https://www.eufylife.com/pages/eufy-genie (Made by Anker).
40% cheaper than the Echo Dot and most of the same features? I’ve read on a few sites that it’s supposed to be releasing this week.
Here’s a review: http://www.zdnet.com/article/anker-unveils-35-alexa-powered-eufy-genie-smart-speaker/
Two microphones instead of seven, though, so farfield recognition probably won’t be as good, but it depends on where you put it. If it’s just sitting on the kitchen counter and you’re normally within a few feet of it anyway, you likely wouldn’t notice any difference. 
According to the ZDNet review, the author said he didn’t notice a difference in the lack of the mics.
It’s going to depend very much where you use it. If it’s against the wall anyway and, like I said, you’re typically within 6 feet of it, you probably wouldn’t notice any difference. If it was sitting on your desk you wouldn’t notice any difference.
If it’s on the coffee table in the middle of a large living room and you might enter from any of three sides, that’s when you’re going to see the difference.
So in addition to fewer mics, no BT…which might be a big deal for many. And the planned version w/BT approaches the price at which you can routinely pick up a Dot (they’re on sale quite frequently).
It’s going to be interesting to see how Amazon responds, actually. The VP of the Alexa division is one of the product’s endorsers. So, I’d wonder if Amazon would try to lower the price on the Dot in order to compete. It’s just weird to me that a VP would endorse what is essentially a competitor’s product.
“With the Eufy Genie, customers can get Alexa, her 15,000+ skills, and high-quality sound for less than $35,” said Steve Rabuchin, VP Amazon Alexa. “Now even more customers will be able to simply ask Alexa to set a timer, play the news or their favorite music, control their smart home or order a meal with just their voice.”
As for BT, I rarely use it (I have wired speakers and a Tap for mobility), but I could see it as a sticking point for some.
Amazon just wants more people using, and possibly ordering products, through Alexa. I don’t think they care who makes the hardware at this point.
Not at all…when you realize that from Amazon’s perspective, the Dot isn’t really the product. Alexa and the other Amazon products/services it encourages use of are.
True, but I don’t think their main profit (for Alexa and devices) is from people just using the services. Right? I’m not a marketing genius by any means, but I would think that they would still want to sell and promote their own Echo hardware. Look at the Nucleus, for example. Still priced at $199 and doesn’t offer half the features of the Show.
Even with requiring a Prime membership, they still seem to make more on Echo hardware than on the Alexa platform itself.
But, of course, I could be completely wrong. lol
Well, ask yourself this: “Self, why would Amazon allow the manufacturer of a competing product to use the Alexa service as the power behind that competing product?”
Touche… LMAO
Amazon has said multiple times that they want to see Alexa as many different devices as possible, that’s why they make it free for other manufacturers to use and run developer workshops and all that kind of thing. They’re happy to see more devices out there.
They even give money grants to device developers who want to add Alexa!
The Alexa Fund–named for Alexa, the cloud-based voice service that powers Amazon Echo–provides up to $100 million in investments to fuel voice technology innovation. Whether that’s creating new Alexa capabilities with the Alexa Skills Kit (ASK), building devices that use Alexa for new and novel voice experiences using the Alexa Voice Service (AVS), or something else entirely, if you have a visionary idea, we’d love to talk to you.
It makes a lot of sense, they lose money on echo dots. If they can get a competitor to make the hardware with their software on it, all they want is Alexa in as many places they could put devices to handle it. If they can shed The part of the market where they lose money to get their software platform into peoples houses, and instead can allow a competitor in the hardware arena to utilize their software and the license it, it’s a win-win for Amazon
Now it is cheaper!
