Anker announces Alexa speaker with one neat trick

Anker is well known for providing quality accessories at a fair price, primarily through its Amazon storefront. That relationship with Amazon grows deeper today with Anker's announcement of the Eufy Genie smart speaker. The Eufy Genie functions similarly to Amazon's Echo Dot, but is $15 cheaper. The Eufy Genie includes the ability to listen for Alexa commands, play back audio through its own speakers, and output audio to larger speakers. Anker says it plans to release an upgraded version of the Eufy Geenie that can connect to Bluetooth speakers — it'll cost $40.

Like all good genies, the Eufy has a bit more magic to hide. Anker says the speaker will be able to communicate with other devices in their Eufy line. This currently includes lights, vacuums, and health equipment and Anker says they will expand this to other categories coming up. Anker says the basic Eufy Genie will be released on August 16, while the upgraded version to come later.

The $10 to $15 saved may not seem like a lot up front, but those savings will quickly add up for those that want to outfit their entire house with an array of smart speakers. I'd like to see Anker make a version with Google Assistant, but Alexa is no slouch when it comes to the smart speaker game.

Thinking of picking up an Anker Eufy Genie? Let us know in the comments!

Tom Westrick