If you've been on the fence about getting an Amazon Echo, today's your lucky day. Amazon isslashing $40 off the voice-controlled tube, bringing the device down to $140 from its regular price of $180.The limited time discount is in celebration of the Echo's second birthday. The smart home controller/speaker launched in late 2014 to Amazon Prime members through an invite-to-buy system.
Since its launch, the Echo has gone on to become a hit for Amazon and consumers. Users, including yours truly, have praised the Echo for its easy-to-use Alexa voice commands and growing support for devices and services.
The Echo landed on Oprah Winfrey's famous "Favorite Things" list in 2015, and is gaining mainstream acceptance as evidenced in its cameo in season two of Mr. Robot.
Amazon's limited-time price cut also couldn't have come at a better time. With the launch of the cheaper $130 Google Home on Nov. 10, Amazon is providing a good incentive to not buy Google's connected speaker.
As I said in my review, both the Amazon Echo and Google Home are nearly neck and neck. There are still some things each device does that the other doesn't but that gap will likely shrink once developers get access to support Google Home.The Echo still has the upper hand when it comes to third-party support and you can even buy into the Echo ecosystem with the even cheaper $50 Echo Dot (which come in a six-pack).Amazon didn't say how long the discount will last, so if you're looking to build a smart home and don't trust an always-listening Google device you'd better act fast.