The original came and went, largely without fanfare but here we are in 2024 to witness the return of the Amazon Echo Spot. It’s a great form factor, has some great features, and delivers (for it’s size at least) great sound. There are plenty of good points to explore, but it’s not a device that everyone will want.
What is the Echo Spot?
The short story is, it’s a Matter compliant, Alexa driven alarm clock.
Review done, right? WRONG!
Yeah, it’s an Alexa driven alarm clock but it’s not just a dumb alarm, it carries with it plenty of the features you expect from any Alexa device. But before we look at that, let’s explore the hardware because that’s part of the fun here.
There’s a single, DC power input which of course isn’t USB-C which would be lovely given the number of multiport USB-C chargers and cables I have already connected. On top of the device you’ll find three buttons for volume (+/-) and microphone muting.
The form factor is surprisingly small, really only taking around 10 x 11 cm on your bedside cabinet. With a slight tilt towards the rear of the device, the — now rectangular — 2.83″ screen is easily visible although, depending on the angle it can look quite dull. It also feels like there was meant to be — perhaps a camera? — more in the top of the device because the screen doesn’t fill that space which leaves me feeling like this is almost… unfinished.
While it is Matter compliant for smart home solutions, I’d love to have seen this capable of acting as an Eero Wi-Fi node with the continual expansion of our connectivity needs. I’d also love for it to be capable of showing a video stream from my Ring doorbell, alas, it cannot.
What’s missing compared to the old version?
When the original came out it was more of a smart speaker with a clock screen in it; the early evolution of the Echo Show speakers if you will. It also had a couple of other features that are no longer present including a camera for video calls, the capability to stream video and a 3.5mm jack in the back for better audio output options.
In honesty, for a device that’s aimed at bedroom use none of these are really a loss for the functionality of the unit.
How does it go in daily use?
As I’ve already mentioned, this is intended as a smart alarm clock; not a smart speaker with a clock in it. With the vibrant display taking the stage and making your morning routine that much better with weather reporting, daily planning, routines and of course, music being displayed when you’re listening.
One thing I’ve liked about Echo speakers generally for some time, is the audio quality. The Echo Spot stands up reasonably well here too. It handles podcasts and audiobooks with ease which is fine for the majority of my listening in bed.
The only area I’ve found that it struggles is the combination of a broad range of frequencies at reasonably high — anything above about 70% and you’ll start to get distortion — volume; this combination leaves the mid-range audio coming over as muddy which is perfectly understandable for the physical size of the device. It’s also worth noting that it is a very directional speaker where you’ll lose a lot of the volume quickly if you move away from a roughly 45-degree arc at the front of the speaker.
I know I’m picky with audio, but I like listening to music at high quality; while the Echo Spot wouldn’t be my first choice of listening device, for its size and price it does very well.
Is the Echo Spot (2024) worth buying?
Becasue I’ve enjoyed this device so much, it pains me to say that the biggest barrier to being “worth it” is the cost. At $149.00 I can’t decide if it’s lacking features, or is simply overpriced. Keep your eyes out though, when they’re on sale they’ll likely drop under $100 and at that price – Get one, it’s a good deal.
If you’re after a smart speaker, for the extra $20.00 you could get an Echo Show 5 with more features, similar sound capabilities and touchscreen capabilities to control your smart home. For a lot of potential buyers, the extra money will be well worth the cost.
However, if you’re after a space efficient, smart alarm then this could well fit the bill for you. The sound is good, the screen is vibrant, there’s some good functionality there and it’s actually a pretty nice looking unit as a clock, or speaker.
The Echo Spot (2024) is available through Amazon online for $149.00 or through the usual retail channels.
