the "hands free" features useless. That is why I bought an echo auto. I hope that it is going to work out
Hello Danny, that is a good question. I do not know. I will have to try that when it comes out. I did not see specifics mentioned. Sorry I can’t give you a better answer. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.
I’m disappointed again with Amazon. I bought a tap early on and you can add it to the group or you can’t drop in. I was excited to get the echo car but it won’t open my Schlage sense lock. To use Alexa remotely you have to have the Schlage adapter but to use the adapter you can’t use HomeKit. They need to let you use all services with all devices.
Hello, I wouldn’t be disappointed with Amazon. I would be disappointed with Schlage and their poor implementation. If you need an Schlage adapter to work with Alexa, that is a poor product. Google, Amazon and Apple all have their protocol and requirements to work with them. It’s not much different than other digital devices and services proprietary approaches. Many devices such as smart bulbs, thermostats, locks and others work with all 3 without needing any adapters for one over the other. Schlage is disappointing for their approach. I know this doesn’t change anything for you personally. I think it’s important to point out it’s not amazons limited functionality, it’s Schlage limitations on their device. Maybe others won’t buy Schlage knowing this. Thanks for watching.
This seemed like a good idea at first, but realizing it has to connect through the Alexa app anyway, might as well just open the app and use it that way. Or even just using your default voice assistant or vehicle's built in assistant. Side note, that Mini has stiff suspension. Very bouncy ride!
I need help with my Echo! I have a blue light spinning clockwise! I read the it could have been a drop in call I cancel and said hang up and she says I have no call or drop in. I was fiddling with the Alexa app and apparently screwed things up. I was trying to connect my Spotify to Alexa but that it did not work.
Mine arrives on Saturday, so I will know how well it improves my experience at that time. What I do know is my 2007 vehicle, although a very nice car, cannot bluetooth audio from my phone so I plan to use this to stream quickly and easily by not needing to plug in my iphone to my aux cable. We will see if how well it works, but this use-case will be BIG for me if it works flawlessly (plus, I do like Alexa better than Siri in general, so this is a win as well). Thanks for the early review - appreciate it. DaveR
I started with Amazon but since buying a Google Home Mini I am thinking of moving to Google. It just seems way more intelligent and I get too frustrated trying to get Alexa to understand me whereas Google usually gets it right first time and seems far more intuitive.
Hello Reg, I can understand what you’re saying. Google home mini is great at recognition and information. I think if you’re a Google or android user it is definitely a better choice. I think Amazon’s benefits lie in the fact that it is open to more services outside of Google. Glad to hear the Google can understand you better. Thank you for watching and sharing your experience. Have a great day.
with bluetooth connection, when you play music from usb or cd or car radio fm/am, and call alexa, it turn automatically the source on bluetooth or not? thanks
Just used one Android tablet to connect echo dot 3 $40 Australian, to my Android phone hotspot. (Easy change wifi in Amazon app setting) then bought USB to echo plug on eBay $5. Works great in car, however can't have speaker above volume 8 or it can't hear me say her name.
Thanx Craig. I like your informative videos. I've never tried the drop in. I've had mine since the invite to buy. I have an older car and use mine for phone calls and maps over the audio system installed, but mostly for music on demand. Like someone else said, its hit or miss but that's due to cell signal in real rural areas. One real big draw back is there's no equalizer like the other echo devices and one almost as bad, there's no separate control for the auto voice
After using the echo auto for 6 months, it's got plenty of glitches, lost connection from the app, having to unplug it/plug it back in, sometimes it just freezes up for no reason, it can't process more than navigation and playing music at the same time, stops playing music when your cell connection is weak in certain areas of your geography, it overheats in a hot car and won't work. It's fickle. It does work more than it doesn't work, but geez, they could've done a much better job on this device.
The fact that it uses your phone on a bluetooth connection rather than your phone acting as a hotspot will make a world of difference in connectivity. I attempted to connect a Echo Dot in my car and it frequently dropped the signal.
Hello James, that is a great point. I know for those who have put echoes in their car it does use a lot more data than tapping into your phone as needed over Bluetooth. From what I’ve heard it uses about 20% of the data that an echo would use on a hotspot. Thank you for pointing this out and watch him. Have a great day
Hello, thank you very much. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. It really is only piggybacking onto your device through Bluetooth and is only doing things when you request it. If you were using an echo in your car it would use substantially more data. So in theory it shouldn’t be using any more data than your phone is already using. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
Where does the Echo Auto get its internet connection? From your phone hotspot? From your car hotspot, does it have it's own? My phone does not have a hotspot but it's time to replace it because it's glitchy now and with a busted screen. I also need a new stereo in my pickup truck anyway (only the radio portion is working) my truck does not have a Wi-Fi hotspot (2001 Mazda B 2500.) I really don't like vent mounts.
It would be great if the 3.5mm out was also mini toslink optical out to connect to a DAC/AV reciever, it has blutooth I suppose and for car not really hifi
I now have the Echo Auto. It works pretty good but it has issues hearing me when the ac is on. I've got it attached to the top of the vent. The rubber piece that you can direct your wires thru has come off 3 times. It has adhesive holding it on.
If your A/C vents are blowing over the 8 mics, the "white noise" created muffles your voice and garbles your words. Reposition the device or lower the force of air blowing on or near the mics.
