Amazon Echo Dot (4th gen) review: Alexa's new small budget ball

Amazon's fourth-generation Echo Dot has evolved from its predecessors' puck-like appearance into a small ball, shaking up the idea of what a small smart speaker can look like. The new Echo Dot is priced the same as the last one, costing from £50, although it will be frequently available at a discount at various retailers, and looks like the full-sized £80 Echo hit with a shrink ray. It has a fabric top and front, hard plastic sides and back, and Amazon's traditional four-button array for turning the volume up and down, muting the microphones and an action button. It is a cute little ball that doesn't look like a speaker or its competition. But while it takes up the same footprint as its puck-shaped predecessor, it is about twice its height which makes it slightly less discreet in your home.