Amazon has introduced the first portable, Echo-branded smart speaker in India. Called the Echo Input Portable Smart Speaker Edition, it functions largely like any other Echo device with the exception of a built-in 4,800mAh battery. That means it doesn’t constantly need to be plugged into a power source and can last for up to 10 hours before you have to top it up again.
“Portability has been one of the most requested features in India. You want to be able to carry Alexa with you from room to room within your homes. So we have designed something just for you,” said Amazon’s vice president of Alexa Devices, Miriam Daniel.
The Amazon Echo Input Portable Smart Speaker Edition, for now, will be a limited-edition variant and exclusively available in India. It’s priced at 5,999 rupee (about $84), 1,500 rupee (about $21) more than the third-gen Echo Dot and will begin shipping on December 18. Early customers, however, can buy it at an introductory price of 4,999 rupee ($70). Amazon said it will eventually make its way to other countries including the United States but didn’t specify a timeline.
The new speaker takes most of its design cues from the company’s existing models and looks like a mashup of the Echo Input and Echo Dot. It has a standard set of physical buttons to adjust the volume levels, mute the microphones, and turn it off.
You’ll also find a handful of LEDs that light up when you tap the power key to indicate the current battery level. Due to the added battery, it is beefier and weighs 200g more than the latest Echo Dot. You can talk to Amazon’s virtual assistant, Alexa, and control your smart home appliances as long as the speaker is connected to the internet. It charges over a Micro USB port and carries the same array of four far-field microphones as the Echo Dot.
Despite what you may think, the Echo Input Portable Smart Speaker Edition can’t be employed as a regular Bluetooth portable speaker. It’s meant to be carried around inside a house and on top of that, doesn’t have a 3.5mm audio port.
Amazon is one of the many U.S.-based companies which has been investing billions of late to tap into India’s burgeoning goldmine of millions of new internet users. The company recently also added support for a range of Indian regional languages to its e-commerce platform, Prime Video streaming service, and set up kiosks in shopping malls for offline shoppers. By bringing portability to the Echo, Amazon likely intends to attract users who often suffer power cuts and primarily rely on mobile hot spots to browse the web.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.
With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.
Quick Recap: Life with twins and a pile of bottles