I could send you mine received 2 wouldn't work in my Challenger vents which I was glad cause used flat magnetic piece on top of my dash which is awesome if you got 1 also check it out you might like better also plus I don't need my vents blocked either want all air can get
- good video Craig as always, I received mine several months ago. I think they should keep the price at the $29 level. I find myself using it to listen to my Apple Music, but I think over all for my needs I would prefer Apple Car Play. It does do a nice job, I think I did everything you did in your video. An issue I had on day one with the device is the cable managment rubber cone. The glue that holds it to the base came off due to the heat in the car. I’m rigging it with magnets to stay attached.
I did put in a request for an invite to get this and did get the opportunity to purchase it but decided not to bother. I've have the Roav VIVA which is Alexa enabled. I've had this for some time and it does pretty much everything an Echo does. It's $36 and shaped like the two port plug in the Echo Auto uses so it is more out of site which is fine. The only negative is I have to pause or reduce the volume for what I'm listening to for the VIVA to hear my voice because of where it's plugged in. Taking everything into consideration, I'll stick with the VIVA.
I purchased one and found it slow connecting to my iPhone. Having to have the app running on the iPhone was a pain. I had to keep closing and restarting it to make a connection.
I’ve had an echo dot in my car for a long time, plugged into a “ cigarette lighter” port and aux audio, and using the hotspot on my phone for internet connection. Does the echo auto add anything more?
Hello Janice, from what I understand it uses about 80% less data on the Echo Auto. Since it made to only use the phone data when a request is made. The echo auto also triggers actions on the phone. Such as requesting directions somewhere or making a phone call. But, most of the features would be the same just with less data use. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.
Yes the voice clarity recognition while you have the music on high is incredible Alexa still answers you, their are other devices that connect through Bluetooth on your car that have Alexa as well but if you music to high or theirs people in car talking to loud Alexa won't answer but this device (echo auto) will answer you even with noise and that's a cool feature to have and important one because lowering the volume every time you want to say (Alexa whatever) sucks! Nice job amazon
Can I use this device in my house? I want to buy a echo input but I will like to try the echo auto, if I don't like how it works, can I just place it in my house with a speaker on the jack port?
Having a location routine for opening my garage door and having the ability to read and send text messages (like I had with Cortana in my Windows Phone days) is a really nice capability. The rest is pretty frivolous conveniences that I'll rarely use, although having Alexa switch music stations and such is a nice touch too.
i just got mine. i use alexa at home and siri in the car, and wanted to combine, so far i can’t figure out even how to connect it. keeps saying i internet. internet? wtf?
As I do not have a car.... So I really do not know, but why not just use a echo input? All you would need if the cigarette lighter thing for your car... Right?
Thanks for the review, the first one at a pretty good level. I am still waiting the preorder for many many months. Already order an Echo input + a 3g modem for replacing the echo auto, will see how ill it run in comparison of what you show.
The way I see it, my google assistance does everything this device does & it's already on my phone. The advantage may be the microphones. I'm considering this device for my Uber passengers to request music or whatever else they want
Hello Gary, thank you very much. I am glad you enjoy the videos. I can see what you are saying. I found if I use Siri it doesn’t require touching the phone at all.
I use an aftermarket adapter for my stock radio for aux with a Bluetooth adapter hooked to that. Having some issues I’m sure I’ll figure something out, or just run the Aux that come with the adapter to the echo. Picked it up on prime days for 15 bucks.
When you dropped into your home, and asked about the temperature in a specific room, was there a smart device thermometer or thermostat that Alexa connected with? If not, what was the secret to doing that?
UPDATE - you do need to order the vent mount separately. It does not come with it and needs to be ordered separately.
I just ordered one yesterday and the vent mount came with it for $25 total.
It came with mine.
Thank You for Muting “Alexa” when you are speaking to her !!!!! 🙌🙌🙌
Oh yeah. Now I understand why he did that.
Hello Grey Ghost my apologies for the delay in responding. You are welcome. I appreciate you noticing. Thank you for watching and leaving this comment. Have a great day.
@@CraigsTechTalk funny thing... my device 'wake up word' is 'echo'... lol... echo wasn't censored XD
I tried to ‘like’ this repeatedly.
Why did he mute Alexa when he said it?
Craig, has anyone ever told you that you look like Biff from Back to the Future? ;)
Hello Mobi, That’s funny. Yes I’ve heard that before. Hopefully I’m the nicer version. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
I have had this echo Auto since the initial test offering and I am lukewarm at best about it? It just won't stay connected in between my trips in the car? It really is hit-or-miss if I have two or three stops in that outing! The navigation is glitchy at best! My cell phone can accomplish all of these features without fail!
But it is kinda baller to have it in your car when you pick up your date!😎
I like my Echo Auto, so far. I'm used to using Alexa at home so it is a natural transition to use it in the car.
Hello Matt, glad to hear you’re liking your echo auto so far. I think that is the strength of the echo auto. It is a nice transition from the home to the car. I know the phone will do pretty much everything echo auto will do. But a lot of people don’t use their phone for smart home control in their house. This definitely makes a smart assistant in the car more available tomorrow people. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
@@CraigsTechTalk the funny thing is that whenever I go into the Alexa app it thinks I'm in a car and forces me to say I'm a passenger before it will let me continue... This happens even when I'm not in a car at all lol!!
my car doesn't have Bluetooth so this was a great device for me. I've tried a few of the other Bluetooth connectors and they all had their issues. The fact that i start the car and everything connects and is ready right away. Also, all the other devices I tried lacked in their microphones. Everyone always complained that could not hear me when I talked over the Bluetooth. That no longer is a problem with the echo auto. Anyone who doesn't have Bluetooth already in the car this is the way to go!
