best echo app for France

[craftaddict]

I have had my echo for about 10 days now and some things work and others don't....... I have been adding some skills from the webpage on my laptop. The bbc radio definitly doesn't work (it is activated), I get a jingle saying this is bbc 2 for example and that it, no music, no radio.

I thought that if I installed the app on my tablet (have problems with screen size on my phone, old eyes) maybe I could do more.

Went to install the app (amazon alexa) on amazon.co.uk (that is where I am registed even though I live in France) and used a vpn to put myself in the UK and still get a message that I am not eligible for this app.

What is the next best thing ? or app rather............ or I might just have to send it back as there are so many restrictions on it.

Thanks for any help you can offer,

cheers, Joanne

[Jerome]

I live in France.
I've had Amazon Echo for a year and I had a Google Home Mini for Christmas.
Echo is set up on an Amazon US account with English US language and some fake US address in the settings of Echo (I do have the GMT+1 Paris timezone correct though).
GHM is set up in France as a country with my exact home address there.

The first thing I noticed when setting up my GHM is that you can specify very precisely your address in France and then get accurate weather forecast or ask for an itinerary from home.
Whereas with Echo, I have to specify "What's the weather like in Paris ?" (and I don't even live in Paris but in the suburbs)
In my everyday life, for music (Spotify) and lights (LIFX), Amazon does the job but you can be quickly frustrated by the fact that it is not intended for France... yet.
If you were to choose one on French soil at the moment, I would go for GH/GHM.

PS : I don't own an Android device so I can't tell you about the apk

[craftaddict]

I have heard about google home, how would you compare it to the echo ? I know it costs more but have not heard much feedback on it.

cheers,
Joanne

[Jerome]

I have heard about google home, how would you compare it to the echo ? I know it costs more but have not heard much feedback on it.

cheers,
Joanne

I have the full-size Echo (and 2 Dots) and the Google Home Mini so I won't do a sound comparison (bigger sounds better obviously - Echo Dot sounds hollow).
I don't have much experience with my GHM yet but like I said above, it fits right in a French environment.
I speak to it in French and so do my kids who are not fluent in English.
You feel you have the power of Google behind like answering various questions maybe more precisely than Echo.
Sure you don't have the thousands of skills proposed by Echo but I don't use them much anyway.
GHM integrates more and more vendors for third party devices and services and is catching up like crazy in term of features.
I can launch a video on my TV on YouTube thanks to my Chromecast just by asking GHM (even when the TV is off thanks to CEC - https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-turn-your-tv-on-with-chromecast/) Very neat !
I haven't been able to do so with Echo/Fire TV stick but it may be me missing a correct setup.
Overall GH is very impressive thanks to the power of Google on which it relies. And it's getting better and better everyday (been following the tech news and there is not a week without a new feature brought to GH)
Amazon is gonna have a hard time catch up with Google on the French market when they release the device with French language support.
GH has been officially available in France since August.
If you had to own only one in France, I would go for the GH (not the Mini in order to enjoy music the best way)

[craftaddict]

Thank you Jerome, I might wait till it goes down in price a bit. Is it possible to choose your language on GH ? I am fluent in french but hubby not so much......... when it comes to sound for music I use a sonos for radio and have deezer. I have a bose speaker for the tv so am quite spoiled. Chromecast sounds quite interesting as well 

[Jerome]

Thank you Jerome, I might wait till it goes down in price a bit. Is it possible to choose your language on GH ? I am fluent in french but hubby not so much......... when it comes to sound for music I use a sonos for radio and have deezer. I have a bose speaker for the tv so am quite spoiled. Chromecast sounds quite interesting as well 

Yes, you can choose your language at setup just like for Echo (except you don't have French for Echo yet) no matter where your device comes from (my Echo is from the UK, my GHM is from the US).
Bear in mind that GHM does not have a line out jack to connect it to external speaker nor do they have Bluetooth enabled (Echos can do both)
Google wants you to buy a Chromecast Audio
Or they might enable Bluetooth later on #rumors
They both have pros and cons as you see.
It all depends on the language and features you need...

[craftaddict]

If I stay with the echo, anyone have a recommendation for a good app for android that works in France please ?

[daxxer]

just ask echo play <radio station> on tune in. works for all radio stations that broadcast on the interweb.

NEW Add skill BBC for radio stations and podcasts

[Jerome]

Like daxxer said "Alexa, play BBC2 on TuneIn" works fine for me. No skill needed.
I do have the BBC skill enabled and I can say "Alexa, what's my Flash Briefing?" which works fine too.

[craftaddict]

thanks, got radio working with tune in but was told there were more things I could do if I used the app rather than the computer. Guess  will have to go without if it won't install with me being in France.

[LeKeiser]

If I stay with the echo, anyone have a recommendation for a good app for android that works in France please ?

Hello,
I've downloaded and installed the latest PAK from there: https://www.apkmonk.com/app/com.amazon.dee.app/
works like a charm