{"id":9652,"date":"2017-07-24T15:14:52","date_gmt":"2017-07-24T22:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.hellotech.com\/?p=9652"},"modified":"2021-06-12T05:14:43","modified_gmt":"2021-06-12T12:14:43","slug":"amazon-dash-wand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hellotech.com\/blog\/amazon-dash-wand","title":{"rendered":"All You Need to Know About Amazon Dash Wand"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Amazon just gave its original Amazon Dash Wand a fresh look and it\u2019ll likely introduce Alexa to even more homes. To be honest, the first few iterations of the Dash never seemed like they\u2019d go anywhere. The newest version, however, shows more promise and could be a runaway hit\u2014all thanks to Amazon\u2019s powerful voice assistant being built into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It looks like it\u2019ll join the expanding lineup of Echo devices<\/a> and we\u2019re sure you\u2019re asking: is it worth ordering one?  Before we come to a conclusion, let\u2019s get to know the Amazon Dash Wand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not the First of Its Kind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The device\u2019s first generation (introduced back in 2014) was a little too cumbersome. Sure, it scanned item bar codes or used voice control to aid in your online shopping, but it couldn\u2019t quite check out your purchases unless you log into Amazon. The second-generation ran into the same problems and eventually slipped under the radar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Amazon enjoying immense success with the Echo line, the company decided to revive the Dash Wand. This time, however, they\u2019ve included Alexa in the package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alexa, Your New Shopping Buddy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Dash Wand still scans grocery barcodes and takes voice commands so it\u2019s easy for you to replenish your supplies at home, but it now gives you access to Amazon\u2019s AI assistant. With Alexa at the helm, you can now pull up recipes, search for nearby restaurants, know an ingredient\u2019s nutritional value, or do some<\/em> of her 15,000 skills<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And because it\u2019s magnetic, simply stick the latest Dash on your fridge and you\u2019re good to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Control Your Smart Home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Alexa sits well with the Dash Wand. There\u2019s just a nice synergy between the two. And with the voice assistant at the ready, you can interact with the device as well as control Alexa-compatible smart home devices. Preheat the oven, turn on the lights, set the thermostat, or lock the doors\u2014do all these and more while pressing and holding the Dash Wand button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It isn\u2019t a fully functioning Alexa speaker, though. Forget about asking it to stream your Spotify playlist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Requires Two AAA Batteries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Dash Wand isn\u2019t rechargeable and runs on two AAA batteries instead. That\u2019s the bad news. The good news? You get two AAA batteries right out of the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"We're<\/span>
We’re sure Amazon can do better than using disposable batteries on the Dash Wand. (Image credit: TechHive)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Because it\u2019s run on disposable batteries, it\u2019s logical to expect the Dash Wand not to run for an extended period of time. It doesn\u2019t require you to say a wake word either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doesn\u2019t Do Every One of Alexa\u2019s Skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Amazon Dash Wand doesn\u2019t do every one of Alexa\u2019s ever-expanding list of skills. It\u2019ll be outright awful asking the Amazon assistant to play a podcast or song on the Dash Wand\u2019s small speaker. You also can\u2019t make calls or send SMS on the device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For an Alexa device that will likely be a mainstay in the kitchen, the Amazon Dash Wand curiously lacks functionality that would\u2019ve otherwise been perfect for kitchen-related tasks. Those lacking functions include alarms and timers, sadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add Anything to Your Amazon Cart<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Amazon calls it the \u201cperfect grocery assistant\u201d, but the Amazon Dash Wand does more than scan grocery items. The fact is that it can add anything you scan to your shopping cart as long as the item is available on Amazon. In case it can\u2019t recognize an item by its barcode, it will tell you. It\u2019ll then add a placeholder to your cart and then allow you to choose a similar item.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re having little success scanning particular barcodes, you can simply tell Alexa to add such item to your cart. She\u2019ll do the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s Technically Free<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sure, you have to pay $20 when you order the Amazon Dash Wand. You will, however, get $20 rebate off your next eligible purchase on Amazon. Similar to other Dash products from the retail giant, the Dash Wand is technically free. The device has to be registered, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Why<\/span>
Why get dozens of Dash buttons when you can do just as much with the Dash Wand? (Image credit: Blaster Hub)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

For avid Amazon shoppers, getting the Dash Wand makes perfect sense. Having one means you won\u2019t have to get individual Dash buttons for each product you typically buy on Amazon. Not to mention that ordering one gets you a 90-day free trial of AmazonFresh<\/a> service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As promising as the Amazon Dash Wand may seem to be, it\u2019s only available for Amazon Prime members for now. That\u2019s a huge letdown considering the fact that it offers a pretty solid method for introducing even more users to the Alexa experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right off the bat, this new Amazon hardware removes even more friction off online shopping. While that instantly translates into convenience for any long-time Amazon customer, owning one makes it a little too easy for anyone to overspend. That may be the only caveat we see so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of other solid Amazon devices, you might want to check out the new Echo Show<\/a>. If you already bought into the Alexa ecosystem, though, you\u2019d perhaps be interested to know how to create your own commands for the Amazon Echo<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Amazon just gave its original Amazon Dash Wand a fresh look and it\u2019ll likely introduce Alexa to even more homes. To be honest, the first few iterations of the Dash never seemed like they\u2019d go anywhere. The newest version, however, shows more promise and could be a runaway hit\u2014all thanks to Amazon\u2019s powerful voice assistant being built into it. It looks like it\u2019ll join the expanding lineup of Echo devices and we\u2019re sure you\u2019re asking: is it worth ordering one?  Before […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9689,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17586,17587],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editors-choice","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAll You Need to Know About The Amazon Dash Wand<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Amazon just gave its original Amazon Dash Wand a fresh look and it\u2019ll likely introduce Alexa to even more homes. 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