If you’re not already one of the hundreds of millions of people who own an Alexa speaker at home, then Prime Big Deal Days could be a good time to join the ride. Amazon has discounted its Echo Dot at a record-low $34, down from the usual $49 (and the Echo Pop to $24 from $39), and there’s a reason this tiny speaker has become so popular: It removes that daily friction of foraging for your phone when setting timers when cooking, changing thermostats manually or searching for the correct playlist when your hands are full.
See Echo Dot at Amazon
See Echo Pop at Amazon
Audio That Finally Keeps Up with the Convenience
Earlier Echo Dots won their success on the strength of functionality over audio quality, but that changes with this new model: Amazon entirely rebuilt the internal audio design to produce tighter vocals, more robust bass response, and richer sound that fills a room rather than just crowding a corner. The speaker includes a new custom full-range driver that addresses high-end reproduction and low-end reproduction much more effectively than older, smaller drivers. That results in your morning news updates coming through with sharp clarity and music streaming through Spotify or Amazon Music with enough richness for casual enjoyment.
Integration with a smart home makes the Echo Dot a universal remote for your entire home for all your devices that are compatible. If you have bulbs, plugs, thermostats or cameras that are smart, voice commands replace physical switches or smartphone apps. The motion sensor and internal temperature sensor incorporate another form of automation with routines.
Several Echo devices per home allow whole-home audio so your music accompanies you wherever you go from kitchen through living room to bedroom. Pairing with Fire TV creates a home theater setup with playback managed by Alexa, searching for titles, and volume adjustment. Echo Dot also extends wifi coverage when paired with appropriate eero mesh wifi systems and does away with connectivity dead spots causing streaming stoppages and lost connections.
Privacy features also include a physical off button for the mic that electronically disables the mics, and gives you complete control over when the unit is permitted to listen. The button glows red when the mics are disabled for obvious visual feedback. Amazon built some layers of privacy into the infrastructure, and the company does not sell your personal information to third parties.
At $34 for Prime Day, the Echo Dot is the least expensive way into a voice-activated home automation and daily convenience features that quickly become a necessity once you experience them.
See Echo Dot at Amazon
See Echo Pop at Amazon
