Should I get an Amazon Echo Dot?
The Amazon Echo Dot is a compact smart speaker that you can use to play music, make calls and control compatible smart devices, to name just a few of its possible uses. Whether you’re looking for a simple speaker to stream music or your own personal assistant, it’s worth considering an Echo Dot.
It isn’t a high-end smart speaker, but it has an affordable price to match. Even so, you might be wondering if the Amazon Echo Dot is worth it. Learning more about this product and its features should help you decide whether it’s the right choice for you.
What is the Amazon Echo Dot?
In short, the Amazon Echo Dot is a smart speaker. It’s part of the Amazon Echo range, which includes the larger Echo and the Echo Show, which has a built-in screen for watching videos and making video calls.
It has Amazon’s Alexa artificial intelligence virtual assistant technology, so you can give it a wide range of voice commands, making it largely hands-free. Alexa has more than 100,000 skills, meaning it has more uses than most people will ever realize.
For some users, an Echo Dot is a bit of a gimmick they will soon grow tired of, but if you use it to its full potential, it can be a truly useful and fun device.
What are Amazon Echo generations?
When you go to purchase an Amazon Echo Dot or another Echo device, the listing will state which generation it belongs to. At the time of writing, the latest Echo Dot belongs to the fourth generation, though you can still buy third-generation models. Each generation has some slight changes or upgrades from the last. For instance, the most obvious difference between third-generation and fourth-generation Echo Dots is that the third-generation models were flat hockey puck shapes while fourth-generation Dots are spherical.
Amazon Echo Dot price
The Amazon Echo Dot is the cheapest of all Amazon Echo devices on the market, with the standard fourth-generation model costing around $50 and the older third-generation Echo Dot costing roughly $40. If you compare this to other Echo devices, the larger Amazon Echo costs approximately $100 and boasts better speakers. The Amazon Echo Show 8 has a built-in HD screen and costs roughly $130.
Amazon Echo Dot features
Before you purchase a new smart speaker, you should learn more about the features the Amazon Echo Dot offers to work out whether it’s worth it for you.
Alexa
Alexa is the name given to Amazon’s AI virtual assistant. You can give Alexa a huge range of voice commands and ask questions to make the most of your Dot. Alexa skills can enable you to achieve tasks or be used just for fun, from controlling your lighting or heating to reading the news to playing music to quoting gems from Star Wars. There’s so much you can do with Alexa that it’s worth investigating some of the best Alexa skills when you get your Echo device to make the most of it. Unfortunately, many people only learn the most basic Alexa commands, which leads to them getting bored of their Echo devices.
Speaker
One of the main draws of the Amazon Echo Dot for the average user is that it’s a smart speaker that you can use to play music. It works best if you subscribe to Amazon Prime since you can access the full library of Amazon Music songs for your Echo Dot to play. However, you can also set it up to play music from other popular streaming services, such as Spotify and Apple music with just a little more effort on your part.
The speaker is small, but it doesn’t sound bad for casual listening. However, if you’re seriously into music, you’ll probably want a better speaker system to best enjoy your favorite albums, such as the Bose home speaker 500. Of course, the price point of the Echo Dot is significantly lower.
Clock
For a bit more than the base price, you can buy an Echo Dot with a clock. This has a light-up clock on the exterior, much like you’d find on a digital alarm clock. This is a nice feature to have if you intend to keep your Dot on your nightstand and use it as an alarm clock, but it’s up to you whether it’s worth the extra cost. You can always ask Alexa to tell you the time if you don’t opt for the built-in clock.
Intercom
If you have multiple Amazon Echo devices in your house, you can use them as an intercom system to get a message to people in other parts of your home. For instance, if your kids are up in their bedrooms and have Echo devices in there, you can announce that it’s dinnertime using the connected smart speakers as an intercom — it certainly beats yelling up the stairs.
Size
The compact size of the Echo Dot can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it. Because it’s so small, you can position it almost anywhere, and it won’t take up too much room or be obtrusive. On the other hand, the small size means it has a small speaker inside, so the audio quality isn’t amazing. It’s up to you whether you’d rather splash out on the larger Amazon Echo for better sound quality or if the compact size of the Echo Dot is what you’d prefer.
Is the Amazon Echo Dot worth it?
This is subjective but considering what the Amazon Echo Dot can do for such a low price, it’s absolutely worth it. At this price point, you can’t expect professional-quality audio, but it beats most other $50 speakers, not to mention the fact that it’s so much more than just a speaker. If you’re looking for a budget smart speaker, it should be high on your list.
Lauren Corona is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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