By Tom Warren, The Verge
Amazon launched its Echo devices in France earlier this month, and it’s now planning to bring Alexa and Echo products to Spain and Italy later this year. The Echo range of devices will be available, alongside Sonos and Bose Alexa-enabled products. Amazon is allowing developers to get early access to test their Alexa skills in both Spanish and Italian, in preparation for the product launches.
Alexa’s launch in Spanish will be a significant step for the digital assistant, as it’s one of the most popular languages in the world. Alexa is currently available in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Japan, India, Ireland, Canada, and France. Amazon isn’t saying exactly when Alexa will be available in Spain or Italy, but the company is promising the “Echo family of devices,” which suggests there will be a variety of hardware available.
Amazon built a new experience for Alexa in France, much in the same way it did for Germany and the UK to tap into local news, weather, information, and general culture. It’s likely the company will do the same for Italy and Spain, alongside localized skills from third-party developers. Amazon is also launching a special version of Alexa for hotels today.