I don’t see anyone reviewing this thing mention that it absolutely blows away any other option in its price range for Bluetooth adapters for cars with no Bluetooth, but have an auxiliary port. I recently changed cars to one without Bluetooth and was desperately trying to find the best affordable solution. After trying 3 other units that never worked great (most wouldn’t automatically connect to my phone when I turned the car on) I tried the Echo Auto as a “why not” option. It’s amazing! Using voice to play music and pull up directions is great. It is a high quality Bluetooth adapter, ESPECIALLY for phone calls. Call quality on this thing is better than my last car that had it built in from the factory! I’m guessing the multiple mics help with that. If you have an older car with no Bluetooth check this thing out!
Thank you for sharing this. Using it as a Bluetooth adapter isn’t something I would need or use in my car. But it is great to know that it can provide that value. That is awesome. Thank you for sharing this.
Great video as usual, I've had mine for about 4months now and I really like it. I use it with my deezer music service,disarm my ring alarm when I get home,make phone calls and for news updates.
I got mine on Thursday. After a bit of an issue getting it to pair with my phone and a call to Amazon support we got it running. I am pretty happy with it so far. My car's bluetooth system works mainly just for calls so being able to run the Alexa Auto through the AUX port allows me to use the car speaker system much more to my advantage. I found it stayed connected to a signal pretty well even in weak areas.
Hello John, that’s great you got yours. Glad to hear that you were able to get it working and you are enjoying it. I had not tried the Aux. That is great it is working well. Thanks for sharing and watching. Have a great day.
Glad you got one for a review. I am still waiting.
Great video Craig. I have had the Echo Auto for 2 month . It boots up and is ready to go very quickly ( 5 - 10 seconds ). I use this device to open/close garage door, listen to the radio … I wait for you to share more about the features of this devive. Thanks.
Thanks Craig, can you drop in on another echo auto. That would be great if you are traveling with another vehicle.
I use it to drop in on echos at home but haven't tried it between vehicles but the echo auto doesn't show up on the drop in list from my phone so I would guess not.
I have one for several months and your right , I love the map convenience and not having tight where I'm going and look at my phone. Also I love being able to hear commercial free radio since I don't have a paid service, it's great to be able to do things at the house, and it's great on trips.
Set the A/C from 77 to 76? Whoa! You're going to be freezing now, watch out!
Does Echo Auto automatically connect to Bluetooth when I start my car or do I have to setup every time?
I’ve had mine since the Amazon Glitch! 😉 One other thing I found a great feature for me was creating lists that I can easily add verbal thoughts as they come to me on my commute. Example would be I have an important meeting that day and want to capture some bullets for the conversation. Simple! Alexa, add Project Timeline to my Work List. Definitely handy, and when I reach the parking lot I quickly email the list to myself in the Alexa App.
Besides all the things you mentioned, I’ve also used it to control my garage door opener and make Announcements and play my Amazon Music Playlists, something I couldn’t do completely hands free with Siri.
I look at it as a nice add to my Echo ecosystem. Heck, $25 is one trip through McDonald’s Drive Thru! Lol ... Can’t wait to see your in-depth review.
Take Care and have a great holiday! 😉👍🏻
How does it work to open your garage??
for it's price, Echo Auto is surely great, I ordered it a month or two earlier, therefor I got it for 21$ and it's the greatest delivery from amazon, for me
I have trouble connecting my Echo Auto. Even when I have a connection, it tells me to open my Alexa App, for what reason I don't know. It's annoying yo have to wait until I'm on the road before it tells me I'm connected to the internet. Bummer.
Just found your channel and LOVE it. Great info no sales pich no BS
Hello Dennis, Welcome. I am glad you found the channel. Thank you for the nice words. That is how I would love to be thought of. Thanks for watching and subscribing.
I finally got mine a couple of months ago. It took forever to get the invitation. I really like it ... It works great for playing SiriusXM and other music.
I was given an opportunity to get one of the devices before they released it to the public. We used it all of the automobiles that we own. (I love all things Alexa enabled! I am getting the Versa 2 because it has Alexa on it. So I am a big fan.) The thing is, if you own an automobile that already has a tech package like my 2017 Chevrolet Cruise hooking up your "auto echo" is a complete nightmare. Partly it is because I have Wi-Fi in that vehicle which is separate from using your Alexa Buy Bluetooth. The people on my OnStar helped me problem solve it after an hour and a half. Basically I had to go through Bluetooth and not use my Wi-Fi. I'm not a big fan of hot spots so I found that disappointing. Besides, my tech package with OnStar, the car is aready able to do everything like make calls, give directions, read my text messages out loud, tell you how the weather is what traffic looks like ahead Etc..) However, with our older car a Chevy Traverse 2012 and the audio jack it was very easy to connect even with the available on Star. I found all the features of the echo Auto easy to access and reliable. Lastly, we took a family trip using it in my husband's 2017 150 Ford (that does not have OnStar or any type of service). My husband eventually made me disconnect it because while the setup was quick and easy just like in the Traverse,. the connection would drop inexplicably and so he preferred his Waze app feeling it was more reliable. Also there was a time lag using the auto Echo between what and you request something and when it performs it, which I think you are video also demonstrated perfectly. Surprisingly, unlike all the chevys we own, there was a buzz through his speakers when using the auto echo at a louder volume which disappeared when we turned on his SIRUS radio (to prove it wasn't in the speakers themselves). In conclusion, since I like to listen to Audible, want the ability to drop in to my kitchen echo or turn on my interior lights without pulling my cell out of my purse, I'm going to continue to use it in the Traverse but not in any of the other cars. Hope my experience is helpful to someone, I just wanted to mention those situations as something to think about when contemplating buying one.
