Amazon launches new, cheaper version of Echo Dot for $50

Amazon has released a cheaper version of its Echo Dot device that features a more powerful voice processor.

Slashed from US $89 to US $49.99, the next-generation Echo Dot is nearly half the price of its predecessor and comes in black or white. The puck-like device allows users to control room lights, change the temperature, check the weather, and start the sprinkler with a command to their voice-activated personal assistant Alexa, Amazon's version of Siri.

Echo Dots are designed to be placed in different rooms of the house and feature a more powerful speech processor, to deliver improved far-field speech recognition accuracy. The new device is priced at US $49.99 and is available for pre-order on Amazon.  The Echo, will also be launching for the first time in the UK and Germany this fall.