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Best Echo Dot Deals: Want to get the cheapest Alexa smart speaker even cheaper? We’ve got it covered (Image: AMAZON • EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS)
Searching for the best Echo Dot deals? You’re in luck – the Echo Dot has dropped to just £16.99 on Amazon for a limited time.
This Echo Dot deal is for the third-generation speaker, which has a compact Hockey Puck-like design, but boasts all of the same Alexa features as the newer fourth-generation Echo Dot.
For those who don’t know, Echo Dot speakers are controlled by AI assistant Alexa, which can play your favourite songs from Spotify or Apple Music, play local and national radio stations, manage cooking timers and reminders, call friends and family, order taxis and takeaways, control smart lightbulbs, thermostats and video doorbells around your home, and much, much more. All you need to do is say “Alexa…” followed by your request and the clever far-field microphones will do the rest.
You only need to spend a little more to get the latest design from the Amazon Echo team. The fourth-generation Echo Dot, which has a spherical shape to pack in improved speaker components to boost audio quality, has dropped from £49.99 down to £19.99. That’s one of the lowest prices we’ve ever seen.
For an extra £3, the improved audio performance, sleek spherical design, and choice of three colours – Glacier White, Twilight Blue, and Charcoal means the upgrade to the latest fourth-generation Echo Dot is probably worth the money.
If you want to listen to music on your new Alexa smart speaker, it might be worth looking at the best Amazon Echo deals, since this full-sized speaker offers dramatically improved sound compared to the diddy Echo Dot. Although, it’s worth noting that both the third- and fourth-generation Echo Dot arrive with a 3.5mm audio port, which can be used to connect the Echo Dot to any speaker. This lets you upgrade older audio kit with the chatty AI assistant, so you can request songs, control volume and playback with your voice.
Best Echo Dot deals
Amazon announced a new fifth-generation Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock in September 2022. The redesigned smart speakers arrive with improved sound quality, thanks to a new driver inside the diddy speaker, a built-in temperature sensor, and touch controls for the first time.
The temperature sensor, which runs in the background, can be used to monitor conditions in your home when you’re away. It can also enable Alexa to proactively make changes to other smart home gadgets – turning down a smart thermostat or lowering smart blinds when it records a certain temperature, for example.
The new touch controls mean you can tap on the top of the speaker to control playback, making it really easy to quickly pause your music, podcast, audiobook or radio station without using a voice command. That could become particularly handy when someone is talking to you and you don’t want to interrupt them to ask Alexa to pause whatever is playing.
The fifth generation Echo Dot has a touch sensor, so you can tap to dismiss alarms or pause songs (Image: AMAZON)
Amazon has also introduced some new colour options, including a new Deep Sea Blue.
The fifth-generation Echo Dot with Clock enjoys all of the above improvements and gets a higher resolution screen. Better still, the screen can be used to display much more than just a clock …something we haven’t seen from this gadget before. Echo Dot with Clock can now display the latest forecast and the name of the song that’s now playing – especially helpful when listening to a playlist or radio station where you might not be familiar with the titles of every track. Again, it’ll save you asking Alexa to tell you the name of the song.
When it comes to Echo Dot discounts …you’ll be pleased to know that the arrival of the fifth generation Amazon smart speakers does not mean it has dropped earlier iterations. The retail firm still sells both third and fourth generation Echo Dot on its store. Both of these enjoy regular (and very generous) discounts, making them much more affordable than the latest fifth generation Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock.
Aside from the hardware improvements, every Echo Dot enjoys exactly the same functionality from voice assistant, Alexa.
The chatty AI is summoned with the wake phrase “Alexa…” and then can perform a number of useful tasks – from controlling smart lightbulbs, adjusting internet-connected thermostats, setting timers, reminders and alarms, ordering takeaways, and answering general knowledge questions about anything from the height of the Eiffel Tower to the age of your favourite celebrity. Echo Dot plays nicely with a number of the most popular services – from Spotify to Apple Music, TuneIn to BBC Sounds, Philips Hue to Ring, Audible to Fitbit.
The fourth-generation Echo Dot, left, has improved sound quality compared to third-generation, right (Image: AMAZON)
But what about the difference in the hardware itself?
The fourth-generation and fifth-generation Echo Dots boast a stylish spherical design, which Amazon says offers improved sound quality compared to the third-generation speaker. The speaker inside the fourth- and fifth-generation Echo Dots is also much better …so those who want to listen to the radio or music all-day with the Dot should look to the newest model.
The new design also means the newest Echo Dots are bulkier, so you’ll want to make sure you have room.
The hockey puck-like appearance of the third-generation Echo Dot means it’s easier to keep around the house. It’s also worth noting that none of the Echo Dots offers the same audio performance as the full-sized Echo. If you’re going to be streaming back-to-back playlists on your Echo, that is the model to get.
