Everything you need to know about this budget-friendly smart speaker

The current Amazon Echo Dot is the fourth iteration of the model. Even though it's the budget option of Amazon's Echo lineup, it has enough power to make it one of the best Alexa-enabled smart speakers on the market. Its primary role is as a smart speaker, meaning it utilizes all the capabilities of Amazon Alexa to control your smart plugs or thermostats, connect with Alexa devices outside your home, or play music via voice command.

Whether you just received your Alexa device, or are thinking about purchasing one, this guide tells you everything you need to know about the Echo Dot.

In its primary role as a speaker, it can play music or podcasts from Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and more via Alexa's voice control. It also functions as a smart home hub for devices connected to your Wi-FI network. If you don't own any smart home devices, the Echo Dot can connect to external speakers and devices via Bluetooth. However, you would be wasting a lot of the device's potential, so get started with these beginner-friendly smart home devices.

You can manage your Echo Dot through the Alexa app for iOS or Android. It's also where you can enable or disable Alexa skills. Alexa can answer questions and perform actions, all you'll need to do is speak the wake word ("Alexa" by default). You can also drop in on any connected Echo device.

The 1.6-inch speaker is the first thing you'll notice about the Echo Dot. Covering all but the rear third, this creates a sound experience that's better than the previous, puck-shaped iterations. This rear section is where you'll find the 3.5mm audio jack and the AC power port. On the top of the device are the volume controls, the action button (in case you don't want to speak the wake word), and a mic-off button. Finally, there's a lighting ring around the base that changes color based on what the Dot is doing.

The new Echo dot is a drastically different look from the hockey puck shape of the 3rd gen Dot, which all previous generations of the device used. While the look has changed, the basic functions are more or less identical. If you're upgrading from an earlier generation, you won't be thrown by any major changes.

It sports an almost identical look to the standard Amazon Echo (4th gen), which is nearly twice the price. The main difference between the two is the speaker. And, if it's music you want, don't settle for the Amazon Echo Dot.

Above Left: Amazon Echo Dot 4th Generation Above Right: Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Generation

Compared to bigger, more expensive devices like the Amazon Echo Show or Echo Studio, the Dot sacrifices quite a few features to hit its cheaper price point. While Alexa voice commands are identical across all devices, the Echo dot doesn't offer a smart display like the Echo Show, and its sound quality is weaker compared to the others, especially the Echo Studio (Which offers Dolby Atmos support).

There are two slightly different variants of the Echo Dot. The Echo Dot with Clock offers a LED display that can display the time, alarms, and timers. There's also a kid's edition, which offers parental controls and additional kid-friendly features through Amazon Kids+.

Above: The Amazon Echo Dot with Clock in action

In our review of the Echo Dot, we recommended it to anyone who already owns a few Echo devices. It's a fantastic addition to your space, but it's hard to justify buying it by itself. It's also a decent hands-free Bluetooth speaker. (Although we recommend buying a dedicated Bluetooth speaker if you aren't interested in smart-home technology.)

The Echo Dot is a budget-friendly smart home device that most people can find a use for. However, if you need something with more functionality, an Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd gen) might be a better choice.

Jon has been a freelance writer at Android Police since 2021. He primarily writes how-to guides and round-ups, but occasionally covers news. His favorite Android device was the Pixel 2 XL, and he regards the three-month period where he owned an iPhone as a time of the utmost shame. Jon graduated with a History degree in 2018, but quickly realized his writing skills were better put to use writing about tech rather than essays. He started writing and editing for startups shortly after graduating, where he did everything from writing website copy to managing and editing for a group of writers. In his free time, you can find him fiddling with computers and spending his entire paycheck on vinyl records.