Amazon Echo Spot review – in pictures
For her next trick, Alexa takes on the form of a cracking smart alarm clock
Amazon Echo Spot review – in pictures
Adding a screen to a voice assistant speaker? Now that’s a novel idea – even if the Amazon Echo Show didn’t make it a particularly useful (or attractive) one. But now Amazon is back with a second attempt, one that’s like the Echo Dot is to the standard Echo. The Echo Spot is smaller, cheaper, and much more appealing in a few key ways. Granted, it’s not quite in impulse-buy territory at £120, but this smart alarm clock makes a much stronger impression than the larger, bulkier Echo Show.
DESIGN: BRILLIANT BALL
The Echo Spot’s main influence is immediately obvious: it’s a ball-shaped alarm clock, albeit with a circular LCD screen on the front. Amazon smartly went simple with the Echo Spot, which is understated and can blend more easily into a space than the awkward Echo Show. It doesn’t look super-premium, but the ultra-minimal design is a lot more refined than we usually see from Amazon devices. It’s available in white or black, and in either case the compact size means the Spot won’t look out of place on a desk or kitchen counter.
DESIGN: ALL ON DISPLAY
The main attraction is on the front: a crisp and bright, 2.5in circular display, which is sort of like a super-sized smartwatch screen. It has to work with the same kind of space limitations, even if there’s a little more expansiveness to play with. It doesn’t have a super-high resolution, but it’s fine for the kinds of jobs you’ll be asking Alexa to perform. Viewing angles are pretty good, which is perfect if your bed is higher or lower than your bedside table, and touch response is excellent, so tapping in your Wi-Fi password doesn’t become a chore.
FEATURES: ROCKING CLOCK
Left on default settings, the Echo Spot will cycle through some headlines, the weather, and any alerts you might have – but primarily, it’ll show you the time. And it’s very good at doing that. You can choose between a handful of analog and digital face options, and even customize a clock face with a photo. And at nighttime, it’ll automatically dim and simply show the time on a black backdrop. You can also ask Alexa to set alarms and have her play music from your Amazon library to wake you up, plus she can set quick timers as needed.
FEATURES: A FACE FOR RADIO
With the screen, you’ll also be able to watch videos at your bedside – but much like watching videos on a smartwatch, it’s not the most ideal experience. It’s great for watching Amazon’s flash briefings, but a widescreen movie trailer only fills about half the screen. In fact, the screen doesn’t feel like an integral part of the Alexa experience. It’s nice to be able to flip through movie listings, see ingredients and pull up video from a connected smart home camera – but, for the most part, Alexa still acts like an aural assistant first, and the visual benefits are small and used sparingly.
CALLING: CHECKING IN
As with the Echo Show, the Echo Spot can be used for video calls between Show and Spot devices, as well as with anyone using the Alexa iOS and Android apps. That’s handy for quick check-ins between rooms of your house, for example, or keeping tabs on family – especially if you bought a Show or Spot for a parent or relative. You can also do audio calls with non-screen Echo devices.
CALLING: PRIVACY ON TAP
Amazon’s ‘Drop In’ feature is still a bit unnerving. It lets any of your trusted contacts get a view into your space without you needing to press a button to accept the call, and you can do the same going the other way. Not keen on that? Amazon saw this hang-up coming from a mile away, and there’s a small button on the top of the Echo Spot that turns off the camera and microphones with a touch.
AUDIO: MINI MUSIC MAKER
The Echo Spot isn’t packing big, booming sound – but that’s expected given its small, dense stature. Luckily, its 1.4in speaker is a fair bit more capable than the Echo Dot’s 0.6in speaker, although it lacks bass and the sound gets fuzzy if you go higher than halfway on the volume. We wouldn’t recommend trying to fill your flat with music from the Echo Spot, but it’ll do fine for pumping a little music into a bedroom, office, or small apartment.
AUDIO: EASY LISTENING
Really, convenience is the name of the game with the Echo Spot. It’s perfect for calling up some tunes when you’re not near your hi-fi or more capable speakers in your home. Multi-room is onboard as well, letting you stream music to all the Echo devices in your house, or to specific groups of speakers at once – and it’s connectable, too.
AMAZON ECHO SPOT VERDICT
We’re still not 100% sold on a screen being a critical part of the Echo experience, but the Echo Spot feels significantly more focused and purpose-driven than the slightly aimless Echo Show – especially with an £80 difference in price. If you’re looking to add another Echo to your home, especially one away from your main living area, or you really think you’ll the most use from an Echo in your bedroom, then the Spot is well worth considering.
