Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (2020)
We love the new-look Echo Dot with Clock, but is a new design enough to get you to splash the cash?
The new Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (2020) was announced alongside a host of other Echo speakers at the company’s hardware event in September, with the latest new Echo Dot coming with a smart LED timepiece.
Like its predecessor, the Echo Dot with Clock can double as a bedside alarm, albeit one that comes with all the smarts of Alexa on board alongside the ability to control your smart home devices (via a separate Zigbee-supporting speaker).
It has undergone a rather radical design overhaul over the previous Echo Dot with Clock, sporting a space age-esque spherical design that’s available in both gray and white colour schemes. It’s a bold move from the company; after all, the cylindrical build of the previous Echos became ubiquitous with the idea of a smart speaker. However, we’re sure this new look will be just as popular – and with Apple having recently followed suit with the new HomePod mini, it’s in good company. All the features of the previous Echo Dot with Clock remain, including a 3.5mm
AUX-in port, and the blue Alexa light ring – although this is now located at the bottom of the smart speaker rather than the top.
You can ask Alexa to carry out a multitude of tasks, which includes playing music, radio shows, or podcasts from supported streaming services, calling other Echo speakers and mobile phones, reading you the news, creating calendar events, and much more.
We found that the onboard microphones were fairly adept at picking up our voice – but if you’re listening to music, you’ll likely have to speak up a bit.
Aside from the design change, there isn’t an awful lot that’s new about the 2020 Echo Dot with Clock. It houses the same 1.6-inch front-firing speakers inside, and despite what its spherical build might imply, there’s no 360-degree soundstage.
As a result, the Echo Dot with Clock (2020) doesn’t offer best-in-class audio, and it really won’t cut it as your main musiclistening device. As a desk buddy, however, it works well enough to provide a little background music.
It’s a shame then that Amazon hasn’t made greater improvements to the inner workings of its smallest smart speaker, because it’s hard to justify spending the extra money when the previous model can so frequently be found discounted.
Saying that, if you love the new look of the Echo Dot with Clock, then this could be reason enough to give this smart speaker/alarm clock-hybrid a go.
The Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (2020) has undergone a dramatic design overhaul – but little has changed over its predecessor. The compact smart speaker/alarm clock-hybrid shares many of the pros and cons of the original Dot with Clock. Unless the new space age-style design is a must for you, there’s little point coughing up the extra cash for the newer model. Olivia Tambini