Amazon has been one of the most enthusiastic producers of smart speakers since the original Echo debuted back in 2014. And now, the company’s Echo Dot device has been refreshed with a stunning fourth-generation model that redesigns this popular product and adds exciting new features.
The Amazon Echo Dot has a bold new spherical look that replaces the minimal hockey puck-shape design associated with previous versions. Plus, its budget-friendly price means the latest iteration of the Dot remains an affordable option for bringing intelligence to your home.
Activated by Alexa
At its core, the Echo Dot shares functionality with the original Echo and the rest of Amazon’s range. It’s a smart speaker that uses the Amazon Alexa virtual assistant. Alexa is one of the most popular and most powerful voice control systems in the world of consumer electronics; that means it can perform a wide range of tasks through voice commands. It can play music, set timers, answer questions, create shopping lists, plan schedules, check the weather, or broadcast the news.
1. Works well with other gear
The Echo Dot can use Alexa to work alongside loads of other gadgets and software, too. If you have smart light bulbs, thermostats, cameras, plugs, or TVs, you can use the Echo Dot to manage those. You can make announcements and broadcast them to other Alexa devices, or make hands-free calls and have conversations with other people in your home. You can also connect it to your Fire TV to control what you’re watching in the living room, bedroom, or elsewhere.
2. Music and skills
You can play music simultaneously across multiple smart-home devices and Bluetooth speakers, and there’s a new “Alexa skills” section that can play quizzes and games, open specific applications, and enable additional functionality. You can deploy the Echo Dot as a security device, hear Amazon’s latest deals, use different languages, donate to charities, and get first aid and emergency help.
3. Use it with apps
The Echo Dot can integrate with Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, and Audible to play your favorite music, audiobooks, and podcasts. It can consult the TV guide, interact with your Fitbit, and work with other common apps.
4. Easy to use
As with other Echo devices, this new Dot is spectacularly easy to use. Once you’ve downloaded the Alexa app to your smartphone and plugged the Dot in, setup takes seconds and pairing via Bluetooth is quick and easy.
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Amazon Echo Dot’s hardware gets an upgrade
The Echo Dot (fourth generation) looks bold and inviting thanks to its spherical shape, and it has a sleek mesh covering, a ring of blue illumination, and a sleek design that means it’ll fit into any room in your home. It’s available in Charcoal, Twilight Blue, or Glacier White colors, and all of them look fantastic.
1. Intuitive controls
On the top of the Echo Dot, you’ll find a handful of buttons. There are volume buttons, a control to mute the microphone, and an action button. Tapping the Echo Dot now enables a snooze function, which is useful if you use the Echo Dot as an alarm clock via the built-in LED clock display.
2. Better audio
This latest Echo Dot has better audio quality than its predecessor, which makes it an ideal companion for podcasts, listening to the radio, or playing music in the background as you work, cook, clean, or complete other chores—or simply chill out—in your home.
3. Faster processing
On the inside, this updated Echo Dot has been enhanced with a new processing chip that Amazon says is twice as quick as the silicon used in older models. That’s important as a device like the Echo Dot can form a crucial part of your everyday home life—because let’s be honest, no one has time to wait around for their smart speaker to respond!
4. Save electricity and more
The Echo Dot has a new low-power mode to save electricity, and much of the material used to build this device is recycled. If you want more functionality, like a larger speaker with Dolby Audio and an in-built smart home hub, then the conventional Amazon Echo device is also available, albeit at a higher price.
