Amazon and Garmin have teamed up to bring the wisdom and subservient attitude of Alexa to a car near you.
The Garmin Speak is an Echo Dot-like device that sits in the dash of your car and brings the full range of Alexa skills into the car. What’s more, the Garmin Speak integrates Alexa services through the car stereo, meaning you can listen to music, audiobooks, news and weather through a full-fledged sound system (comparatively) instead of tiny speaker.
You can also use Garmin’s turn-by-turn navigation by simply saying “Alexa, ask Garmin.”
What’s more, users will be able to place orders on Amazon and control their smart devices at home through the Garmin Speak. So if, for example, you forgot to turn off the lights or lock the door (and you have the smart home accessories capable of doing that for you), you can simply take care of it from the driver’s seat.
The Garmin Speak will use data from your smartphone, once you download the free Garmin Speak app, through a connection via Bluetooth or AUX cord.
There are plenty of smart assistant services out there for drivers, including CarPlay, Google Android Auto, Alexa herself, and Cortana, some of which are integrated at the OEM level.
Garmin Speak is available now for $150 here.