Amazon’s newest addition to the Echo family, the 2024 Echo Spot, is a delightful hybrid of smart speaker and alarm clock. Its compact, colorful design and intuitive touchscreen make it an ideal bedside companion for tech-savvy users who value both aesthetics and functionality.
Amazon Echo Spot (2024)
Design: A Compact and Stylish Bedside Companion
With its rounded, flat front and half-circle tinted cover glass, the Echo Spot is a stylish addition to any bedroom or office. Available in three colors (Black, Glacier White, and Ocean Blue) and customizable with six different clock faces, the Echo Spot allows for personalization to suit your taste. The 2.83-inch LCD touchscreen may be small, but it’s surprisingly sharp and vibrant, displaying information like the time, weather, and album cover art with ease.
Performance: Rich Sound and Customizable Clock Faces
The Echo Spot may be compact, but it doesn’t compromise on sound quality. Its 1.7-inch directional speaker delivers rich audio with clear vocals and detailed instrumentals. While it may lack the booming bass of larger smart speakers, it still offers an impressive listening experience for its size.
The touchscreen is more than just a clock; it’s your command center for interacting with Alexa. You can tap to snooze your alarm, view notifications, and control your smart home devices with ease. The intuitive interface and colorful icons make it a joy to use.
Features: Alexa at Your Fingertips, But with a Few Missing Pieces
The Echo Spot offers a range of features that make it a versatile addition to your home. With Alexa built-in, you can use voice commands to set alarms, play music, check the weather, and control compatible smart home devices. The touchscreen also provides quick access to essential information and settings.
However, there are a few notable omissions compared to other Echo devices. The Echo Spot lacks a camera for video calls and watching videos, a built-in temperature sensor, and the ability to act as an Eero mesh Wi-Fi node. These features are available on other Echo models, making the Spot’s lack of them somewhat disappointing.
The Verdict: A Charming Bedside Gadget with Room for Improvement
Overall, the Amazon Echo Spot is a charming and functional addition to your bedside table. Its compact design, colorful display, and intuitive touchscreen make it a pleasure to use. The sound quality is impressive for its size, and Alexa integration provides convenient voice control for various tasks.
However, the lack of a camera, temperature sensor, and Eero mesh Wi-Fi capabilities might be dealbreakers for some users, especially considering that these features are available on cheaper Echo devices. If you prioritize these functions, you might be better off with a different Echo model.
Ultimately, the Echo Spot is best suited for users who want a simple, stylish alarm clock with a touchscreen interface and Alexa integration. It’s a perfect fit for those who don’t need the advanced features of a full-fledged smart display but still want a device that looks good and sounds great. If this sounds like you, the Echo Spot is definitely worth considering.
Who Should Buy the Echo Spot
The Echo Spot is a great choice for users who:
- Want a stylish and compact bedside alarm clock with a touchscreen display
- Value the convenience of voice control with Alexa
- Appreciate high-quality audio for listening to music and podcasts
- Don’t need the features of a full-fledged smart display, such as video calling and watching videos
Who Might Want to Look Elsewhere
The Echo Spot might not be the best fit for users who:
- Prioritize a built-in camera for video calls and watching videos
- Want a smart speaker with a temperature sensor for automated smart home routines
- Need a device to act as an Eero mesh Wi-Fi node to extend their network coverage
- Are on a tight budget and can’t justify the extra cost of the Spot over a more basic Echo device with similar features (except for the touchscreen)
