Amazon Echo Dot (4th gen) review
Our Verdict
The Amazon Echo Dot is one again the all-time smart speaker for less than $fifty, but the $sixty Echo Dot with Clock is the meliorate value.
For
- Adept audio for the size
- Lots of Alexa smart domicile skills
- Inexpensive
Confronting
- Large power brick
Tom's Guide Verdict
The Amazon Echo Dot is one again the all-time smart speaker for less than $50, but the $60 Echo Dot with Clock is the amend value.
Pros
- +
Practiced sound for the size
- +
Lots of Alexa smart home skills
- +
Inexpensive
Amazon Echo Dot (4th gen): Specs
Speakers: One i.6-inch
Ports: 3.5mm line out
Wi-Fi: 802.eleven b/g/north/ac, 2.4/5GHz
Size: iii.9 x 3.nine x iii.5 inches
Weight: 12 ounces
Everyone's favorite lilliputian Alexa speaker is back with an all-new design. The fourth-generation Amazon Echo Dot benches its hockey puck shape for a new orb-like shape, which unlike previous versions, is designed to stand up out from all other smart speakers.
Aside from the shape, in that location's not too much unlike from the tertiary-generation Echo Dot. The new Echo Dot sounds a bit better, simply it'due south the value of Alexa and all that information technology can do which makes the Amazon Echo Dot one of the best smart speakers for less than $50. But y'all should spring for the $lx Amazon Echo Dot with Clock.
Amazon is all the same selling its 3rd-gen Echo Dot, which can typically be establish for effectually $10-$xv less. If yous're having trouble deciding which to buy, cheque out our Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen vs. Echo Dot 4th Gen comparison.
And if you have the space and coin to spend, our Amazon Echo (fourth gen) review explains why it's the best Alexa speaker nether $100.
Amazon Echo Dot review: Cost and availability
The quaternary generation Amazon Repeat Dot went on sale mid-October 2020 for $49. It'southward available in three colors: Charcoal, Glacier White, and Twilight Bluish.
For $10 more you can get the 4th-generation Echo Dot with Clock, which looks the aforementioned as the Echo Dot, but has a LED panel that shows the time, conditions, and can be used every bit a timer. Also on sale for $59 is the Echo Dot Kids Edition, which comes in either a fun panda or tiger motif, and comes with a 1-twelvemonth subscription to Amazon Kids+ (FreeTime Unlimited) and a ii-yr warranty.
The 3rd-generation Echo Dot is still for sale while supplies concluding, and has been marked down to $29.
Amazon Repeat Dot review: Design
When Amazon introduced the spherical Repeat and Echo Dot, I idea information technology was a pretty cool look. And I wonder how much Apple was going berserk, given that the launch of its own orb-like HomePod mini was less than a month abroad.
Now that I accept the Echo Dot in mitt, I'm not as enamored with it. During its launch effect, Amazon said that part of the reason for the redesign of the Echo Dot and the Echo were a upshot of owners placing their smart speakers in more prominent places. While I recollect that's a logical reason to change the look of the Echo and the Echo Dot with Clock, I'thousand non certain if it makes as much sense with the regular Echo Dot. For me, though, the Echo Dot represents a device that'south meant to blend into the background until it's needed, and the puck shape of older models was better suited to that.
The other major divergence betwixt the 4th-generation Echo Dot and previous models is that the band of LEDs is at present on the bottom, rather than the top edge. So now, when you summon Alexa, the glow from the LEDs reflects off the surface of whatever the Dot is resting on, which is absurd. Information technology'south similar footing effects for your smart speaker. Similar other Alexa speakers, the LEDs will change color based on the condition of the speaker or your Alexa account. For more information, check out our story Why is Alexa flashing?
Unlike the HomePod Mini, whose fabric roofing swathes the majority of the speaker, the lower third of the Echo Dot is solid plastic; it'southward barely noticeable when looking at the Dot head-on, simply this plastic section swoops up to the rear. Effectually the back is a 3.5mm audio-out besides as a proprietary power jack. The Echo Dot'south 15-Watt power wart is pretty sizeable — 2.7 10 ane.6 10 1.5 inches — which makes it much harder to use on a power strip with other devices. Even the Echo Spot, which had to power a display, had a much smaller brick.
Arrayed on the summit but towards the back are buttons for irresolute the volume, turning off the microphones, and summoning Alexa. They're just out of the way to non be visible, but it's not as elegant as the hidden touch buttons on the Google Nest Mini.
