Anyone who’s embraced Alexa likely has an Echo product to thank. Since 2014, Amazon’s smart speakers and displays have been listening for their wake words, ready to set timers and give you the weather, among other things.
Alexa has expanded her virtual footprint to other interesting products and even software. You can access Alexa in apps like Amazon Music on iOS or Android. But while Alexa on an app is nice, Amazon has some pretty cool hardware to house its virtual assistant, too. If you’re wondering which one to get, especially with Amazon Prime Day deals on the horizon, read on for a rundown of what each device brings to the table.
Recommended by Our Editors
The baseline of the Alexa hardware experience is the Echo, the fourth-generation of which takes the power and smart home hub of the Echo Plus and puts it in a round package. The sub-$100 Alexa-equipped Echo orb features three audio drivers, Zigbee, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Amazon Sidewalk, and Amazon’s AZ1 processor.
Put a slant on things with the angled Echo Pop, Amazon’s latest addition to its smart speaker lineup. Effectively a cheaper version of the orb-shaped Echo Dot, the Pop boasts a larger front-firing speaker and slightly different look, without sacrificing its Alexa-powered voice assistance functions. Designed to fit into small spaces like a dorm room or bathroom, the Echo Pop also features Amazon’s AZ2 Neural Edge processor and can serve as a network extender for Eero mesh networks.
With surprisingly robust Dolby Atmos-compatible directional audio, Amazon’s Echo Studio delivers just as much power as smart speakers that cost twice as much. It’s truly impressive for its size and price, enough to earn our Editors’ Choice award.
In September, Amazon rolled out a software update(Opens in a new window) that adds spatial audio processing, which can improve the immersiveness of stereo music, along with frequency range extension that can offer better bass and midrange response.
The Echo Show 15 is Amazon’s largest Echo Show yet, and is designed to be easily mounted on a wall. It features a 15.6-inch, 1080p LCD surrounded by a large, picture-frame-like bezel that can look like a painting or smart frame when not in use. A visual ID feature lets the Echo Show 15 identify anyone in a household who stands in front of it and load their own calendars and lists. It’s unique, but unless you specifically need a smart display to hang on your wall, Amazon’s other Echo Shows might serve you better. One recent update that may make it more useful: Fire TV support.
The third-generation Amazon Echo Show 10 smart display features a motorized base that lets it follow you around the room. There’s a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera with digital pan and zoom, so it automatically keeps you centered in the picture during video calls, which now support up to seven other people thanks to Alexa Group Calling. Echo Show devices also support Zoom (as well as Amazon’s own Chime video conferencing service).
For those with space constraints and a tighter budget, Amazon’s second-gen Echo Show 8 smart display offers just the right balance of price, performance, and size, with an updated camera for an even better video chat and home security experience. It sports an 8-inch, 1,280-by-800-pixel display and a 13MP camera with auto-framing, a jump up from the first Echo Show 8’s 1MP sensor.
For something even smaller, the third-generation Amazon Echo Show 5 improves on the previous model with a new speaker designed for deeper bass and 20% faster request response time, so you can set that alarm, add that grocery list item, or hear that joke marginally quicker. Available in three colors—black, blue, white—the 5.5-inch smart display fits virtually anywhere in your home, and comes with a 2MP HD camera and built-in shutter, as well the option to turn off the microphone and camera.
The kid-centric Echo Show 5 makes it easy for little ones to ask Alexa for homework help, make video calls to pre-approved contacts, and set wake-up alarms in the voice of their favorite characters. Now with an additional mic for improved voice-assist responsiveness and a faster AZ2 Neural Edge processor, the device comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+(Opens in a new window) (starting at $4.99 per month for Prime members after the first year) for access to thousands of books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, games, and skills. There’s also a two-year “worry-free guarantee,” which offers a free replacement for broken displays.
The Echo Dot has long been a space-conscious, affordable way to bring Alexa into your home. And Amazon’s formerly puck-shaped smart speaker now has a more orb-like form and a glowing blue LED. In late 2022, Amazon announced an update with a new audio system, a custom full-range driver that Amazon says doubles the bass the previous models can put out. Ultrasound motion detectors are also built into the new smart speakers, letting them respond to tap gestures and movement.
