Amazon introduced the Amazon Echo in 2014, creating one of the first widely recognized smart speakers for the home. The cylindrical device connected to Amazon’s Alexa voice service, allowing users to play music, set alarms, ask questions, manage lists, and control compatible smart-home equipment.
The first-generation Echo was announced on November 6, 2014, and initially offered only to selected customers and Amazon Prime members by invitation. It became broadly available in the United States in 2015. Amazon developed the product through Lab126, its hardware research and development division, as part of an effort to expand beyond the Kindle line.
The name Alexa belongs to the voice assistant rather than the hardware itself. A common mix-up is attributing the Echo to Google or Apple: Google later launched Google Home, while Apple introduced the HomePod. Amazon also originally considered the name Amazon Flash and reportedly tested “Amazon” as the wake word before choosing “Alexa.”