- VERDICT
The Echo Spot is a basic smart speaker with a small, semi-functional display. Use it as an alarm clock, a quick glance at the weather device and to occasionally play media.
The new Echo Spot from Amazon is an Alexa-powered device ideal for the bedside table or the desk with a screen that can display various custom clock faces and colours.
Priced at $149, the Echo Spot is designed to replace the Echo Dot with Clock in Amazon’s Echo line-up.
While the device itself is only available in Black, Glacier White and Ocean Blue, the display can be customised to various colourways to match your décor — orange, violet, magenta, lime, teal and blue. The colour changes are subtle but add a little bit of customisation that can make a device feel like part of your furniture.
Echo distinctive design language
The design of the Echo Spot follows the design language of the recent generations of Echo smart speakers. Instead of a full sphere, it is a portion of the sphere, much like the Echo Pop. The front of the device has a display which takes up just over half of the top of the front of the device. The bottom section is a speaker covered in the usual Echo cloth.
The rear of the device is a sphere upon which is located the volume up and down buttons and a microphone mute button while the proprietary charging port (yes, not USB-C unfortunately) is housed at the bottom of the rear.
The display is basic at best but good enough for showing the time, alarm clock, basic weather information and the album art of media you are currently streaming on the device. The display is so basic that you cannot view any of your Ring cameras on it which is incredibly disappointing — the burning question here is, what is the point of an Amazon/Echo/Alexa device with a display that cannot show you (Amazon-owned) Ring cameras on it? I wish it did.
Move from the front of the Echo Spot and the display dulls very quickly. Not the best display so be careful where you are positioning it if you want to see the display in full detail.
The Echo Spot is Matter complaint so one day you *should* be able to use all Matter compliant devices, no matter the manufacturer — but I doubt the display will ever be able to show the video but will allow for two-way audio.
The speaker is good but nothing special. The speaker is good enough to listen to music in a pinch or if you are not that fussed with high fidelity audio (such as for audio books and podcasts) but it lacks the loudness and depth of bass to allow it to take the place of the dedicated headphones or high-end speaker you may currently use.
For most folks the audio quality will be more than acceptable, especially for a device with such a small footprint.
The downside of the display is that it is small and unable to play videos. If you want to see the album art of the music you’re playing/’casting’ through it though you’re all good. Weather? Yep, got you covered. Time and alarms? Yes. But that’s about it.
The display is a touch display and although not as sensitive as your phone it can be used to control audio playback and some basic smart home devices.
One thing missing which is very disappointing, is a video camera so you cannot use this display to make video calls. It is possible this has been done to reduce costs but the device is not cheap at all.
So what can it do?
It is basically an Echo Dot with Clock (which was my previous office Echo device) but with a small display (albeit very limited). The Echo Dot with Clock has been discontinued and this new Echo Spot is designed to take it’s place. It does that but only in a very small incremental upgrade. The Echo Spot has full Alexa functionality and will display some helpful information – as long as that information is the time, weather or album art.
Not everyone needs a large fully functional display on their smart hub and that is who this is for. Some very basic information displayed for you but the device still includes all the Alexa skills of any other Echo speaker.
Use it as an alarm clock, bedside clock and a way to quick check the weather and occasionally play some media and this is perfect for you.
Final thoughts
The Echo Spot is just an Echo Dot with Clock but with a much improved display (and speaker). The display shows the same information the Echo Dot with Clock showed but in a nicer, coloured touch display — and with some pictures.
Buy this if all you need is a basic speaker with a very basic display. If you do not need a fully functional smart display with the ability to view cameras and make video calls (among others things). Buy this if all you need is a smart speaker — the display is just a (small) bonus.
The all-new Echo Spot is available now for $149 AUD at amazon.com.au/echospot, JB HI-FI, and in leading Australian retailers. It is available in Black, Glacier White, and Ocean Blue.
