Amazon, somewhat surprisingly, revealed a new Echo device just in time for Prime Day.
The updated version of the beloved Echo Spot features a similar design to the original, but upgrades all the important stuff you’d want improved. Better display. Better speaker. Better performance.
One difference: The all-new Spot no longer utilizes the a full 360-degree screen. Instead, approximately a third of the bottom is used for the placement of a front-firing speaker, presumably improving upon the weak speaker performance of the original.
According to the media images, it looks like Amazon is retaining a “bedside clock” focus for this model. From what I can tell that means a clockface that boldly and cleanly displays key information you’d want to see at a glance including the time, date and weather. If you’ve owned something like an Echo Show 5 or 7, you might be one of the frustrated ones who tire of Amazon’s infinite rotating screens of ads and “try this” type prompts. Hopefully Amazon has taken customer feedback to heart and will, indeed, keep the spot serviceable as a true-to-goodness alarm clock.
Amazon Echo Spot (2024)
Key Features
- 2.83″ screen, 320 x 240 resolution
- 1.73″ front-firing speaker
- Hands-free Alexa voice assistant
- Motion detection
- Built-in privacy controls
- 4.5″W x 4.1″D x 4.4″H
- MSRP: $79.99 USD ($44.99 intro price for Prime members)
- Available: Amazon
Everything else should be familiar, including the built-in Alexa voice assistant which offers the requisite array of voice controls.
Amazon Music is integrated as usual as well — and there’s support for the other major services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, iHeartRadio and Pandora. And you can use the Echo Spot for alarms, in addition to triggering routines (good morning, good night, etc.).
Three colors are available at launch: Black, Glacier white, Ocean Blue.
Per Amazon, the regular list price is $79.99 USD. But there’s a Prime Exclusive Deal just in time for Prime members that cuts the price down to a somewhat more palatable $44.99. (My suggestion when buying Echo devices is to always look for an aging and cheaper Echo from around the house and use the trade-in feature to trigger an additional 20% off).
Amazon seems to have carved out an interesting niche with this device. Neither of the two major competitors in Apple or Google offer something remotely similar.
So long as Amazon lets this — please, please, please!!! — behave as a standard bedside alarm clock, and not a rotating billboard I think the refreshed Echo Spot should be a decent addition to the Echo product line.