With Prime Day just a week and a day away, the retail giant is hoping there’s a circle-shaped hole in your life that could be plugged up with a smart speaker and smart alarm rolled (perhaps literally) into one. The new version of 2017’s Echo Spot boasts better speakers, new and cute visuals, and quick access to Alexa from your bedside. The only thing missing is a red and white color so that it would finally look like the Poké Ball smart alarm clock we want.
The original Echo Spot included a full-screen display with a more rounded shell. All in all, it was much more of a smart alarm than a speaker. The new Echo Spot device scales back the screen to 2.83 inches, making the directional 1.73-inch speaker far more prominent. At first glance, it looks like a deflated wheel with its non-adjustable flat bottom and semi-spherical rear end. The new smart alarm has a suite of clock faces and six color options to match your groggy morning vibes.
So, while it may not be the best kind of device for your living room—mainly when devices like the Echo Hub already exist—it’s made for sitting on your bedside table where you can use Amazon Alexa to get a low down on the day’s weather or quickly set the alarm before you take a nap. The new spot will also play a collection of animations set to your choice of music, and it should also be interoperable with other compatible smart home devices. Amazon also advertises that you can set Routines to automatically turn on different smart devices at various times of the day.
Echo devices like the Dot have been getting more round over time, but despite Amazon’s obsession with circles and spheres, the devices have sported quality sound systems. It’s not an Echo Show, and instead of displaying YouTube videos, its screen is only for simple weather animations. Another thing missing from the new Echo Spot is a camera for impromptu work calls directly from bed. Sure, it could work as a spy camera to keep tabs on your kids, but it also led to some significant privacy concerns from a company keen to vacuum up user data whenever possible. The new Spot has a physical mic-off button to address some of those privacy anxieties.
Which is to say, those limitations are largely a good thing. The new Spot seems like it’s doubling down on what already works with Amazon’s smart home lineup. The Spot from seven years ago started at $130 when it first came out. The new device starts at $80, though those who already spend $140 a year on a Prime membership can get it for $45.