I don't really us the Echo Auto to talk to when driving but I do use it for geofencing. When i get home it triggers a routine that announces I'm home and then opens garage. Geofencing didnt work before and know its seamless. In the evenings it shuts lights off and turns lights on when we arrive home. Everything seems be pretty seamless since we got the Echo Auto. Cant wait to get our second one. Just wish they opened it to the public already. Another great video Craig!! Thanks again.
I have been using geofencing with my echo dots for the last 8 months or so to turn on and off lights and open my garage door when I arrive home. You should not need an echo auto to utilize that option at least I didn't.
I signed up for an invitation; I hope that I receive one soon.
@@timdatoolman7865 unfortunately before without the echo auto it I didnt work as well. Not sure if the Echo Auto forces the app to stay open helps it work better. Before the geofence would only work if I had the Alexa app open.
@@21stCPH I heard they were going to come out for Christmas
@@DamionOrona I'm glad the geofencing is working well for you now using Echo Auto, I have not decided if it's going to be worth it to me to get one yet or not but I could definitely see how someone could find EA useful. Have a great rest of the weekend.
It does everything I want it to do and it was super easy to set up. I can set the thermostat at home before I get there, play music, radio stations, turn lights on and off. All hands free.
I was a little disappointed in this device.
My husband sometimes forget to take his phone. And for those times when I am out and my family can not contact me through my phone. It is good to know that they can always do a “drop-in” through the echo dot that is in our cars. This is something the echo auto can not do.
No matter where you are outside of your home you can always drop-in on a “echo dot” that’s in your vehicle from any Alexa device in your home. Other than that my phone can do everything else that this little device can. Why waste the money?
I got one for my Tesla for the sole purpose of operating my garage door via the Nexx Garage controller. Most of the things you discussed my Tesla does and more by voice command.
Great rundown, Craig. We put in two invite requests on the first day almost a year ago and so far have only received one invite (finally) a few months ago. A couple of thoughts after playing with it for a bit. First, that vent mount is an add on accessory you have to pay extra for, but there is a very nice sticky mount that sticks well with a non destructive goo to the top of your dashboard. Look in your box, I almost missed it when unpacking the Auto. It has the same magnetic square on top that the Auto clicks into once the mount is stuck on your dash. I wish they sold those sticky mounts separately, it would make swapping out the Auto from one vehicle to another much easier. Another observation, the Auto does a heck of a lot but not everything an In-home Dot or regular Echo can do. I could play Jeopardy but when it offered to tell me more about paying for an update (or paying for anything actually) it said I had to do that on a regular Dot or Echo, the Auto did not have that ability. Getting directions hands free using Waze or Google Maps is very nice and so is asking for music and having it play without the need to look at my phone is awesome. The only real downsides I’ve encountered had to do with poor network connectivity on my phone or not having the Alexa app open in the background. But once the cell signal improved, the Auto started working and not saying “I don’t understand.”
Is it worth getting once someone gets their invite? For $24.95 it’s a no brainer Yes. Once they hit regular price at $50 it may be a harder sell. I’ve heard people have gotten the 2nd gen Dots and installed them in their cars or bought the Echo Input and done it for cheaper too. All I can say is this slow rollout was done very poorly. Some people who have been waiting almost a year for an invite have given up by now. And in our case, two invites for the same household on the same first day and only one gotten so far, months ago. Very frustrating.
Wanted to mention that the Echo Auto is no longer shipping with that free mount pad in the box and is instead now shipping with the car mount at no added cost. Not sure why that's the case, but it has been since about the 1st of September.
Erinescence - I saw that. My sister finally got her invite a couple of weeks back and I thought I was going nuts trying to find the sticky dash mount in the box and not finding it. Then I looked at her invoice and saw the Auto was $15.62 and the vent mount they added was $9.37 to get the $24.99 total price. Now she’s got this monstrosity clipped to her air vent blocking half the cold air flow coming out. Shame, she has a nice flat dash and that dash mount would have looked much nicer. I hope they either bring it back at launch or at least sell it separately. The vent mount is hideous looking.
Having Echo devices all over my house, and using them all the time throughout the day, I have often asked Alexa to do something or other while in the car, forgetting that I do not have an Echo device in my car. The Echo Auto is still not available in the UK, so I obviously cannot get Echo in my car yet, but I would love to have it when it becomes available. What I don't like about it is all the cables required - power and audio - and would much prefer a truly wireless and battery powered device as I am a little OCD in that department and hate cables running across the dashboard and in front of the controls for the car.
HaHa! I thought it was just me.
Totally agree. This feels like version 1. Good is it's tiny. Bad is it needs blue tooth speakers. Mine didn't include an air mount. It had a dashboard sticky mount.
Seems as though they've only been shipping with the car mount included for a few weeks.
@@erinescence2095 Thanks for the heads up on that part. I wish they'd give those who paid for the item early the addition for free. :(
Just got my invitation today and ordered it. Looking forward to seeing if I’m in my car enough to make it useful. I have several dots and smart home tools so this will be a welcome and familiar addition. Thanks for the v!
Hello Paul, that’s great you got your invitation. I hope it works out well for you and your smart home. At least the way it’s priced right now it’s not too bad to give it a shot. I’d be more hesitant at the $50 range. Thanks for checking out the video. Have a great day.
I really like my echo auto. Having Alexa in my car is convenient and it helps to encourages me to be hands free. My car did not come with built in Bluetooth and the echo auto has been a really easy, cheap way to integrate Bluetooth into my car for music and phone calls. This is definitely my most used Alexa device
Recommendation: If you get the invite, buy it. I live in Las Vegas and it works perfectly. It comes with the air vent stand and all the necessary cables. One caveat, make sure you have a good data plan.
