Which Echo Is Right For You? Here’s a breakdown of Amazon Smart Speakers

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• Amazon Echo smart speakers and displays can be used as digital assistants with Alexa support. 
• The Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Studio and Echo Studio speakers will be included in this lineup. There will also be four Echo Show displays.
• For help in choosing the right Echo for you, we have broken down each model.

Amazon continues to expand its selection of Alexa enabled smart speakers and displays. These include the budget-friendly Echo Dot, Echo Studio, and Echo Show 15. 

Echo devices can be used as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi speakers and also support Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa. Alexa allows you to link and control multiple Echo devices simultaneously, and each Echo model can act as a hub that connects with other smart home products. 

Echo users can ask questions, set timers or alarms, control smart lights and other compatible devices, and search for information using simple voice commands. A future update will allow Echo speakers to be used as Wi-Fi extenders by Amazon’s eero Wi-Fi devices.

We’ve broken down Amazon’s entire lineup of smart speakers and displays to help you choose the right Echo device for your needs.

How to get great deals on Echo devices

Amazon Deal Events like Prime Day and The upcoming often offer Echo devices at a discounted price Prime Early Access. These sales often offer all-time low prices on the entire line of products.

During these events, the price of a standard Echo can often be reduced to the cost of an Echo Dot. Budget shoppers will find them even more affordable with 50% off current Echo Dot models.

However, the Echo Dots 5th-generation, set to launch October 20, are not yet available for purchase. They won’t be discounted at the Prime Early Access event, October 11 and 12.

Echo Dot (5th Gen)

On October 20, the Echo Dot smart speaker’s latest version will be available. The new model features the same spherical shape as the fourth-generation Dot but is larger. Important internal improvementsYou get twice the bass and temperature sensors, as well as expanded tap controls.

Although the base price of the new model is the same as the previous model, the fourth-gen Dot can still be bought for much less through Prime Early Access sales. The fifth-gen Dot has not been tested yet so we are unsure how it performs. Based on the specs, however, we believe this new model will be the best for buyers looking for an Alexa speaker that is compact and can play music with a little more power. 

Echo Dot with clock (5th Generation)

The latest Echo Dot has a clock that is more accurate and can display the temperature, calendar notifications, music playback information, and calendar notifications. The fifth-generation Echo Dot will launch alongside the new model on October 20. Echo Dot with clock is a speaker that has the same functionality and features as the standard model.

Echo Dot is a good choice for those who are willing to pay a little more. The clock-like display makes it a great companion in the bedroom or kitchen. The fourth-generation Echo Dot is on its way. Its display only shows time and alarms.

Echo Dot (4th Gen)

Although the Echo Dot 4th generation is more affordable than its predecessor, the sound quality is not as good and there are no temperature sensors. However, it’s still an affordable smart speaker that can be used in bedrooms or on kitchen countertops.

Although we recommend that you spend a little more on the fifth-generation Dot for better audio performance, the older model is still a great value when it is on sale.

Echo Dot (3rd Gen)

Amazon sells the third generation Echo Dot even though there are two newer models. While the older model has a slightly different design to the fourth-gen Dot that is oval-shaped, it still offers similar sound quality and overall features. 

While the Echo Dot’s third generation is the most expensive, the design and features that the fourth and fifth-generation Echo Dots offer are worth it. The Echo Dot 3G is still an affordable option for those looking for a basic Alexa device on a limited budget.

Echo Dot Kids (5th Gen)

The fifth-generation Echo Dot Kids includes a fun owl/dragon design and a one year subscription to Amazon Kids+. This service offers books, games, Alexa skills, and books for children. Amazon Kids+ can be accessed from other devices, such as tablets and Kindles. Echo Dot Kids has a two year warranty that covers accidental damage and will replace it.

Echo Dot Kids costs only $10 more than the regular model. If your child is going to use the speaker most of the time, the additional benefits are worth the extra cost.

Echo (4th Gen)

Amazon’s flagship smart speaker, the fourth-generation Echo serves as a larger version the Dot. The Echo Echo is just two inches longer and taller than its Echo Dot counterpart, but it has dual-tweeters as well as a woofer and tweeters. This speaker is smaller and lighter than the Echo Dot’s one speaker. Due to the Echo’s better sound quality, it is more suitable for larger spaces, such as living rooms, while the Echo Dot will work well in smaller spaces, such as bedrooms or kitchen counters.

The Echo supports Zigbee wireless protocols, which are more efficient than Bluetooth or Wi-Fi when controlling compatible smart homes devices.

The Echo’s cost can drop as high as 40% during Amazon sales events. If you are looking for a larger Echo to fill a larger space, then the standard Echo may be the best option.

Echo Studio

Amazon’s premium smart speaker is the Echo Studio. It features five audio drivers, including one that fires downward. This gives the Studio the best sound performance among the Echo line, making it a smart speaker that can be used in a home entertainment system. Echo Studio is the only Echo to support spatial audio and Dolby atmos, which allows for a wider soundscape and more realistic music and movie soundtracks.

If you own a device with an optical output such as a smart TV, video game console or smart TV, the Echo Studio can be used to input Toslink mini-optical Toslink. As a smart home hub, the Echo Studio supports Zigbee wireless.

The Echo Studio is more expensive than premium wireless speakers like Bose and Sonos. Although most customers will be happy with the standard Echo or Dot, Studio’s superior audio performance makes it an excellent choice for customers who need an all-in-1 speaker system with Alexa.

Echo Show 5 (2nd generation)

Echo Show 5 is Amazon’s entry-level smart display. It supports Alexa. It’s basically an Echo speaker with a screen. It has all the Alexa features Echo devices are famous for. It can also make video calls and stream content from streaming apps such as Netflix and Prime Video.

The Show 5 is however a little less advanced than the other Echo Show models. It is the only model with a low-definition display and only has one speaker. The camera only has 2 megapixels. Although the Show 5 is a solid model for its price, we recommend that you spend a little more to get the Show 8. It has a larger HD screen and a better camera for video calls.

Echo Show 8 (2nd Generation)

Echo Show 8 boasts a screen resolution nearly twice that of the Show 5 and dual speakers. It also has a 13 megapixel camera which is significantly more powerful than the Show 5. Echo Show 8 has a better screen resolution for viewing video. Echo Show 8 will continue to be a smart home hub that supports music and video apps.

The Echo Show 8 is our favorite smart display by Amazon. We think it offers the best value-price ratio. This Echo Show model is best for most people. 

Echo Show 10 (3rd generation)

Although the Echo Show 10 screen is larger than the Echo Show 8, it has the same resolution. The motion display stand is what really makes the Echo Show 10 different. It can automatically rotate the screen so that it faces you when in use. Echo Show 10 comes with an additional woofer to enhance the sound quality and a Zigbee smart house hub system that is missing in the Show 8.

Echo Show 10 is twice as expensive as Echo Show 8. We think that this model is best for those who expect to use the motion display stand often while multitasking or cooking. 

Echo Show 15

The Echo Show 15 model is the only one that can be used in portrait or landscape mode. It can also be wall-mounted. However, the Echo Show 15’s camera and speakers perform worse than Show 8 and 10, which suggests that Show 15 was designed to be used as a wall display and not as a countertop device. 

It’s cheaper than the smaller Echo Show 10, which is a good thing. Echo Show 15 may not work in every home, but it is an interesting piece. Although it would be great to have speakers and cameras that are comparable in quality to the Echo Show, buyers who desire something larger that can be hung on their walls should look into it.