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Searching for the best Echo Dot deals? We’ve rounded up the latest discounts and deals on the Alexa-powered smart speaker, which can play songs from your favourite music streaming services, stream live radio stations from around the globe, set timers and reminders, read out the latest headlines and forecasts, order takeaways and cabs, and much more.
There are a number of Echo Dot variants available on store shelves at the moment. The third-generation Echo Dot, launched back in 2019, has a small hockey puck-like design, with physical buttons to control volume and a 3.5mm audio port to connect CD and vinyl players. The fourth- and fifth-generation Echo Dots shake-up the formula with a spherical design, which allows for larger higher-quality speaker components for dramatically improved audio. There are also more colours available.
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.
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
The fourth-generation Echo Dot arrives with an all-new spherical design, boosted sound quality for your favourite music, podcasts, and radio stations. It also uses recycled materials to lower its impact on the environment. At launch, this Alexa-powered smart speaker cost £49.99 …but there are better deals out there now!
Not fussed about the new ball-like redesign? Amazon still sells the previous generation of Echo Dot …but now with a smaller price tag. That makes it perfect for anyone looking for a seriously cheap Alexa speaker!
The all-new Amazon Echo Dot (fifth generation) arrives with a number of improvements, including an all-new speaker for improved audio quality, temperature sensor so Alexa can automatically adjust your thermostat when you’re away, and touch controls to pause and play songs with a quick tap on the spherical speaker.
If you want the ultimate Echo Dot, Amazon sells a model with a digital clock built-in. The latest redesign – the fifth generation of the smart speaker – has a much higher resolution display and can display the latest weather forecast, song titles, and more.
For the little ones. The Echo Dot Kids allows children to ask Alexa to play music, read a bedtime story, get help with their homework and more.
It comes packed with parental controls so you can keep an eye on what your kids are asking.
What is an Echo Dot?
Echo Dot is the smallest smart speaker in the popular Amazon Echo lineup.
Amazon announced a new fifth-generation Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock back in September 2022. These refreshed speakers arrive with boosted sound performance, thanks to a new driver tucked inside the diddy speaker, a built-in temperature sensor, and touch controls to stop alarms, timers and pause playback – a first for the Echo Dot range.
Meanwhile, 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.
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.
And for the little ones, Amazon now offers an Echo Dot for Kids. The new offering comes in two designs including a Owl and a Dragon design to keep your children amused. The best thing is that it has parental control built in so you can keep a close eye on their activities on Amazon’s Parent Dashboard.
It will also cater Alexa’s responses to be child-friendly and avoid explicit lyrics for songs. It also includes one year of Amazon Kids+ – a digital subscription designed for kids aged 3–12 to safely learn, grow and explore. On Echo Dot, kids can enjoy kid-friendly Audible books, interactive games and educational Alexa skills.
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.
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…
The fourth-generation Echo Dot arrives with an all-new spherical design, boosted sound quality for your favourite music, podcasts, and radio stations. It also uses recycled materials to lower its impact on the environment. At launch, this Alexa-powered smart speaker cost £49.99 …but there are better deals out there now!
Not fussed about the new ball-like redesign? Amazon still sells the previous generation of Echo Dot …but now with a smaller price tag. That makes it perfect for anyone looking for a seriously cheap Alexa speaker!
The all-new Amazon Echo Dot (fifth generation) arrives with a number of improvements, including an all-new speaker for improved audio quality, temperature sensor so Alexa can automatically adjust your thermostat when you’re away, and touch controls to pause and play songs with a quick tap on the spherical speaker.
If you want the ultimate Echo Dot, Amazon sells a model with a digital clock built-in. The latest redesign – the fifth generation of the smart speaker – has a much higher resolution display and can display the latest weather forecast, song titles, and more.
For the little ones. The Echo Dot Kids allows children to ask Alexa to play music, read a bedtime story, get help with their homework and more.
It comes packed with parental controls so you can keep an eye on what your kids are asking.
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.
Get Amazon Prime for 30-days for free. This free trial unlocks all perks of Prime membership, including early access to deals, next-day delivery at no cost, unlimited photo backup, access to all TV shows and movies on Prime Video, and more. Cancel anytime during the 30-day trial and you won’t pay a penny!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Amazon Echo Dot vs Echo Pop – what’s the difference?
If you’re torn about whether or not to get the Echo Dot or the Echo Pop then have no fear because here’s everything that you need to know.
Amazon’s newest edition to their smart speaker line-up is the Echo Pop which is the most compact model in the whole Echo ecosystem.
Despite it being new, the Echo Pop is the cheapest speaker among the Echo devices, coming in at just £44.99 but that could be knocked down to as little at £20 during sales.
It’s available in four different colors which include Charcoal, Glacier White, Lavender Bloom, and Midnight Teal.
When it comes to sound, that’s where the Echo Pop falls slightly behind. The Echo Dot has better audio quality overall compared to the Echo Pop but that doesn’t mean the Pop’s audio isn’t crisp and loud like the Echo Dot.
The Echo Pop is designed to give that ‘pop’ of sound in smaller spaces unlike the Dot.
In terms of features, it still has all the same Alexa features as the Dot so you don’t need to worry about losing out on anything that the Echo Dot would also offer you.
Hardware-wise, both speakers use Amazon’s AZ2 processor meaning they will both be lightning-quick to commands and responses when you speak to them.
One big difference is that the Echo Pop doesn’t have a temperature sensor so you’ll have to accept that pay off if you don’t want to go for the Echo Dot.
The design is the biggest notiable difference when you compare the two Alexa devices. The Echo Pop is a directional speaker meaning it is designed to push out sound straight in front of it which is handy if you need to place it next to a wall or speaker.
The Echo Dot Fifth Generation speaker allows it to project sound all around it which gives it an advantage when it comes to sound.
The Echo Dot is the clear winner when it comes to the two models but if you need a smaller, cheaper and compact smart speaker, the Echo Pop could be the one for you.
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