Amazon today announced plans to bring its Echo speaker to the U.K. and Germany later this month. It will be the first time an Amazon speaker with Alexa integration has launched outside of the U.S., and it will arrive in plenty of time for Christmas.
Echo first made its debut in the U.S. in November 2014, and it was greeted by rave reviews from the tech press. Users have been impressed with Alexa’s capabilities, which have only gotten greater as Amazon has rolled out improvements and new features.
At an event in the U.K. this morning, the retail giant confirmed Echo is coming to the U.K. and Germany this fall. The device will also be available in a new white color option, which will also go on sale in the U.S. later.
Amazon has also confirmed it is making Alexa’s skill set available to developers in the U.K. and around the world. This will enable them to develop new skills for the digital assistant that will expand its capabilities even further.
Amazon is also teaming up with the likes of Uber, Spotify, Sky Sports, and more to allow users of those services to take control of them via Alexa. Sky will broadcast breaking news snippets through Echo, while users will be able to order food through Just Eat.
It’s not yet clear how much Amazon will charge for Echo in Europe, but we should know more when preorders go live later today. Echo is scheduled to make its debut in the U.K. on September 28.
