INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Amazon just got a step closer to world smart speaker domination
Starting today, users in France can pre-orderthe Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Spot
The standard Echo and Echo Dot will start shipping to users next week
The display-equipped Echo Spot will arrive at some point next month
Naturally, the expansion also includes a French version of Alexa
As the company notes, the Alexa Skills Kit rolled out in March to French developers and device makers to prep for the expansion and create
skills focused on the new market
After all, tweaking a smart assistant for a new market requires more than just learning a new language
There are also a dialect and local customs to contend with, in order to offer the best possible experience
The skills that devs have built will also arrive later this month
France joins a rapidly growing list of countries with Alexa/Echo, including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, India, New Zealand,
Germany, Japan and Ireland
No word on availability for the rest of the Echo line
Google Home, meanwhile, has been available in France since last summer.