Craig, do you know if the Echo Auto will work at the same time you are using Apple CarPlay?
It's great if you use an aux cord with your phone regularly. Like if your car doesn't have bluetooth. Connects automatically on power up. Along with a wireless charger setup there is 100% never a need to mess with wires. A bluetooth adapter on its own is 10 bucks. To me it's definitely worth the 25$ sale price.
Still waiting for it to come to Canada. My car doesn't have bluetooth so Echo Auto would both give me voice command control as well as let me stream Spotify easier than I do now (using aux in with a phone).
I had mines for about a month tbh I dont even use so it basically relies on your phone because you need your phone to use it use it and it uses your phone features so it's a waste of money I just use my phone and forget that i even have it at times 🤷♂️ and half the time it kept disconnecting the sound
I like the way you review things. You are not judgmental like Paul Hibbert sometimes is. You aren't biased either. In fact your expectations were lower and more realistic than other reviewers I have seen. I am not just talking about this product. I mean in general. Other reviewers of Amazon Echo products have such high unrealistic expectations that no one can meet. But as for the Echo Auto device itself. I have had mine since June. I got mine due to the Glitch on Amazon's website discovered by a Reddit user. I was able to purchase it despite not having received my invitation. The Glitch has been fixed by Amazon. So I am still waiting on my official invitation so I can buy one for my Mom. Not sure if I will get it since I already bought one. They may or may not prevent me from getting a second since they know I already have one. I hope not though. I like the Echo Auto. I don't love it, but then again. I didn't love my Roav Viva either. Just like with my Roav Viva. I like the fact that I can make phone calls better than the Bluetooth calling I have built into my car. My car's system is always misunderstanding me where as my Echo Auto understands me. I like that I can play games like Jeopardy, Song Quiz, or Price it Right while I am on a long drive. I don't like the Drop In feature because I was able to see my parents when I Dropped In on them with the Roav Viva but with the Echo Auto it is audio only. I know I know that is not safe, but if you are sitting in bumper to bumper traffic seeing and chatting with people made the sitting in traffic less annoying. I know it is for my safety and I get it. Doesn't mean I have to like it. Overall when Amazon decides to improve what functionality Alexa will have the Echo Auto will benefit. So I am not worried. It will get better.
BY THE WAY: Craig you should mention that the vent mount does not come included and is a separate optional purchase. I didn't buy the vent mount. Where I have mine is fine and it hears me well.
Hello Nikki, thank you very much. I appreciate the nice words. I really try to be as unbiased as possible and show the good and bad of these devices. I want to be open. I think one of the things I’ve excepted is that we are in the infancy of these devices. I also see the limitations that I think Amazon and Google have painted themselves in the corner with. I don’t like it but I can’t change it and I need to see what they have now that offers value or not. I want these devices to do it all. I just know I can’t right now. But if we’re still doing just this stuff in five years, I’m not gonna be very supportive. I will expect more out of them. 😀👍
That is great that you were able to get it on that glitch. I had just missed it. Very cool you have been able to use it for a while. It is surprising how much a 1st gen product like this does. I do think Amazons cloud only approach with these devices is helping them with this. That is funny about drop in. I can understand what you are saying. It is hard not to take advantage of video chatting when you are barely moving.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience. I do appreciate your insights and nice words. Especially since you will challenge me if you disagree or think I am off. That makes the compliment appreciated more and not feel like you are just saying it to be nice. Thank you also for mentioning the vent mount. This was sent to me from a supporter of the channel and I was not aware it did not come with it. I will put a comment at the top that lets people know. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.
Craig, Being a early-adopter of the Amazon Echo system in my home and using many of its iterations or skills ... my Echo Auto suites me fine. I installed mine 3 months ago in my 2016 Lexus ES 350 within 5 minutes and it has always connected without fail. Like Nikki, your review impressed me in its overall fairness. This is the first generation E-Auto and perfection rarely comes immediately. Many of the comments and negative reviews seem to be given by individuals who expect this device to replace their phone or they simply misunderstand what it can do that their phone cannot. Issue: Occasionally it will suggest I use my phone to mute my calls. Ignore her, I will ... that's that. Nearly every command and skill I use at home on any of my 5 Echo speakers, functions well in the car. Using WAZE, Google Maps, etc, with my Samsung S8, the E-Auto has yet to misunderstand my verbal instructions. The multiple microphones pick up my commands in the noisiest conditions. PS: In the box I got a nested, flat, sticky-backed magnet mount for my dash top. The vent mount wasn't available when I got the unit. It now sits just behind the shifter on the center console. The separately purchased, 2 foot, 90 degree micro USB cable makes for a tidier power connection. Bluetooth only. No 3.5 mm AUX connection needed!
Great review....and as a person who has a ALEXA AUTO and more than 7 Echo / Dot devices in the house...I agree 100% with your review of the Alexa Auto....GOOD device...not GREAT....! Nice job of covering some of the features...
Hello Frank, thank you very much. Its good to hear that I wasn't off with my assessment from another Echo user. You have a good size setup going. It is a good device and a much better first attempt than I was expecting. Thank you for the nice comment and watching. Have a great day.
I really like it. I can control the stuff in my house from my car. I dont use any gps capabilities, mainly for music. Rather dissapointed in how it handles playing music. If I stop at the store, or get gas on my way to work I have to ask it to resume each time. Occasionaly i can press the pause/play button on my display on my car (2014 Charger) and it will play.
