Motorola has pushed the boundaries of the kind of attachments that one can fix on the new Moto Z and the company has continued to deliver speakers, gamepads and other trinkets. This time around, the company has gone a step ahead with something more unconventional, that would even scratch a few heads, with the latest Moto Modz addition being the Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa.
The module is similar to the existing SoundBoost 2 speaker mod, with the only exception being that it comes with Alexa. It also has a huge glowing LED ring just as one would find on an Echo device. Some might find it hard to digest the need for a separate module with Alexa, when there already is Google Assistant on-board the Moto Z. Even the pricing is a little concerning, since it costs $149.99 – which covers the cost of an Echo as well as an Echo Dot. The more that we think about it, the more it makes considering purchasing the Mod a difficult proposition.
The only real reason why someone would want to purchase the module is so that they can have their Alexa on the go, with cellular data on tap. Clearly, Motorola is targeting a very niche audience who does not like using even Google Assistant on their smartphone.
According to a report from Engadget, the module also has its own in-built battery that should keep it on for 15 hours. The dock is also designed in such a way that it can be used on the user’s nightstand. For the asking price, it is still a hard buy but we will know in November if there is truly a need for such an accessory for the Moto Z line-up.
This sudden interest in Alexa has risen from the recent partnership between Amazon which was first announced in CES in January. The company will also be launching the Moto X4 smartphone that will come with Alexa in-built. The phone will be available for pre-order tomorrow for $400. The speaker will be made available in November in those countries with Alexa support. For the cost of $150, buyers will get the case with 1,530mAh of battery, as well as an 8W 27mm dual set of speakers. Whether it will be enough to entice users to buying something that costs as much as the upcoming Redmi Note 5 is still up for debate.
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