With more than 600 million Amazon Echo units, good old Alexa has remained a staple in many American homes. Of course, some believe Alexa is no longer necessary in the LLM era, but many happy users still use the technology daily. One could even say that even those who are unsure about Alexa are very well “prepared” to keep it because most Amazon Echo units seem indestructible.
This statement may not be an exaggeration. Owners say Amazon Alexa devices rarely fail, with one user (who uses an original Echo smart speaker) saying there’s no real EOL you should worry about. This is somewhat of a trend reported by fans of the first generation devices, but some own multiple variants of the Echo and claim to have never had any issues.
Given that far too many people have kept their Alexa alive for nearly a decade, you can reasonably expect to get the same mileage out of yours. However, this may mainly apply to old-school Echo devices. The screen versions might fare a little worse. For example, one user noted that their Echo Spot still works after 10 years, but the screen has lost clarity (the speaker works fine). Likewise, a proud Alexa Stan owned a dozen Amazon Echo products, but reports that he only experienced issues with a 1st generation Echo Show 5.
Why are Amazon Echo devices so sturdy?
Amazon itself claims to have set a high bar for longevity, noting that some of its older technologies, like the Kindle Paperwhite, are indestructible. Of course, the company also added that this is a customer-centric tactic (which is true, as Amazon Basics technology is both cheap and useful) that inadvertently helps reduce carbon emissions. The approach is laudable, but in reality the explanation comes down to what many companies are ashamed to admit: they love money.
As Reddit user xamomax (who also said his 15 Amazon Alexa devices still work) made clear, these devices are indestructible because Amazon makes money from sales, not the hardware itself. This is not an unpopular opinion (nor one that falls into the conspiracy theory category), Amazon is probably trying to sell you more random products, collect your data, while also using your recordings to train the AI. Think of it this way: If your Echo continues hauling trucks for seven years or more (as many users claim on average), you save yourself some hassle (and money), while Mr. Bezos also gets a little something in return.
How to take care of your Amazon Echo
While owners say Amazon Alexa devices are tanks, even tanks need a little maintenance from time to time. Fortunately, most of these operations are done as hands-off as possible. Besides occasional dusting, to keep the Alexa as sharp as possible, users recommend turning the Echo on and off by unplugging the power cord every few months. This will prevent the smart speaker from breaking down.
Some owners complain that Alexa becomes “deaf and senile.” Don’t neglect the device yet, as it’s likely dust accumulating on the microphone. One Redditor suggests going to “Activity” and checking to see if the recordings seem muffled. If so, blowing a can of compressed air through the microphone holes will clear any debris.
That’s it for the interview. Whether you’re a proud smart speaker user or about to get your hands on an Amazon Echo device or two, wow. Your Alexa will probably survive longer than expected, at least according to users on the interwebs. That is, unless you get frustrated with the voice assistant (a definition of a canon event) and throw its abode across the room in frustration. But considering the build quality, the device will probably survive there too.
