28 September 2023 , 16:00
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Echo Dots are arguably one of the most sought-after gadgets from Amazon. These diddy speakers are designed for blasting music, radio and podcasts around your home, but playing your favourite tunes is just the start of what the devices can do.
Here's everything you need to know to get the most out of the handy home tech.
Each year, Echo Dots soar to the top of retailers' Black Friday sale pages as hundreds of shoppers look to add the tech to their home office, bedroom, living room and even kitchen - there's not a space in your home this gadget wouldn't fit in. And these nifty at-home features may just influence you to add one to your shopping list.
Everything from the usual smart-speaker qualities like streaming music, listening to the radio and podcasts, to controlling your TV and regulating the temperature of your thermostat - a helpful feature for those with beady eyes on their electricity bill this autumn winter.
Of course, it's home to Amazon's famous virtual assistant, Alexa, which users will be able to ask for help on a wide range of things, from getting the latest weather in your area, finding your local train timetable or turning on your TV and lights in the other room.
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The Alexa-controlled smart speaker can do its usual functions like telling the time, streaming music, setting timers and even controlling smart devices throughout your home, all aspects which have become well-known to the round Amazon devices. The 5th Generation product sets itself apart with a new temperature sensor that enables Alexa to tell users the temperature of their room and home – and adjust relevant smart home products, like blinds and thermostat, accordingly.
Also new is the tap sensor, so users can pause and play music by patting the top of the round device, along with the usual 'Alexa stop' command. The newest model also comes with improved audio, aimed for deeper bass, vibrant sounds and clearer vocals.
Echo Dot versus Echo Pop
There's a whole range of different versions of the 'Dot' devices. Which one should you add to your list?
The Echo Pop is the latest Amazon smart speaker and at £44.99 it's currently the cheapest option around. Although its new sphere design is intended to reduce the projection of sound, whilst it's perfect to add to a small space it won't fill up your whole downstairs with audio. Nonetheless, you'll still get access to all things 'Hey Alexa'.
The Echo Dot 5th Generation is the latest line of 'dot' devices and was launched back in 2022. This is one for shoppers to go for if you're looking for a virtual assistant with pretty much anything around the house. Which you can see for yourself below.
Five quirky things you can do with an Echo Dot
These small devices can do anything from setting timers to heating your homeLet's get into it.
Number one is it's the perfect kitchen 'sous chef'. There's nothing worse than rushing to get dinner done whilst scrambling through a last-minute recipe. This is where the dot comes in to be a handy virtual assistant as it can read out recipes, and set multiple timers for the microwave, oven and air fryer (for example).
Number two, and also in the kitchen, is it's a great shopping assistant. If you've run out of an ingredient at home you can simply ask Alexa to add it to your online shopping list; 'Alexa, add milk to my Amazon fresh order'.
Moving onto number three and its built-in at-home workouts. One for any fitness fanatics, this feature may be a lifesaver to cut down on gym costs. The next time you want to do a workout at home the Echo Dot will find a relevant one for you on the internet and guide you through step by step.
Number four, the Echo Dot white noise to help you sleep. For example, you could say 'Alexa, play snore sounds' to open up its library of tranquil, soothing audio.
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And lastly number five, its built-in Alexa to help you find lost devices. 'Alexa, help me find my phone'. If you've misplaced it around the house then Alexa will ping it through the Amazon app, and it works on any digital device as long as it has been added to the app.
Connect your Echo Dot to the thermostat
A smart feature which could save you a lot of money at home, it's pretty cool to be able to do it by simply saying 'Alexa'. To use this feature you'd need a thermostat from either Google Nest, Ecobee Smart Thermostat, Honeywell Home T10 or the Amazon Smart Thermostat.
The next step is to ensure you have the Alexa app downloaded to your phone or tablet. This is the key to setting up the smart features around your home. Once you do follow the steps below to sync your smart thermostat to your Echo Dot.
- Tap the three lines on the upper-left side of the screen to open the menu, in the Alexa app
- Tap 'add device'
- Scroll down the list of devices and tap 'thermostat'
- Tap the name of your smart thermostat (e.g. 'Nest')
- Click continue, then tap 'enable to use'
Don't want an Echo Dot? Go for the Amazon Echo Show 8
Watching The Grand Tour on the Echo Show 8An Echo Dot may not be the right product for you, whether it's too small or you're looking for a different style of smart speaker. Here's an alternative picked out by Mirror Choice, the Echo Show 8.
Known for its Alexa-powered voice assistant, Amazon’s own tech devices came into their own with the Echo Dots. The retailer has exceeded the original speakers' performance with its tablet version - the Echo Show 8 1st Gen.
It's still a smart speaker in its own right but tallies up as a tablet so users can watch films and series on it, as well as set up art galleries to display in their homes. It's another Amazon device we back up here at Mirror Choice and you can read our full review; 'The smart speaker I didn’t know my home needed until now'.