Amazon Dash stick lets Brits order tea with their voice

Amazon has launched its barcode-scanning Dash stick in the UK, letting Brits buy household goods like never before.

Amazon Dash has finally arrived in the UK, just one month after the London launch of AmazonFresh grocery delivery. The Dash stick makes it easier to order new items, and re-order items that you’re about to run out of.

The stick works in two ways. Firstly, Dash is voice sensitive, so you can tell it what you want to buy, and it’ll add the item to your basket. But it also has a barcode scanner, so if you’re low on toilet roll, for instance, then you can scan your empty packet and that item will be added to your basket too. It also has a little hole for hanging; best to keep it hidden when immature guests are visiting however, unless you want to end up with an unexpected order for 63 tins of baked beans.

^{Amazon Dash runs on your home Wi-Fi, and only becomes voice-activated when you hit the microphone button}

Fortunately, Dash can’t actually buy items for you; it can only load up your basket. To make a purchase, you’ll still need to visit the Amazon.co.uk website or mobile app and confirm that you want to purchase those 63 baked beans tins.

“We’re all used to trying to remember the contents of the fridge and kitchen cupboard and scribbling down reminders on pieces of paper,” said Ajay Kavan, VP of AmazonFresh. “With Dash, at any given time, customers can keep track of products when they come to mind and scan to reorder groceries and household essentials as soon as they run out.”

The best thing about Amazon Dash is that it’s fully functional with AmazonFresh, which means you can order a wide range of products, including fresh fruit and veg, meat, seafood, baked goods, dairy, as well as non-edible supplies like nappies or toothpaste. You can also choose from big-name brands like Kellogg’s, Coca-Cola, Morrisons, Yeo Valley, Walkers, and Warburtons, plus local producers like Konditor & Cook and Gail’s Artisan Bakey.

^{Amazon Dash lets you scan barcodes to re-order items}

AmazonFresh is currently available in 128 different London postcodes, all of which have access to around 130,000 “competitively priced products”. One-hour delivery slots are available between 7am and 11pm every day of the week, and same-day deliveries are available from 5pm if you place your order by 1pm.

If you want Dash, you’ll get it completely free of charge with your second AmazonFresh order, from now until August 28, 2016.

Related: Netflix vs Amazon Video

Watch: The Refresh – Catch up on the latest tech news

Would you like a phone with a foldable display? Let us know in the comments.