Amazon brings smart speakers to Italy and Spain

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Oct 24, 2018

Amazon announced its Alexa and Echo devices have launched in Italy and Spain.

This new distribution comes after the company updated its smart speakers to support the Italian and Spanish languages, but Amazon executives have indicated that their tech will not only be linguistically sensitive, but culturally savvy.  

“We’ve built a new experience that honors the unique cultures in Italy and Spain, ensuring Alexa knows what matters most to customers just as a local would," said Toni Reid, vice president of Amazon Alexa. "Developers are an essential part of creating these new experiences, and Alexa launches with hundreds of skills including popular Italian and Spanish brands like RAI, Giallo Zafferano, BTicino, Televisión Española, Renfe, EL PAÍS, and a rich selection of Alexa devices from the likes of Sonos, Bose, Harman Kardon, NETGEAR, Sony, and more.”

This development marks Amazon's continued European expansion, with the company's line of smart speakers having been available in the U.K. and Germany since 2016 and in European countries like Belgium, Poland and Greece since 2017. 

The e-marketer added that "developers around the world have created skills and devices with Alexa built-in for Italian and Spanish customers." 

Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Plus, Echo Spot and Echo Sub are available for pre-order in Italy and Spain today and are set to ship next week.

In addition to its European distribution, Amazon's smart speakers are also available in countries like Chile, India, Peru, Japan and Canada.