Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant is great for owners of one or more compatible Amazon devices, but that doesn’t mean much for those who for one reason or another don’t want to buy Amazon hardware. At least it didn’t until recently. We’re now beginning to see Alexa-enabled speakers from other companies arrive, like the new Jam Voice speaker from Jam Audio.
You may already be familiar with the Jam Audio name, as the company is the manufacturer of Bluetooth speakers, headphones, earbuds, and most recently, Wi-Fi speakers. The exterior of the Jam Voice should look somewhat familiar if you’ve seen the company’s other speakers, but inside it’s a different story, with the speaker powered by Alexa, allowing not just for voice control, but for the Jam Voice to act as a hub for your smart home.
“Since the inception of Jam Audio, our mission has been to provide consumers with high-quality products that utilize the latest technologies at significantly lower prices,” said John Mikkola, director of product development. “Our latest offering, Jam Voice, provides everyone a chance to enjoy the convenience of a virtual assistant — making daily life tasks easier.”
Not only can the Jam Voice stream music from Spotify, iHeartRadio, your personal music library, and more, but it can also connect to other Jam Wi-Fi speakers for multiroom audio. It also has the ability to play different songs in different rooms. The Jam Voice can play back news, headlines, traffic, and weather as well.
Other Alexa functionality built into the Jam Voice includes the ability to create and update shopping lists, as well as set alarms and times. Just like Amazon devices, the Alexa App allows users to extend Alexa’s abilities by using downloadable “skills,” like the ability to order a pizza.
The Jam Voice launches on October 30 for a retail price of $70, and will initially only be available via Best Buy. For more information, see the Jam Audio website.