At iii.9 x 3.nine x three.5 inches, the Echo Dot has a like footprint to the older Echo Dots as well as the Google Nest Mini and the Apple HomePod mini; overall, it'due south a teeny fleck smaller than the at present-defunct Echo Spot.
Amazon Echo Dot review: Audio performance
The 1.vi-inch speaker in the 4th-generation Echo Dot is the same size every bit that in the third-generation Echo Dot, only the larger chamber of the newer Dot gives a little more resonance to the bass, and now that it faces forward, yous should hear a slight improvement. I didn't have a third-generation Echo Dot on hand to compare, but my colleague Kate Kozuch, who wrote our Echo Dot with Clock review, said the puck-shaped Dot sounded hollower.
In no time at all, my toddler was shouting "Lexa, JoJo Siwa Boomerang!" and to my chagrin, the Echo Dot responded past playing the teen pop star's songs in all their bubbly celebrity. My daughter bopped effectually the room equally Siwa's effervescent voice rose to a higher place the thumpy bass line.
After my daughter went to bed, I spent the evening listening to other genres of music, and found the Echo Dot performed well for its size. Similar previous generations, it'due south ideal as a personal-listening device. It will make full a bedchamber nicely with sound, and so long as you lot don't attempt and drive it likewise loud.
Amazon Repeat Dot review: Alexa capabilities
Of course, a smart speaker is for more than than just playing music, and correct now, it's a two-way race between Amazon and Google to see who has the smarter digital banana.
When it comes to smart home skills, though, Alexa has a clear lead over Google Assistant in a few key areas.
The first is with smart home routines. Though Google recently added the ability to create routines based on your (or your family member's) location, it's just available for utilise with smart lights and Google'southward Nest Thermostats and abode security cameras. Alexa's Routines, past dissimilarity, offer non only geolocation as a trigger, but also inputs from other smart abode devices, which gets you much closer to an automatic smart dwelling house.
Another neat feature with Alexa is Alexa Baby-sit, which will utilise the microphones in the Repeat Dot or any Alexa speaker to listen for such things as a fume alarm or drinking glass breaking, and will send yous an alert if information technology hears anything. Alexa Guard can also exist linked to a number of the best DIY home security systems, likewise. Alexa Baby-sit can also be programmed to turn any connected smart lights on and off to brand it look similar someone's dwelling house while you're away.
Amazon has also partnered with a number of companies so that yous tin pair smart home devices such equally lights and sensors directly with Echos, and use them as smart dwelling house hubs. The Echo Dot has Bluetooth, so simply those gadgets with Bluetooth tin can link directly to it; the pricier $99 Echo has Zigbee as well, which lets you connect a wider range of products.
A new low-power manner will reduce the Echo Dot's power consumption while it'southward idle, though there are a few caveats. The Dot won't enter depression-ability mode if you linked a Spotify business relationship to your Alexa account, if Alexa Guard is in Abroad style, if there's an agile notification, if y'all have an external speaker plugged into the Dot, or if a smart habitation device is connected directly to the Dot via Bluetooth.
This Repeat Dot can also apply the new motility sensing feature, which uses ultrasound to detect when people enter or get out a room. A bit like the Echo Show already does, merely without the photographic camera.
The idea is that you tin setup Alexa routines that activate or conciliate depending on where you are. A flake like you can practise with third party motion sensors, but without the middle man.
Simply head into the Alexa app, find your device's settings, and select the Motility Sensing selection. That'll let you lot toggle the characteristic on or off, and gear up routines.
Amazon Repeat Dot review: Verdict
With the 4th generation Repeat Dot, Amazon has once more delivered an inexpensive smart speaker that doesn't skimp on features or quality. However, while I recollect the new spherical shape is interesting, it doesn't serve much purpose. Different the larger Echo, which is designed to exist more of a primal amusement device, the Echo Dot's purpose is more of a personal smart speaker; to that end, I adopt the older hockey puck shape. (And, it'southward at present bachelor for just $30).
Just, I similar the sphere for the Echo Dot with Clock, as it raises the display a bit and makes information technology easier to read. For my coin, I'd opt for the Amazon Echo Dot with Clock; information technology'southward just $10 more than, but the addition of a clock makes it infinitely more useful.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/amazon-echo-dot
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