Amazon’s third-generation Echo Dot puts on some weight and comes dressed in a warmer, more welcoming design. The result is a better-looking Alexa device with good enough sound quality to deserve.
The Amazon Echo Dot (3rd generation) is one of the latest Echo Dot devices from Amazon's super popular range of smart home products. According to Amazon, it's also the best-selling speaker of all-time, which is no small feat.Despite launching the in 2019, which comes with a built-in LED time display, the third-gen Echo Dot is still absolutely worth buying – especially if you already have a clock in your home you already love.The Amazon Echo Dot (3rd generation) makes calls almost anywhere in your country of residence, gives you control of your smart home with a few commands and streams music from a handful of the world’s top music services.
So although it may be small, it sure packs a punch.However, despite a number of different iterations over the years, the Echo Dot still lacks a few essentials. Most notably, the 3.5mm auxiliary cord.
It's not the simplest Amazon Echo speaker though; the, adds Alexa smart capability to a connected speaker, without having the ability to play music itself. On the hunt for a bargain? Take a look at. Try Amazon Music Unlimited with a FREE trial: Amazon Echo Dot FAQ: quick questions answeredWhat is an Echo Dot used for? Think of the Amazon Echo Dot as your own personal assistant. We’re not at the stage where our tech can physically help us run our homes, but it can do everything else. So you can ask the Dot’s voice assistant, Alexa, to answer questions about the time, general knowledge, traffic, what the weather is going to be like and everything else that might help your day run a bit smoother.Thanks to smart home tech all connecting up, you can also use your Dot to control other devices that you might have in your home.
So let’s say you have a Philips Hue lightbulb, for example, the Dot can control that too. You’d just need to say “Alexa, turn off the bulb.”That’s just the beginning.
The Dot has a whole host of ‘skills’ which you can think of as separate apps and things it can do for you, from playing games to controlling other tech to waking you up in the morning. You can even now use Alexa to make calls to phone numbers in the US, Canada, Mexico, and the UK.Image Credit: FutureIs there a monthly fee for an Echo Dot? No, there’s no monthly fee. You just need to buy the Dot and have an Amazon account. You’ll then need to get the Amazon Echo app, which is also free.However, if you’re an Amazon Prime member you’ll get some added benefits, like access to Amazon Music through your Dot.Is the Echo Dot worth the money? In our opinion, yes. The Dot packs a lot of great features and capable tech into a tiny package.
It also makes financial sense for those who aren’t whether to kit their homes out with smart tech and don’t want to take much of a gamble.Does the Echo Dot require Alexa? Alexa is what makes your Dot smart. Think of her as your own smart assistant and the brains behind the hardware. You ask her to do things and help you with things throughout the day, from “Alexa, what will the weather be like later?” to “Alexa, switch on the lights please.”You don’t need to do anything extra to get Alexa, the voice assistant comes built-in to Amazon’s Echo range of smart speakers. (Here's how to, too.)Does the Echo Dot need Wi-fi? Yes, it does. There’s a chance you’d be able to use the Dot as just a Bluetooth speaker without Wi-fi, but to get it all set-up you’d still need to get it connected to the internet.
If you don’t have Wifi right now, wait until you do before purchasing a Dot.(Image credit: Amazon) Amazon Echo Dot: PricingThe Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Generation is available now for £49.99 / $49.99 / AU$79. (Although it's worth noting there are regular deals on the Dot and it's sometimes reduced down to £29.99 / $29.99)Its usual price is the same as previous models were sold for just before it was launched, making it hard to criticize given its improvements to sound quality that we’ll discuss shortly.In the very near future this will likely be the only Amazon Echo Dot available on the market – you’ll still see 2nd Gen devices floating on store shelves for a bit longer, but soon Amazon Echo Dot product pages will all default to Gen. Amazon Echo Dot: DesignThe 3rd Generation Amazon Echo Dot is easier on the eyes than either of Amazon’s two previous Echo Dots. It offers rounded edges that help make the Dot look less like a hockey puck, and the fabric grille around the outer edge feels modern and classy simultaneously. (Amazon has been taking pointers from the, apparently.)The fabric mesh design helps the Amazon Echo Dot blend in with the rest of the refreshed Amazon Echo line-up, which received a fabric-covered makeover with last-year’s refresh. As a result, the new Echo Dot comes in colors to match the rest of the range, too, with Charcoal, Heather Grey and Sandstone shades.On the top of the Echo Dot you’ll find four familiar buttons that consist of volume up and down, microphone mute and Alexa, as well as a four microphone array.(Image credit: ClassyPictures / Shutterstock.com)Activating Alexa either via the button along the top or by saying its name triggers the flashing blue ring of light that you’re used to seeing on other Alexa devices - though, on one of the units we were sent, there appeared to be a short (.
VerdictWhile the previous Echo Dots were cheap ways to extend smart home control all over your home, they weren't the most attractive devices and had weedy sounds. The Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) as a vast improvement on the originals, even though it costs exactly the same. The new finish looks fantastic and the new Echo Dot is a device that you'd happily put out on show. Audio has been dramatically improved, too, both in terms of quality and loudness, which makes Alexa easier to understand and means that the odd bit of music or radio is a possibility.
If you're looking to put Alexa in more rooms, then this is the device to buy.