The Echo Dot is one of the most popular smart speakers on the market and possibly the best-selling of them all. Its strengths, besides Alexa's excellent performance, are undoubtedly its size and price. I've been testing the fourth-generation Echo Dot with a clock for a few days now, and here's my experience.
Echo Dot 4th Gen with clock, video analysis
A design for any corner of the house
When I talked about the Amazon Echo, I already mentioned that the change in form factor was one of the biggest draws of this new generation of Amazon smart speakers. With this new Echo Dot with clock, I'll say it again: the spherical design suits it very well. So much so that its size makes it even more capable of fitting into any corner of the house.
Like a small ball, its 10 cm width and 8,9 cm height make it a perfect fit for any space. Whether it's a living room cabinet, a bookshelf, a bedside table, your office desk, or your workspace or gaming setup, it's ideal. Plus, the built-in time display adds a useful feature.
This screen is what really sets it apart from the other model out there without a clock. Is it essential? No, but if you are not very sure, the truth is that for 10 euros more it is worth betting on this version. Even so, it is you who must decide. As a detail, it can be turned off if you don't want it at some point.
Otherwise, there's little more to tell you about its aesthetics; the product looks great. This gray color is very minimalist, which makes me like it even more. Furthermore, the build quality is excellent. No cheap plastics or flimsy feel.
Control Options and the Alexa Experience
The new 4th Gen Echo Dot with clock retains the same button and connection layout as the previous version. That is, the four top buttons can be used to control the volume, mute the microphones, and activate or cancel Alexa.
At the back you find two connections. One of them is for the cable that feeds the device itself and the second is a 3,5mm jack so you can connect it to an external sound system. Why the latter? Well, so that the music that it plays, for example, is heard with a higher quality or it does so through a piped music installation that you may have at home or similar.
As I mentioned, that connection is output-only ; there's no input option to use the Echo Dot as a PC speaker. That capability is only offered by the Amazon Echo we recently reviewed, which costs more than this model, and naturally sounds better. It also includes something as valuable as a Zigbee hub for devices compatible with that connection standard.
Regarding the experience with Alexa, I am not going to assess again the capacity of the Amazon assistant in terms of response and understanding, you already know that it is at a high level and from my point of view it is the assistant that behaves best. What I am going to tell you about is how it works at the level of response speed and quality of the microphones.
If you've used or own a 3rd Gen Echo Dot, I can tell you that this new Echo Dot behaves exactly the same . If there's a difference, it's minimal and not noticeable in everyday use. Therefore, it doesn't feel as responsive as the new Echo. Even so, it's not a problem, because even in another room, if you raise your voice slightly, it hears and understands you perfectly.
Sound quality
I'd love to tell you there are changes in sound quality, but there aren't. That doesn't mean it's bad, quite the opposite. I think the Echo Dot is a device that offers very good performance as a speaker , considering its price and size.
I have been using it in different locations and for different things like listening to music, podcasts and even making a call thanks to the Drop-in function and it has behaved perfectly in all of them. Logically, if you are an inveterate audiophile, you will see that it offers what it offers, but despite this, it is surprising that therefore little of so much.
Third or fourth generation Echo Dot?
Perhaps this is the question you've been asking yourself from the start, so I'm going to answer it after these days of personal experience. As a user of the 3rd Gen Echo Dot, I have to say that the difference between the two in terms of sound quality, microphones, and user experience with Alexa is minimal or nonexistent.
With a speaker with the same diameter, the reproduction of all frequencies is similar, so you can listen to all kinds of content, but without demanding the quality that the Echo or higher-priced Sonos-type smart speakers or similar would give you.
Therefore, why should you bet on an Echo Dot with a 4th Gen clock instead of the previous one? Well, purely and simply for an aesthetic issue. That is to say, the previous version was not ugly at all, but when comparing it, it is much more attractive and fits better in all types of environments.
So if design matters to you, this new model is better . If not, and you're planning to buy several, the price difference might make it worthwhile to buy the older model and get an extra speaker. But ultimately, it's your decision.
See offer on Amazon See offer on AmazonThe important thing, what you must be clear about is that if the previous Echo Dot have been sales successes, this new model has also been. Its change in form factor is liked, the experience with Alexa is still the best and the sound quality maintains the level. So, if you are thinking of buying it or not, I can only advise you to do so. It makes up for every euro it costs, even if it is not with one of the attractive discounts that can be found.