How Long Do Owners Say Amazon Alexa Devices Last?

With over 600 million Amazon Echo units out there, the good old Alexa has remained somewhat of a staple in many US homes. Sure, some believe there's no need for Alexa anymore in the LLM era, but numerous happy users are still rocking the tech daily. One could even say that even those who are iffy on Alexa are very well "primed" to keep it because most Amazon Echo units seem to be indestructible.

That claim may not be an exaggeration. Owners say Amazon Alexa devices rarely fail, with one user (who uses an original Echo smart speaker) claiming there is no actual EOL you should worry about. This is somewhat of a trend reported by fans of the first-generation devices, but some own multiple Echo variants and say they never had any issues.

Since far too many people kept their Alexas alive for nearly a decade, you can realistically expect to get similar mileage out of yours. However, this may primarily apply to the old-school Echo devices, though. The screen-based ones may fare a bit worse. For instance, one user noted that their Echo Spot is still working after 10 years, but the screen has lost clarity (the speaker works fine). Similarly, a proud Alexa stan had a dozen Amazon Echo products but reports he only experienced issues with a 1st-gen Echo Show 5.

Amazon itself claims it set a high bar for longevity, noting that some of its older tech, like the Kindle Paperwhite, is indestructible. Of course, the company also added that this is a customer-centric tactic (which checks out, as Amazon Basics tech is both cheap and useful) that inadvertently helps reduce carbon emissions. The approach is commendable, but in reality, the explanation more likely boils down to what a great deal of companies are ashamed to admit: they love money.

As the Reddit user xamomax (who also said all 15 of his Amazon Alexa devices still work) bluntly laid out, these devices are indestructible because Amazon makes money from sales, not the hardware itself. Not an unpopular opinion (nor one belonging in the category of conspiracy theories), Amazon is likely trying to sell you more random stuff, collect your data, while also using your recordings to train AI. Think of it this way: if your Echo continues trucking for seven years or longer (as many users claim they do on average), you save yourself the hassle (and money), while Mr. Bezos also gets a bit of something in return.

While owners say Amazon Alexa devices are tanks, even tanks need a little bit of maintenance now and then. Fortunately, most of this is as hands-off as possible. Apart from occasional dusting, to keep the Alexa as sharp as possible, users recommend turning the Echo on and off by disconnecting the power cord every few months. This will stop the smart speaker from glitching out.

Some owners complain about Alexa becoming "deaf and senile." Don't discount the device yet, as it's most likely dust accumulating on the microphone. One Redditor suggests going into 'Activity' and checking if the recordings sound muffled. If they do, blowing a can of compressed air across the microphone's holes will clear any debris.

That's about it for maintenance. Whether you're a proud smart speaker user or on the verge of getting your hands on one or two Amazon Echo devices, knock yourself out. Your Alexa will likely survive longer than you expect, 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 chuck its abode across the room in frustration. But considering the build quality, the device will probably survive that too.