If you’ve heard of the Amazon Echo, then you’ve probably heard of its smaller miniature model, the Amazon Echo Dot. The Alexa Echo Dot is a very compact and non-intrusive work of technology that can assist in a very large amount of everyday tasks: a true depiction of the popular saying, size does not matter. It does everything the bigger Echo does, and it comes at a much smaller price ($50) and a much smaller size.
Size and color
The Echo Dot’s small size allows it to be placed just about anywhere without ruining a room’s theme or decor. The device is measured just a bit bigger than an official hockey puck (32mm thick and has a diameter of 84mm) and weighs less than half a pound. If you’re debating between Alexa vs. Google, Google has yet to release a home assistant this small. The Echo Dot is sold in only two colors, black and white, but there are various cases sold separately that come in many different colors which will help the device further blend into a room’s color scheme.
Simple and clean: design and setup
Like most of Amazon’s Alexa devices, the design of the Alexa Echo Dot is minimalistic, with just four physical buttons: volume up, volume down, mute, and the action button. There is also a light ring on the top of the device, which tells you whether Alexa is listening or not. The light only flashes when you trigger Alexa to listening mode by speaking her name. With its shape of a slightly oversized hockey puck and minimalistic design, the Echo Dot is easily liked can be positioned anywhere without clashing against a pre-existing theme.
Setup is quite simple and straightforward. Similar to other Alexa devices, all you have to do is open the Alexa app and connect it to the Amazon Dot.
The only flaw: sound quality
The sound quality of the speakers is one weakness that Amazon could improve on. While it is just as capable as the Echo in terms of carrying out commands, the Echo Dot sacrifices a bit of sound quality to compensate for its small size. Fortunately, the device is bluetooth-compatible and also has an audio jack, so it’s very easy to connect it to another set of more powerful speakers, neutralizing the issue of low sound quality with the Echo Dot.
On the flip side, the soft-spoken volume of the device could also be seen as an advantageous trait. The Echo Dot might commonly be placed on an office desk, and AI speakers that are too loud might be disruptive to others that are in the vicinity, whereas the Echo Dot causes minimal distraction.
The Echo vs. the Echo Dot
To put things simply, the Echo Dot is a smaller version of the Echo, yet it allows for more versatility. Instead of a power cord restricted to an outlet, the Echo Dot uses a micro-USB port for its power supply. This opens up possibilities for mobile use. For example you could bring an external power bank and connect it to your Echo Dot, allowing for portability.
The Echo Dot also supports external speakers, but the Echo does not. This means that if you are not satisfied with the Echo’s speakers, you’ll have to live with it. With the Echo Dot however, you can connect to other speakers for a more ear-appealing experience.
Alexa Amazon Echo
If comparing the prices, you can purchase three Echo Dots for the price of one large Echo. With that said, and keeping in mind all of the advantages listed above, the Alexa Echo Dot is a much more practical purchase than its larger ancestor. You can split up Alexa into three different rooms, something you wouldn’t be able to do with a normal Echo (unless of course you bought three of those but that would really be cost-inefficient).
The smaller price tag of $50 on the Alexa Echo Dot also lures in people who are curious about voice AI. The highly capable device is very affordable, highly versatile, and conveniently blends into any surrounding home environment. So if you find that you’re asking yourself whether you should get one or not, then the answer should be clear by now: get one!