Online retailer Amazon has announced that the Echo devices will be available in Australia starting next month, together with its Music Unlimited service. The Amazon Echo smart speaker boasts features like second-generation far-field voice recognition and omnidirectional sound. In order to cancel out extraneous noises, the Amazon Echo takes advantage of the beamforming technology, which merges the audio signals gathered from the speaker's seven microphones. The Amazon Echo is also equipped with a dedicated tweeter and a 2.5-inch down-facing woofer. The smaller Echo Dot smart speaker is also coming to Australia. This product supports many features found in the Amazon Echo, though the Echo Dot is considerably smaller than its counterparts and hence doesn't offer the same level of audio quality. The Echo Plus will also be available in Australia, together with its built-in smart home hub, allowing users to control smart appliances and other IoT devices inside their home. The retailer stated that the Amazon Echo will come with a price tag of $149 AUD, the Echo Dot will be priced at $79 AUD, and the Echo Plus will cost $229 AUD. However, for a limited time, Amazon will be offering reduced introductory prices for its three smart speakers, with the Echo priced at $119 AUD, the Echo Dot at $49 AUD, and the Echo Plus costing $199 AUD.

All three Echo smart speakers are powered by Alexa, the personal assistant developed by Amazon. The retailer claims that there will be more than 10,000 Alexa skills available in Australia, and this number already includes a number of skills developed by local Australian businesses. In addition, Australians have the choice to get their news updates from local media organizations like SBS News, Ten News, and Sky News Australia. Moreover, Australians can also instruct Alexa to control their smart appliances, answer questions, and obtain the latest weather forecast.

Amazon Music Unlimited is also coming to Australia and New Zealand, the tech firm announced. Amazon Music Unlimited currently has a catalog of more than 45 million songs, and its cheapest subscription plan is priced at $4.99 AUD a month. However, the retailer is offering a 90-day free trial of Amazon Music Unlimited for people who will purchase Echo devices. According to the tech giant, the Echo gadgets will start shipping in early February and will be offered by JB Hi-Fi, Myer, Officeworks, and Telstra.