Wasserstein‘s portable, splashproof Aqua Dew smart shower speaker works with Amazon Alexa, so you don’t have to sing alone. Wasserstein, which is German for “water stone,” introduced the Aqua Dew with a Kickstarter campaign.
The wake-word activated Aqua Dew, which will be available in black, dark blue, turquoise, or a light marble color, works like an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot. On your command, the shower speaker can read the news, manage your smart home, call or message people, or make announcements in other rooms.
The Aqua Dew’s IPX5 waterproof rating means it can withstand spray from water jets from any angle, but you can’t immerse it. You shouldn’t have a problem with the device in the shower, but don’t drop it in a bathtub.
Similar in shape but larger than the Echo Dot, the Aqua Dew measures 4.35 inches in diameter and 1.97 inches thick. You can set the Aqua Dew flat on a table, but it also comes with a hanging strap and a suction cup and mounting plate so you can hang it on a wall or loop it around a shower door handle.
The Aqua Dew supports both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections. In addition to power on/off, volume up, volume down, and mute buttons, there’s a WPS button for secure Wi-Fi connections.
Two holes for the Aqua Dew’s far-field microphone are also on the top surface of the device, along with four six-color LED light indicators.
Unlike the Echo Dot, which must be plugged in, the Aqua Dew runs on rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries. According to Wasserstein, the shower speaker lasts from six to eight hours per charge. A splashproof cover protects the side-mounted micro-USB charging port.
Christopher Maiwald, Wasserstein’s founder and the Aqua Dew creator, launched the Kickstarter campaign to finalize a prototype for Amazon’s approval and to start production. By the campaign’s second day backers had pledged 98 percent of the goal with 33 days to go.
When the Aqua Dew ships it will list for $119. Discounted pledge prices in limited quantities for Kickstarter backers range from $79 to $95. There were still a few available at $79 when we checked. Shipping to the Kickstarter backers is scheduled to begin in March 2019, but as always, we offer words of caution for backing crowdfunded projects.
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