It’s not just the full-sized Amazon Echo that’s got a fresh new look for 2020. While most would accept a year with a full-blown pandemic as a valid excuse for an iterative update, Amazon has found time to come out with a whole new look for the Echo Dot and Dot with Clock, too.
Like its big brother, the fourth-generation Echo Dot has gone spherical for 2020. And while it doesn’t have any obvious spec bumps to speak of on paper, in day-to-day use, Amazon’s best-value smart speaker is better than ever, and remains the top choice for smart-home buyers on a budget.
Amazon Echo Dot 4th generation (2020): What you need to know
Amazon’s best-selling smart speaker is back for 2020, and this time it has a fresh new look – looking like a scale model of the full-sized 2020 Echo. While I compared the regular Echo to a child’s bowling bowl or a fabric-covered cantaloupe melon, the new Echo Dot is like a slightly swollen cricket ball in size and shape.
On the inside, theoretically, nothing has changed. A single 1.6in speaker is shared between both the third-generation Echo Dot and this new look pretender. And as for Alexa – the virtual assistant that can control your smart home and answer your spoken questions – it’s the same in every Echo, as it’s cloud-based and continuously updated.
Amazon Echo Dot 4th generation (2020): Price and competition
Given the lack of change, you may not be surprised to learn that the fourth-generation Echo Dot is going for the same price that the third-gen model launched at: £50 . The version with an LED clock goes for £10 more at £60 . Last year’s model sees a £10 price cut and can now be had for £40 , although unfortunately the clock version seems to have been discontinued. The main opposition comes in the form of the Nest Mini , which also goes for £50 . It comes with the superior Google Assistant built in, but still has no line-out port, meaning the slightly ropey speaker it comes with is the only option. If you’re happy to spend £40 more, then the full-sized 2020 Echo and Nest Audio come in to play at £90 . Your extra money buys you superior audio quality, but a far larger footprint.
4th-generation Echo Dot vs Echo Dot with Clock: What’s the difference?
For once, the differences between the two Echo Dots really is in the title.
Other than that, the fourth-generation Echo Dot and Dot with Clock are virtually identical: same dimensions, same sound quality and same Alexa, with just a 10g weight difference between the two, according to Amazon.
Amazon Echo Dot 4th generation (2020): Design
The Echo Dot, like the full-sized Echo, gets a fresh new look for 2020. Gone is the plastic hockey puck of the first two generations, and the slightly fatter fabric look of the third: in its place, a sphere slightly larger than your average cricket ball. Like the full-sized Echo, it’s about two-thirds covered in fabric, with the remaining third a hard matte plastic. It is, of course, flat on one side, to prevent it rolling around. I’m especially keen on the trademark ring of blue light that appears when the wake word is said. While on previous generations, this would appear at the top of the device, it’s now on the bottom, so it reflects softly against whatever surface it’s on. It’s a strong look.
Amazon Echo Dot 4th generation (2020): Performance
So, how does it perform? Well, the bizarre thing is that despite having the same internal speaker specs as the third-generation Echo Dot, the 2020 version somehow manages to sound markedly better. Maybe it’s something to do with the new round design, but I had both the 2019 and 2020 Echo Dot side by side on my desk, switching the same tracks between the two via Spotify Connect, and it was pretty clear which was better. While the third-generation Dot sounds a bit murky, the new Dot is a lot more crisp and clear, with more distinction between each instrument on a track. It can also reach louder volumes without distortion, although it’s still not a speaker you’ll routinely want to push past 5/10 on the volume dial. Both are better than the Nest Mini I have connected in my study, too.
Amazon Echo Dot 4th generation (2020): Verdict
The third-generation Echo Dot was a huge improvement on the previous Dots. The fourth-generation version is a smaller step forward, but only because there was nothing screaming out for improvement. It was already our favourite small smart speaker, and now it looks nicer with better sound for the same low price.