The initiative is part of the Product (RED) campaign set up in 2006 by U2 frontman Bono and Bobby Shriver to work with brands to raise money for the Global Fund‘s fight against AIDS.
If you shell out for this particular version of the Echo, you’ll have to be cool with visitors to your home being distracted by its bright red design, characteristic of all (RED) products, though you could always pop it behind the sofa if you’d prefer a little less visual stimulation.
The good news is that the (RED) Echo is the very latest version of Amazon’s smart speaker, reviewed by Digital Trends earlier this month. We praised it not only for its improved sound over the original device, but also for its more compact size. The only difference is the color, as the regular Echo is offered in various fabric styles and colors, including charcoal, sandstone, and heather gray in fabric, or oak or walnut veneer.
The red version costs $100 — the same as the regular Echo — with 10 percent heading to charity if you order before December 31, so that’s a whole $10 going to charitable causes. The (RED) Echo starts shipping on December 6, but the company is taking pre-orders now
Product (RED) tech
Amazon, which has other (RED) products for sale on its site, is by no means the first tech company to partner with the nonprofit brand. Apple is another high-profile company that’s been involved for years, offering lots of its gear — all in red — to consumers.
Earlier this year it offered a bright ruby red iPhone 7 to anyone who likes to stand out in a crowd, and in recent years it also launched a (RED) Watch, iPod Touch, and a portable speaker. And then there was this one-off (RED) Mac Pro that auctioned for nearly a million bucks in 2013.
Microsoft, Canon, and Snapchat have also been involved with Product (RED), though Apple has been the most enthusiastic contributor to date, having so far donated more than $130 million to the cause. You can see Apple’s full range of (RED) gear on its website.