@@lollymanna it doesnt work on the car display, just by voice. The car display just shows my phone as the bluetooth input.
Love the figurines in the back ground
I have had the Roav Via for awhile now and love it. I does all you talked about. It does not take up and dash real estate since in plugs into power plus and connects to my phone via bluetooth. I have an older car and it still works great
Has had many firmware updates and mine works great. If you need to lengthen the cables like I did, then make sure you do not use cheap cables or you will get feedback.
Craig, when I first saw this new video I thought you were saying that the Echo Auto is now available for general sale. I went straight to Amazon to order mine and discovered that they're still by invitation only. (Strangely enough, the air vent mount IS available.) In frustration I called Amazon support to ask about this. As I told them I applied for an invitation the first day the announcement appeared on their website. I own 12 echo 3rd generation Dots (and one 2nd gen in the laundry room), two Echo Show 5's, and the subwoofer. I've probably given away another 10 or more Dots as gifts. Why, then, can I not get an invitation for Echo Auto? The man I spoke to said that this was controlled by another department which is not available for customer contact, so there was nothing he could do. How long must we wait???
Christian, I got mine rather quickly, so it may be driven by lottery or the car you drive or some other criteria we know nothing of - is how they allow the unit purchase. It also may help that I sell Lexus! Like you I have multiple units in my home and have given away many Dots. As you already know, the "Skills" are many and most work very well with the Echo Auto. Be patient. The second generation will be an improvement, don't you think?
@@richardjoseph4546 Interestingly enough, FOUR days after I made the post above I received my invitation and ordered it. (I wonder if "someone" saw my post?) Anyway, I've been enjoying it for a week or so and have very mixed feelings about it, although in general I'm enjoying it very much. It certainly was very well worth the $25! Yes, I do look forward to the 2nd generation, as well.
Craig, my experience with Alexa is that "she" doesn't have access to enough data/information data bases to be able to answer my typical questions. "Hey Google" seems more mature and will typically answer questions that Alexa can't answer. (I don't work for Google.)
Got one 4 months ago after 1ste week had connection issues after a update its all fixed en work great.
Hey Craig ... how do I make the echo auto go directly to google maps not apple maps when I ask for directions? Great channel btw !! Thanks sir
Subscribed because you were at the Oaks Mall. Gotta support a fellow Conejo Vallian. Plus it was a really good video.
Thank you very much Chris. I appreciate it. That’s cool that you know the area and are from around here. Thank you for the support. I’m glad you enjoyed the video too. What part of the Conejo Valley are you win?
Just got one of these for free through my insurance company. Go nationwide, yeah buddy. Saved 50 bucks.
I received that offer, too. Makes you wonder what else the thing does that auto insurance companies are giving the thing away for....
@@MM-gw4zg they are listening to me sing fancy dont let me down.
Redundant, redundant...would be good for older cars that don't have these features..between a newer car and mobile phone..u are covered with all these features.
I did not pursue auto echo primarily because of the unsightly cords. I really don't want something like this product as an obvious add-on. I will wait until Alexa gets integrated into the auto.
Thanks for the review... it confirms some of my questions I had in mind.
I have the Rova Viva. It plugs into your auxiliary power port and you pair it with Bluetooth. It also has two USB power ports on it. It does what that unit does but without the mounting and wires.
Another great video Craig. I regularly use and echo at home so I naturally got the echo auto for my car. I think it is really good and I am just starting to use all it’s features. Keep the videos coming.
I got mine in July and I don't use it very often. I've got an older car without Bluetooth or aux jack. I have to run the Echo Auto through a Bluetooth/FM transmitter, which does work well but adds steps in setting it up. For short trips or trips with multiple stops where I and my phone are in and out of the car a few times, it's not worth the setup time for me. Really like it on longer trips though. I have an Android phone and find that I don't have to touch the phone once the Echo Auto is set up. Google Maps will open automatically if I request directions, for example. iPhones may be different in that regard.
It's also interesting that the Echo Auto is now shipping with the vent mount. It wasn't when I received mine in early July.
I have a Moto G7 phone which has Alexa built in. Basically all the things that the echo auto can do my phone can do as well sometimes even better. Setting up the first time was a pain because I had to disable/reconfigure the alexa app on my phone to run the echo auto so it won't run at the same time.
As far as search/map goes I prefer to use google assistant/maps only cuz I feel its much faster and a little more accurate for now.
So I gave the echo auto to my nephew and he's having a blast using it. We are regularly using the drop in feature.
I kinda wondered with they way Amazon rolled it out on an invitation only process it would creat some anticipation for the product only to be a let down with a 1st gen device. I wanted one but now that I bounce in and out of three cars, having to constantly hook it up in whatever car I drive would become a pain .
I guess that I'm pretty rich. I'd just buy 2 more devices.
@@billabney243 I'm just cheap lol
Unfortunately not for everyone. I am one of the very few that cannot use the Alexa air vent mount in my vehicle due to the shape of the Air vent.
I don't use the air vent. It works fine as long as you can direct your speech toward it.
This a great device to me if it plays delivery notifications. I like to know as soon as my packages are delivered, especially if I am awaiting a delivery but do not want to sit at home waiting.
How are the microphones? I have the app on my Android phone set up as my default voice assistant so all I have to do is long press the middle button but I have to mute my stereo for my phone to understand me.
Hello Bill, so far the microphones have been great. I have seen some other videos with people playing the music loudly to test the microphones and it has worked well. Part of the reason I think it is taking so long for it to get out is for Amazon to be able to test blocking out external noise. I haven’t had an issue so far. But I don’t get too crazy with my music. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
Got mine a week ago. Like it but loses connections too often when your out of the metropolitan area.
