Amazon.com has upped the ante in its smart home push with the launch of two new devices called the Amazon Tap and Echo Dot.

What you should know about these devices is that both are powered by Alexa Voice Service, Amazon’s Siri-like voice assistant, just like the original Amazon Echo, but they are way cheaper.

Amazon Tap

The Amazon Tap looks similar to the Amazon Echo but is significantly smaller, lighter, and portable — a single charge can last up to nine hours.

Unlike the Echo, to wake it up you need to tap the microphone button in the front before you can give it voice commands to ask for music, weather report, traffic, order pizza or an Uber. The reason for adding the tap feature is to conserve battery when it is not being used so it doesn’t have to be on standby mode, always waiting for commands. Because it is powered by Alexa, the more you used the device, the better it gets. You can even use it to control your smart home such as opening or closing your connected garage door.

The top of the device hosts the controls for playback and volume, and the light indicators are visible from both the top and front of the device. At the back, you’ll see the power button, a 3.5 mm jack, the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi button, and the micro USB port. It also comes with a Charging Cradle that makes it easy to still listen to music while charging. It features dual stereo speakers with Dolby processing for crisper sound plus it also a 360° omni-directional audio so you can hear anything coming from the device clearly.

To set it up, just turn it on, connect it to the Internet using the Alexa App on mobile or web browser, and start asking away. You can use it to stream music directly over Wi-Fi from Prime Music, Spotify, Pandora TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and other music streaming services, or use Bluetooth to connect it to another device to play music even from iTunes.

Another cool thing added to Amazon Tap is that Alexa actually informs you when the juice is running low by saying

“Just so you know, the battery is currently low.”

The Amazon Tap will be released on March 31, 2016 but you can now pre-order it for $129.99. Amazon is also offering an Amazon Tap Sling that comes in various colors to make the device easier to carry with you when you’re on the go.

Echo Dot

If you have an existing Fire TV or Bluetooth speaker, then the Echo Dot is what you need to bring Alexa into your home. It connects to speakers over Bluetooth or via the included audio cable, and uses Alexa to play music from Prime Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn, as well as provide users information on the latest news and traffic report, set alarms, control smart home devices, and more with just your voice.

On its own, it serves as a smart alarm clock or a voice-controlled computer anywhere in the house thanks to its built-in speaker. Its far-field voice recognition allows it to hear you from across the room even when there’s music playing.

Echo Dot can control smart home devices such as lights, switches, thermostats, and more with compatible connected devices from WeMo, Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings, ecobee, as well as compatible speakers from Jawbone, Bose, UE, and more.

Though it is small, it is not portable as it needs to be plugged into a power source, but it can be easily moved from one spot to another inside your house. The device looks like a hockey puck. It’s literally the top part of the Amazon Echo, complete with the volume ring, light ring, action button, microphone off button, 7-microphone array, micro USB port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Just like the Amazon Echo and the Amazon Tap, because it is powered by Alexa, the more you use it, the better it gets in responding to your commands. You can use to add items on your Google Calendar, search Yelp, movie showtimes, read audiobooks out loud, and more.

The Echo Dot will first be available to Amazon Prime subscribers with an Amazon Echo and Fire TV as you can only order the device via Alexa. The Echo Dot is priced at $89.99.

The launch of the two new devices is quite timely. The Amazon Echo was recently named as the top choice of consumers who want to automate their homes. The new devices make the power of the Amazon Echo available to more people because of their affordable price tags, cater to people on the go.

Having an Amazon Echo and an Echo Dot may cause both device to respond at the same time, if you do not wish for that to happen, you can assign different ‘wake words’ for each device such as Alexa, Amazon, or Echo. Now, you just have to remember which wake word is assigned to which device.

Photo by Tim Sheerman-Chase