It keeps the spherical design, but adds in some new sensors and connectivity.
Yes, Amazon (AMZN) – Get Free Report unveiled the fifth-generation Echo Dot in Sept. 2022 and it saw a sharp discount for Black Friday. But now in December and ahead of the holidays, it’s once again over 40% off.
The standard Dot in Deep Sea Blue, Glacier White, or Charcoal is just $27.99, down from the $49.99 MSRP. And it’s an excellent holiday gift that will easily arrive in-time. If you have a Prime membership, it’ll likely arrive in just a day or two.
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Echo Dot Fifth-Generation ($27.99, originally $49.99 at Amazon)
What’s new with the latest Echo Dot? Well, the design is identical but under the hood Amazon’s tossed in new hardware. Notably, it can now give temperature readings. And this can be useful to get a feel for your space, but also to trigger a smart home routine.
For instance, with a connected smart thermostat, you can have it automatically engage heating or cooling if your home hits a certain temperature.
The other improvement is connectivity focused. “Eero Built-in” allows the Echo Dot to act as a Wi-Fi extender for an existing eero system. And while it won’t perform in the same way as a traditional Wi-Fi router, it can fix a dead zone or speed up bandwidth. It can provide speeds up to 100Mbps and covers up to an additional 1,000 square feet.
It also has Alexa built-in and far-field microphones to let you ask the assistant for really anything. Be it to trigger a smart home device, find out what the weather is, play a song, or ask for a joke. Up-top on the Dot is a dedicated mute button to electronically disconnect the microphone as well.
You shouldn’t judge the Echo Dot by its sheer size when it comes to audio performance either. The 1.73-inch front facing speaker produces surprisingly loud audio that is both clear and vibrant in my testing. Like the Dots before it, the fifth-generation is an easy way to add music to any room.
Whether you’re on the hunt for an affordable stocking stuffer, want to give the gift of music in any room, or shopping for a fan of technology, the fifth-generation Echo Dot likely fits the bill.
Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.