Michael Mathes It’s connection is to your phone. So, it’s dependent on your cell coverage.
the big issue that I have with google is that on my phone, any attempt to use the voice operated stuff other than maps is muted while I am driving, forcing me to look at the phone, which is dangerous and renders the "hands free" features useless. That is why I bought an echo auto. I hope that it is going to work out
I just got the invite, will be delivered Saturday.
Do you know if the echo cube 1st gen and a pair of echo studio speakers can be used as TV home theater sys
Hello Danny, that is a good question. I do not know. I will have to try that when it comes out. I did not see specifics mentioned. Sorry I can’t give you a better answer. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.
Alexa is taking over the world !! Mine is coming out tonight.
ModernDayTech Hmm ... They should send one in to space! Alexa, what’s the weather on the moon?!! Lol
I’m disappointed again with Amazon. I bought a tap early on and you can add it to the group or you can’t drop in. I was excited to get the echo car but it won’t open my Schlage sense lock. To use Alexa remotely you have to have the Schlage adapter but to use the adapter you can’t use HomeKit. They need to let you use all services with all devices.
Hello, I wouldn’t be disappointed with Amazon. I would be disappointed with Schlage and their poor implementation. If you need an Schlage adapter to work with Alexa, that is a poor product. Google, Amazon and Apple all have their protocol and requirements to work with them. It’s not much different than other digital devices and services proprietary approaches. Many devices such as smart bulbs, thermostats, locks and others work with all 3 without needing any adapters for one over the other. Schlage is disappointing for their approach. I know this doesn’t change anything for you personally. I think it’s important to point out it’s not amazons limited functionality, it’s Schlage limitations on their device. Maybe others won’t buy Schlage knowing this. Thanks for watching.
This seemed like a good idea at first, but realizing it has to connect through the Alexa app anyway, might as well just open the app and use it that way. Or even just using your default voice assistant or vehicle's built in assistant.
Side note, that Mini has stiff suspension. Very bouncy ride!
I need help with my Echo! I have a blue light spinning clockwise! I read the it could have been a drop in call I cancel and said hang up and she says I have no call or drop in. I was fiddling with the Alexa app and apparently screwed things up. I was trying to connect my Spotify to Alexa but that it did not work.
Mine arrives on Saturday, so I will know how well it improves my experience at that time. What I do know is my 2007 vehicle, although a very nice car, cannot bluetooth audio from my phone so I plan to use this to stream quickly and easily by not needing to plug in my iphone to my aux cable. We will see if how well it works, but this use-case will be BIG for me if it works flawlessly (plus, I do like Alexa better than Siri in general, so this is a win as well). Thanks for the early review - appreciate it. DaveR
Thanks for the review.. and impressed to see you're driving a Mini😀
I started with Amazon but since buying a Google Home Mini I am thinking of moving to Google. It just seems way more intelligent and I get too frustrated trying to get Alexa to understand me whereas Google usually gets it right first time and seems far more intuitive.
Hello Reg, I can understand what you’re saying. Google home mini is great at recognition and information. I think if you’re a Google or android user it is definitely a better choice. I think Amazon’s benefits lie in the fact that it is open to more services outside of Google. Glad to hear the Google can understand you better. Thank you for watching and sharing your experience. Have a great day.
with bluetooth connection, when you play music from usb or cd or car radio fm/am, and call alexa, it turn automatically the source on bluetooth or not? thanks
Just used one Android tablet to connect echo dot 3 $40 Australian, to my Android phone hotspot. (Easy change wifi in Amazon app setting) then bought USB to echo plug on eBay $5. Works great in car, however can't have speaker above volume 8 or it can't hear me say her name.
Thanx Craig. I like your informative videos. I've never tried the drop in. I've had mine since the invite to buy. I have an older car and use mine for phone calls and maps over the audio system installed, but mostly for music on demand. Like someone else said, its hit or miss but that's due to cell signal in real rural areas. One real big draw back is there's no equalizer like the other echo devices and one almost as bad, there's no separate control for the auto voice
After using the echo auto for 6 months, it's got plenty of glitches, lost connection from the app, having to unplug it/plug it back in, sometimes it just freezes up for no reason, it can't process more than navigation and playing music at the same time, stops playing music when your cell connection is weak in certain areas of your geography, it overheats in a hot car and won't work. It's fickle. It does work more than it doesn't work, but geez, they could've done a much better job on this device.
The fact that it uses your phone on a bluetooth connection rather than your phone acting as a hotspot will make a world of difference in connectivity. I attempted to connect a Echo Dot in my car and it frequently dropped the signal.
Hello James, that is a great point. I know for those who have put echoes in their car it does use a lot more data than tapping into your phone as needed over Bluetooth. From what I’ve heard it uses about 20% of the data that an echo would use on a hotspot. Thank you for pointing this out and watch him. Have a great day
How much data will this device use? I have a 2gig plan but only use my vehicle 1-2 times per week for 2-3 hours. Great video!!!
Hello, thank you very much. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. It really is only piggybacking onto your device through Bluetooth and is only doing things when you request it. If you were using an echo in your car it would use substantially more data. So in theory it shouldn’t be using any more data than your phone is already using. Thank you for watching. Have a great day.
Where does the Echo Auto get its internet connection? From your phone hotspot? From your car hotspot, does it have it's own?
My phone does not have a hotspot but it's time to replace it because it's glitchy now and with a busted screen. I also need a new stereo in my pickup truck anyway (only the radio portion is working) my truck does not have a Wi-Fi hotspot (2001 Mazda B 2500.)
