Folks looking to upgrade their day-to-day lives with smart technology have no particular shortage of options. Most major tech companies offer devices to manage almost any scenario you can fathom. In the smart assistant game, it really comes down to a few major players: Apple's Siri, Google's Gemini (and its former iteration, Google Assistant), and Amazon's very own Alexa.

Those AI assistants play a big role in the lives of most modern users. However, Alexa may own a slight advantage over the competition when it comes to hardware, due solely to its ties to Amazon — the largest e-commerce outlet in existence by a pretty wide margin. Most major manufacturers now make devices compatible with Alexa.

Amazon naturally makes an entire line of smart devices that are Alexa-enabled, ready to make your life easier whether you're at home or out and about. For this list, we focus on that set of smart devices, keeping to options available directly through Amazon — sometimes it makes sense to buy from the source. If you are looking for affordable Alexa-ready devices for your home and beyond, here are five of the cheapest you can currently buy through Amazon.

Smart Display: Echo Show 5 ($89.99)

Many of Amazon's Alexa-enabled devices are designed to provide service by letting users control compatible items through a single digital point of origin. Some also offer entertainment options. One of the more popular is the Echo Show 5, a SlashGear-approved device.

If you're interested in adding an entertainment-enabled Alexa device to your array, you can get an Echo Show 5 for a typical retail price of $89.99. That sticker price may be even lower during Amazon sales. For that price, you get a device equipped with a 5.5-inch screen that can stream news programs and your favorite shows from Amazon and numerous streamers. It can also stream music, with Amazon claiming dramatic audio upgrades over previous generations.

On top of that, you can connect the device to doorbell cameras like those from Ring (owned by Amazon). The Echo Show 5 can also be used for video calls, possesses smart home hub capabilities to control smart lights, thermostats, and home security systems, and can serve as a digital frame for your favorite photographs.

Smart Speaker: Echo Pop ($39.99)

If you don't need video capability and just want a little something to kick out the jams in your kitchen, office, or bedroom, Amazon's Echo Pop may be the stripped-back speaker you need. It is one of the cheapest Alexa-enabled devices, selling for just $39.99.

Don't let the term 'stripped back' put you off. This speaker is as well-designed as any Alexa device. Though small, it provides solid punch on the audio front — Amazon claims it easily fills any average-sized room with big sound. It works directly through Alexa or via Bluetooth from a mobile device.

Its Alexa capabilities extend to controlling smart devices like lights and plugs via voice commands. The Echo Pop can answer questions and is fitted with a light bar to show when the AI assistant is engaged. According to Amazon, the device is eco-friendly: its fabric covering is made of 100% post-consumer recycled yarn, and its casing from 80% recycled aluminum. It also runs the new Alexa+ program.

Smart Car Companion: Echo Auto ($54.99)

Amazon makes a few devices to take Alexa with you. Its Echo Buds would have been listed here but are currently unavailable. Some might think Alexa shouldn't have a place in a moving car, but the Echo Auto accessory is designed to put the AI assistant there for any vehicle owner who wants it.

The Echo Auto does not put Alexa at the wheel. Instead, it provides more hands-free functionality to drivers. The microphone-equipped device — with five mics to ensure you are heard over cabin noise — mounts anywhere in your vehicle and connects via USB. Once running, you have a mobile Alexa that can perform many functions similar to the one at home, using simple voice commands.

That includes playing music, podcasts, or radio broadcasts, sending text messages, and making phone calls. You can also connect it to your Alexa-enabled home hub to engage smart locks, turn lights on/off, and adjust the thermostat while away. At $54.99, many may be willing to give it a try.

Smart Alarm Clock: Echo Spot ($79.99)

In smart home upgrades, alarm clocks are an area where technology has largely failed us — they remain infuriatingly loud and limited in personalization. Amazon hasn't fixed the alarm clock conundrum entirely, but the Echo Spot Alarm Clock feels like a solid step in the right direction.

The first version of the Spot was discontinued a couple of years back. The re-imagined Spot is basically a modified Echo Dot, with a flattened face that is half digital display and half speaker. That display is customizable, prominently featuring the time, date, and temperature. More importantly, the device allows users to tailor their wake-up routine to specific desires, making it easier to rise and shine on your own terms.

Like most Alexa tech, the Echo Spot can play music, audiobooks, and podcasts, and provide myriad voice-activated functions. It can connect to your home hub to dim lights and uses motion detection to tweak the thermostat. At $79.99, it's an affordable option for a major alarm clock upgrade.

Smart Home Hub: Echo Hub 8 ($179.99)

In the smart home tech market, the home hub is essentially 'one device to rule them all.' The term 'cheap' is relative, as hubs offer wide functionality. Still, there are budget-friendly options, with Amazon's Alexa-enabled Echo Hub 8 — well under $200 — ranking among them.

The Echo Hub 8 typically sells for $179.99 and is compatible with Amazon's upgraded Alexa+ AI assistant. It can run thousands of compatible devices and streamline your smart home setup. Fronting an 8-inch touch screen, the wall-mountable hub can be plugged into a standard outlet or hard-wired for a cleaner look. Setup is easy via the voice command 'Alexa, discover my devices.'

As for what the hub will discover, you can count any Alexa smart device, plus many others. The easy-to-use Echo Hub can operate lighting and smart plugs in every room, adjust the thermostat, operate connected speaker systems, show feeds from doorbell and security cameras, and provide easy-access control over home security systems. You can also connect it to your smartphone via the Alexa App to check the status of smart devices and settings while you're out.

Source: SlashGear News