UK shoppers can now enjoy this essentially useless device.
Of all the devices that could benefit from a smart assistant built in, a clock would not be our first choice. However, the latest Amazon device to be added to the retailer's UK selection is the Echo Wall Clock.
If you're thinking that Alexa can do everything a clock can do, without the need for an actual clock... you'd be right. Need to know the time? You can ask. Want to set a timer? It's only a simple voice command away. The whole point of voice interfaces is that they're not confined to a screen. But anyway.
See the Echo in the corner? Your smart clock won't work without one (Image credit: Amazon)
The next piece of surprising news is that this smart clock doesn't even have Alexa built in, so you'll need to have a compatible Echo device within nine metres of the clock to get the 'smart' benefits. If you don't want to shell out for an Echo or similar, you could use the free Alexa App.
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So what does this clock offer? Impatient users, or those with trust issues, might like the timer tracker. Sixty LEDs around the rim of the clock visually count down one or more timers and alarms, so you can see how long you have left at a glance. It'll also automatically adjust for things like daylight savings. And it's also only £29.99 (or $29.99 in the US), which is pretty reasonable.
The Echo Wall Clock was announced in September 2018 and released in the US later in the year. Presumably, sales have been high enough to warrant the UK release, so perhaps the joke's on us.
Ruth spent a couple of years as Deputy Editor of Creative Bloq, and has also either worked on or written for almost all of the site's former and current design print titles, from Computer Arts to ImagineFX. She now spends her days reviewing small appliances as the Homes Editor at TechRadar, but still occasionally writes about design on a freelance basis in her spare time.