I really don't like vent mounts.
Thanks! Just got mine yesterday and am hoping to try it out today.
You have the Best Car!! A Mini Cooper! Congrats...
I have one too hehe
It would be great if the 3.5mm out was also mini toslink optical out to connect to a DAC/AV reciever, it has blutooth I suppose and for car not really hifi
I now have the Echo Auto. It works pretty good but it has issues hearing me when the ac is on.
I've got it attached to the top of the vent. The rubber piece that you can direct your wires thru has come off 3 times. It has adhesive holding it on.
If your A/C vents are blowing over the 8 mics, the "white noise" created muffles your voice and garbles your words. Reposition the device or lower the force of air blowing on or near the mics.
Hello, sorry to hear it hasn’t been great for you. That’s a bummer it has fallen off and not heard you well. Thanks for sharing.
I could send you mine received 2 wouldn't work in my Challenger vents which I was glad cause used flat magnetic piece on top of my dash which is awesome if you got 1 also check it out you might like better also plus I don't need my vents blocked either want all air can get
- good video Craig as always, I received mine several months ago. I think they should keep the price at the $29 level. I find myself using it to listen to my Apple Music, but I think over all for my needs I would prefer Apple Car Play. It does do a nice job, I think I did everything you did in your video. An issue I had on day one with the device is the cable managment rubber cone. The glue that holds it to the base came off due to the heat in the car. I’m rigging it with magnets to stay attached.
Does it have guard? and does it work only when the car is on?
It will not guard your car. If you say, Alexa im leaving it will start guard at home or where ever you have an echo setup except your car.
I did put in a request for an invite to get this and did get the opportunity to purchase it but decided not to bother. I've have the Roav VIVA which is Alexa enabled. I've had this for some time and it does pretty much everything an Echo does. It's $36 and shaped like the two port plug in the Echo Auto uses so it is more out of site which is fine. The only negative is I have to pause or reduce the volume for what I'm listening to for the VIVA to hear my voice because of where it's plugged in. Taking everything into consideration, I'll stick with the VIVA.
I really thought I would be able to connect to my phone more. read my texts, answer my phone, just do a lot more.
never even heard of this, I still want a full google auto radio for my car, but this isn't bad at all
I purchased one and found it slow connecting to my iPhone. Having to have the app running on the iPhone was a pain. I had to keep closing and restarting it to make a connection.
I’ve had an echo dot in my car for a long time, plugged into a “ cigarette lighter” port and aux audio, and using the hotspot on my phone for internet connection.
Does the echo auto add anything more?
You can ditch the hotspot. The echo auto connects to your phone + the Alexa app. It uses your phone's data.
Hello Janice, from what I understand it uses about 80% less data on the Echo Auto. Since it made to only use the phone data when a request is made. The echo auto also triggers actions on the phone. Such as requesting directions somewhere or making a phone call. But, most of the features would be the same just with less data use. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.
Yes the voice clarity recognition while you have the music on high is incredible Alexa still answers you, their are other devices that connect through Bluetooth on your car that have Alexa as well but if you music to high or theirs people in car talking to loud Alexa won't answer but this device (echo auto) will answer you even with noise and that's a cool feature to have and important one because lowering the volume every time you want to say (Alexa whatever) sucks!
Nice job amazon
Can I use this device in my house? I want to buy a echo input but I will like to try the echo auto, if I don't like how it works, can I just place it in my house with a speaker on the jack port?
Having a location routine for opening my garage door and having the ability to read and send text messages (like I had with Cortana in my Windows Phone days) is a really nice capability. The rest is pretty frivolous conveniences that I'll rarely use, although having Alexa switch music stations and such is a nice touch too.
i just got mine. i use alexa at home and siri in the car, and wanted to combine, so far i can’t figure out even how to connect it. keeps saying i internet. internet? wtf?
Great review, I can’t see any value in the device. It easier to say “hey Siri” or “hey google” and talk directly to my phone. Thanks for sharing.
I received mine about three weeks ago. It does not work in my car (2008 Malibu); however, it works in my husband's (2012 Lincoln). I am not happy.
I use it almost ever do to listen to Audio books. That is the main thing I use it for. But I love it.
As I do not have a car.... So I really do not know, but why not just use a echo input? All you would need if the cigarette lighter thing for your car... Right?
For Audible books, does it stream it, or do you have to download them to your phone?
It will stream them, just like an Echo would.
Thanks for the review, the first one at a pretty good level.
I am still waiting the preorder for many many months. Already order an Echo input + a 3g modem for replacing the echo auto, will see how ill it run in comparison of what you show.
The way I see it, my google assistance does everything this device does & it's already on my phone. The advantage may be the microphones. I'm considering this device for my Uber passengers to request music or whatever else they want
For calls and announcement does it need cable or work with Bluetooth
Thank you for the awesome videos! Thought this product was a little slow and distracting for the driver.
Hello Gary, thank you very much. I am glad you enjoy the videos. I can see what you are saying. I found if I use Siri it doesn’t require touching the phone at all.
I use an aftermarket adapter for my stock radio for aux with a Bluetooth adapter hooked to that. Having some issues I’m sure I’ll figure something out, or just run the Aux that come with the adapter to the echo. Picked it up on prime days for 15 bucks.
When you dropped into your home, and asked about the temperature in a specific room, was there a smart device thermometer or thermostat that Alexa connected with? If not, what was the secret to doing that?
My issue... Having a dash cam and Echo Auto. Both need the plug. Sorry, dash cam wins.