Plus, it includes Eero mesh Wi-Fi support, letting Amazon Dots serve as network nodes that can add up to 1,000 square feet of coverage to an Eero Wi-Fi network (the 4th-gen Dots also got an update adding Eero support).
The Echo Dot with Clock features the same spherical look as the latest Echo Dot, with the addition of a digital clockface that makes a big difference in usability. It too got all the updates added to the base Dot, plus new visible information like song titles and weather conditions, making it an ever smarter speaker than the previous model for the same price, earning it our Editors’ Choice award.
The Echo Dot Kids Edition is shaped like the Echo Dot, but comes in owl and dragon(Opens in a new window) prints. It packs some kid-friendly features, like one free year of Amazon Kids+ for thousands of hours of kid-friendly Audible books, interactive games, and educational skills. (After a year, Amazon Kids+ is $4.99/month.) This Echo Dot also comes with a two-year, worry-free guarantee, so if it breaks, Amazon will replace it for free.
This colorful smart light orb is intended for kids. Ask Alexa to change the Glow’s colors; tap to make it flicker like a campfire or flash while an Echo Dot plays music for a dance party. The Echo Glow doesn’t work with any Alexa skills and can’t be set to flash or give any indication of you getting a message or alert. But for the price, it seems like a fine smart light for your kids’ rooms. (Not to be confused with the now-defunct Amazon Glow, a $300 smart speaker plus projector that let kids connect with faraway loved ones and play games.)
Amazon’s Echo Buds true wireless earphones—not to be confused with the 2021 Echo Buds with ANC model—promise up to five hours of music playback per charge, and a sub-$50 price tag. The in-ear accessory, which sports an easy-hold stem, connect to two devices at the same time, so you can take that video call from computer to phone without missing a beat. Echo Buds are compatible with iOS and Android, with hands-free access to Alexa, Siri, and the Google Assistant.
The Amazon Echo Wall Clock is part of a line of products called Alexa Gadgets, which need to be connected to other Echo smart speakers. For people who want to make their Alexa-enabled homes even livelier, this clock lets you visually monitor countdowns.
Another Alexa Gadget, the Smart Plug connects to Echo devices like the Dot to turn compatible devices with mechanical on and off switches into smart ones. You can then say things like “Alexa, turn on the coffee pot.”
These aren’t quite AR glasses, but the $269.99 Echo Frames offer hands-free access to Alexa to make calls, request podcasts or Audible books, set reminders, and other tasks. They promise to last about 40% longer than the previous model when it comes to continuous audio playback, but battery life is still only at 2 hours of talk time, Alexa interactions, and media playback over a 14-hour day at 80% volume. Amazon does promise improved audio quality and a more premium feel, but you still need your compatible(Opens in a new window) smartphone nearby to connect to Alexa.
The Amazon Echo Sub provides much-needed sub-bass to your Echo smart speaker as long as you’re willing to overlook some frustrating limitations. In our review, we found that it can’t shake the walls like home theater subwoofers, and it’s held back by a bizarre incompatibility with Bluetooth streaming.
Echo Link connects to your existing stereo equipment, letting you control music playback and volume via Echo devices or the Alexa app.
The Echo Link Amp adds a built-in 60W, 2-channel amplifier and a left-right speaker binding post outputs for wiring directly to passive and non-powered speakers.
Google has Android Auto and Apple has CarPlay, so it was inevitable that Amazon would also get into the automotive space. The Echo Auto debuted in 2018 as a small device that attaches to the dashboard and responds to questions just like it would at home. A slimmed-down (and more expensive) version arrived last year for $54.99. As we found in our review, the lastest Echo Auto is ultimately just a good microphone that lets you use Alexa voice controls in your car. It’s not any more unique than the Alexa mobile app, but it might be able to hear you better.
Fire HD Tablets With Hands-Free Alexa
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids
They’re not Echo devices, but the Amazon Fire HD color tablets have hands-free Alexa support (even if the screen is asleep), meaning they can do everything the Echo Show does. With the exception of the kid-focused tablets, these prices are “With Special Offers” (translation: ads); get rid of them by paying an extra $15.
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