Amazon's Echo Dot started out as a low-cost way to dip your toe in smart home waters, and it remains that, but with upgrades like multi-room audio, stereo pairing, and Amazon Sidewalk compatibility, even seasoned smart home fans have good reason to add a Dot or two to their smart setup. There are three versions of the Dot: the Dot, the Dot with Clock, and the Dot Kids Edition. While the majority of this review will focus on the regular Dot, all of the same features can be found on the Dot with Clock and Kids Edition. The Dot with Clock is exactly what it sounds like. It has a numerical display on the front that shows the time or status of timers you've set.

Like chocolate-covered peanut butter or eggs served with bacon, an Amazon Echo Dot with a built-in clock turns out to be a splendid combination. The latest Echo Dot with Clock doesn't veer far from the original's winning formula, serving up the same basic LED display baked into an Alexa-powered smart speaker. The only real difference this time around, aside from slightly improved audio, is a revamped spherical design that's now shared by the standard Echo Dot and the flagship Echo model. While the new Echo Dot with Clock does represent a clear stylistic departure from the original, there's no real reason to rush out and replace an existing one. Available in "glacier white" and "twilight blue" flavors, the new Echo Dot with Clock got the same spherical makeover that the standard 4th-gen Echo Dot did. Measuring 3.5 inches tall and 3.9 inches wide, the Echo Dot with Clock is nearly two inches taller than its predecessor, although it's roughly the same width.

The revamped, fourth-generation Echo Dot has arrived, and it comes with a spherical design that sets it well apart from its smaller, flatter predecessors. But while it boasts an all-new look, the latest Echo Dot is essentially the same speaker as the (now steeply discounted) third-gen Dot, complete with onboard Alexa, stellar smart home capabilities, impressive communication features, and the ability to keep an ear on your home via Alexa Guard. And while we're pleased with how the new Dot sounds, its front-firing driver doesn't deliver a quantum leap over the older Dot's audio quality. So yes, the fourth-gen Echo Dot is technically the best Dot yet, but only by a narrow margin. Available in charcoal, glacier white, and twilight blue flavors, the fourth-gen Echo Dot marks a major departure in terms of the speaker's look and feel.

Amazon just announced its new line of Echo devices, and they are drastically different than the ones we have grown to love. Their form factor is completely new for 2020, and even more exciting is the fact that they are now available for pre-order. Echo devices and their built-in smart assistant, Alexa, have become the most popular names in smart home following their 2014 debut. Every year since, Amazon has launched new smart speakers, displays, earbuds, fashion assistants, and even eyeglasses. Some of it sticks, and some gets phased.

Amazon may have defined the smart speaker category with the Echo and its successors, but many competitors have the company beat in one specific way: audio quality. Amazon says the No. 1 activity for Echo users is playing music, but anyone who has used an Echo knows that the sound quality is nothing to write home about. Amazon must have recognized this, because improved speakers in the new Echo Dot and Echo Plus were a major talking point when they were announced in September. Reading between the lines, it seems safe to say that Amazon believes its Echo speakers can be the centerpiece of a respectable home-audio setup. How else would you explain the new $129 Echo Sub, a device that does nothing aside from wirelessly pair with another Echo device to bring the bass?

I called the second-generation Echo Dot "the Echo most people should buy." If you already have one, the only reason to upgrade to the new model is for its superior sound. The third-generation Dot is also prettier. It still looks like a hockey puck, but it now has softer edges and it's wrapped in your choice of charcoal, sandstone, or gray fabric. But if you're buying a smart speaker for all the things it can do besides playing music, the second-gen Dot is still around (though who knows for how long), and it costs $10 less.

Amazon is launching a cheaper version of its smaller-sized home assistant, the Echo Dot, that it claims will be better at recognizing your voice from afar. The device is up for preorder starting Wednesday and will be shipping next month. The new Echo Dot, which will be priced at 49.99 compared to its original price of 89.99, includes a more powerful speech processor and will be available in black and white color options. Amazon is also allowing anyone to purchase the Echo Dot, whereas it was originally only available for those with a Prime account and an Amazon device that supports its Alexa assistant. The Echo Dot, unlike its larger sibling, isn't meant to function as a primary home entertainment speaker.

Amazon just made its second-generation Echo Dot official. For those who are still hesitant, here's a rundown on why this hands-free, voice-controlled device would come in handy. Much like its predecessor, the new Echo Dot sports the same puck-like form factor. Also, the device still has the ability to add Alexa to existing speakers, according to The Verge. What's different is the addition of more buttons on top of the device and the completely redesigned voice processor. Amazon has also decided to make two color variants for the device: pearl and carbon.