With the introduction of the fourth-generation Echo Dot, Amazon started to use recycled materials in its design. As such, if you want to ensure that your new purchase has less of an impact on the planet, you’ll want to upgrade to the newest Echo Dot in the lineup.
You can compare the latest Echo Dot deals from a huge number of UK retailers below…
Regardless of which Echo Dot model that you decide upon, to take full advantage of all of the functionality available from the gadget (and its chatty assistant, Alexa), you should sign-up for Amazon’s Prime membership scheme. This not only unlocks next-day (or, in some limited areas, same day) delivery on the Echo Dot ..but thousands of other goods from Amazon.
You’ll also benefit from music streaming from Amazon Music, with thousands of popular tracks and playlists available with a hands-free request. Prime members can also access hundreds of free ebooks for their Kindle e-readers, watch exclusive shows like The Boys and Clarkson’s Farm on Prime Video, and access unlimited cloud storage for all of their photographs so everything is safely backed up in case you lose (or irreparably damage) your phone.
Prime is available with a 30-day free trial, so there are plenty of opportunities to test the benefits for yourself before signing up.
As mentioned above, you’ll also need an active Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts and deals available in the Prime Day sales. However, some high street retailers are matching the prices available in the Prime Day sales …so it is possible to unlock some of the same price cuts without signing up to Amazon’s annual membership scheme.
What can Alexa actually do?
Amazon’s hugely popular Echo Dot smart speaker is the perfect way to begin transforming your home into something from The Jetsons. It allows you to link together smart home gadgets from an array of different brands – smart lightbulbs, internet-connected thermostat, video doorbell, security cameras, wireless speakers – with a single voice assistant. You won’t need to bother juggling between half a dozen different apps to turn gadgets on or off …you’ll just need to say the command out-loud with the wake word “Alexa…”
If you have multiple Echo smart speakers dotted around your house, you can also use Alexa to wirelessly beam messages to people in other rooms. For example, you can let them know that dinner is ready without shouting up the stairs. If a friend or family member has an Amazon Echo in their home, you’ll be able to use these speakers to chat to one another. These VOIP calls won’t be susceptible to international call rates, so it’s perfect for international calls.
Amazon sells multiple versions of the Echo Dot, including an optional digital clock face (Image: AMAZON)
If the recipient is out-and-about, they can answer within the Alexa companion app on their iPhone or Android handset, so you should always be able to get through to them.
Of course, one of the biggest reasons to get an Echo Dot is so you can call upon Alexa to help you with any burning questions you’ll have throughout the day. And in addition to the infinite knowledge that Alexa has, you’ll also be able to take advantage of tens of thousands of Alexa skills that can personalise your smart speaker experience.
Skills are like apps, and there is a dizzying number available, including Skills that let you play games with Alexa, help track your fitness, deliver news to you, help with getting to sleep after a busy day and more.
The fourth-generation Echo Dot has a unique spherical design that boosts its audio performance (Image: AMAZON)
Amazon Echo vs Echo Dot – What’s the difference?
Are you torn between choosing an Echo Dot and the fully-fledged Amazon Echo?
If you’re looking to access hands-free AI assistant Alexa …then it doesn’t really matter which device you pick. Since Alexa is powered by a dizzying number of servers in the cloud, there’s no difference in the experience between the cheapest Amazon Echo and the priciest, top-of-the-line option. All of these smart speakers arrive with a far-field microphone array, so you’ll be able to call upon the digital secretary from across the room (or in the middle of blasting your favourite song) and still be heard.
Size is a big differentiator between these two models. If you’ve only got a limited amount of room for your new smart home assistant, you might be better suited with the Echo Dot. In terms of the size of the devices, the Echo Dot stands at 3.5inches tall with a 3.9inch waist. While the Echo has a 5.7inch diameter and a height of 5.2inches.
Both the fourth-generation Echo and fourth-generation Echo Dot boast the new spherical design. This really stands out and improves sound quality compared to earlier iterations. However, it’s worth noting that it does expand the overall footprint of the Echo.
The fourth-generation Echo Dot has improved sound quality, thanks to the new spherical shape (Image: AMAZON)
So, the older third-generation Echo Dot might be a better choice for those looking for the smallest device to tuck away at home.
Ultimately, if the difference in price and size hasn’t helped you make a decision between the Echo and the Echo Dot, then it’ll all likely boil down to sound quality.
And on that front, there’s one clear winner – the Amazon Echo. While both fourth-generation (the latest iteration from Amazon’s R&D labs) arrive with dramatically improved sound quality over previous versions, but if audio is the main thing you’re concerned about you’ll want the full-sized Echo. This smart speaker is able to play lossless audio (a first for the smart speakers series) but this is further enhanced by the Echo’s Dolby audio technology.
While the 4th gen Echo Dot has a 1.6inch front-firing speaker, the Echo’s set-up is much more impressive – with a 3.0inch woofer and dual 0.8inch tweeters.
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