amazon Amazon Echo Dot reviews
1.Amazon Alexa app on the phone
In order for Amazon Echo / Echo Dot to connect to the Internet, you must provide the Echo Dot / Amazon Echo Wifi password. This can be done through an application called Amazon Alexa. However, this application will not be available for download directly on AppStore / Google Play, as only US users can download.
You then have to install the Amazon AppStore application to download the Amazon Alexa application / download the apk application (for Android) from the third party website to install on your Smartphone.
In addition, you can install Amazon Echo / Echo Dot on your computer by visiting http://alexa.amazon.com/. The first step is to press and hold the Action key 5s on the Echo / Echo Dot to turn the Amazon Echo / Echo Dot into a Wifi emitter.
Then you connect your computer to Echo / Echo Dot and choose Wifi network as well as Wifi password for Amazon Echo / Echo Dot saved. Amazon Echo Dot will save this password to automatically connect to the next time.
2. The “Device Location” address when installing Amazon Echo Dot must be a US address
The first and very important thing for Amazon Echo / Echo Dot to work is that you need to install Device Location on the Amazon Alexa app or on the alexa.amazon.com Website.
For example, if you are Vietnamese and you choose an address that has Timezone -5 such as New York, then when you use Echo you can set the alarm at 7am by saying “Alexa, Set Alarm at 7.00 pm” (New York different Vietnam 12 hours).
Please note that if you log in to Amazon Alexa application / login on alexa.amazon.com Website with Amazon account, the system will initially identify your Device Location with the information you have installed on your Amazon account. .
So, before logging in / alexa.amazon.com, you should log in to your Amazon account to change the country setting in My Account to US.
3.Features weather updates, news
Please note that the default weather or news feature will be based on Device Location on the device. So when you ask for an Amazon Echo / Echo Dot weather update then you have to add the name of the city you are living in. Example: “Alexa, What is the weather in New York tomorrow”.
where can you get a Amazon Echo Dot online
All-New Echo Dot (2nd Generation) – Black: Buy it now
Certified Refurbished All-New Echo Dot (2nd Generation) – Black: Buy it now
4. Music features of Amazon Echo Dot can be said is the most important feature to users.
a) Amazon Music / Music Unlimited is paid music
For each Amazon Echo account at Alexa.amazon.com, you are provided with a free storage space for 250 music files. If you want to listen to free music with Amazon Echo Dot then you have to upload music and use these tracks.
If you want to access Amazon music giant music to listen to music and not have to upload music files to pay fees. Amazon Echo Dot users in the US can listen to music when they subscribe to Amazon Prime ($ 9.99 per month) or sign up for Amazon Music Unlimited ($ 3.99 per month).
Amazon Music Unlimited has about 10 million tracks and is a service that includes all Amazon music stores.
Amazon Prime offers only 2 million tracks, but Prime Member benefits are free. Free shipping of all US orders, free Prime Video (primevideo.com), free read hundreds of thousands of titles. Books on Kindle / Kindle apps on Smartphones.
You can register and try the free 30-day Amazon Prime service. The Amazon Prime Membership service has many benefits if you are a fan of music, video, and English books.
b) You can also subscribe to music with Spotify
In addition to Amazon Prime, you can also subscribe to music with Spotify. Amazon Echo Dot can connect to a paid Spotify account so you can listen to music. Spotify’s music database is almost three times larger than Amazon’s music database. So, the $ 9.99 / month Spotify package is also an option you might consider using with Amazon Echo Dot.
Evaluate the speech recognition capabilities of Amazon Echo Dot
In quiet environments (such as closed rooms), Amazon Echo Dot recognizes about 90% of questions / commands within a range of 1-3 meters. In a quiet environment, almost nothing has to do with the ability to recognize the voice of Amazon Echo Dot.
Amazon Echo Dot’s voice recognition rate will drop dramatically if you have a lot of noise in your home. In one experiment, the TV was not too far away from the Echo Dot (~ 5m). At the same time Echo Dot is playing music on a Bluetooth speaker that is about 1 meter away from Amazon Echo Dot, the ability to recognize the voice of Amazon Echo Dot reduced to about 30-40%.
That means 60-70% of the Amazon Echo Dot trials have not heard of the user’s command (standing 1-3m from Amazon Echo) and continue to play music. To increase the rate at which Amazon Echo Dot can recognize speech, you need to place speakers far from Amazon Echo Dot. At the same time you also need to limit loud noise from TVs, other appliances in the house. In the process that you ordered Echo, if there were other voices as well as when someone else in the house was talking loudly, the ability to recognize the voice would also decrease significantly.
This means that when the Amazon Echo Dot is running, calling the Amazon Echo with the “Alexa” command is a little bit of a hassle due to noise issues from speakers or other devices.
Amazon Echo Dot’s music playback capabilities
Amazon Echo Dot does not store data on the machine, but all data is downloaded from the Cloud Server of music services such as Amazon Music / Spotify. Thus, the quality of sound depends on the quality of music files and speakers connected to Amazon Echo Dot.
A Bluetooth speaker such as JBL Go Bluetooth Speaker will meet most of the needs of ordinary users. But if you want to listen to music with better quality, the Bose Soundlink Mini II Bluetooth Speaker is Amazon recommended for use with Amazon Echo Dot.
The skill of Amazon Echo Dot
Amazon Echo Dot is always ready. This means that soon after plugging in the Amazon Echo will be in the “Always On” state and the device will recognize the command, your question when you start to mention the keyword “Alexa”.
One of Alexa’s key skills is controlling smart devices. While the use of Amazon Echo Dot to control the phone (with the application of Amazon Alexa) is not too complicated, the control of smart devices in the house (light bulbs, air conditioners …) will need more equipment. Compatible hardware (eg bulb type + special switch Phillips manufactured).
Other Alexa skills such as Uber calling, such as those developed by third parties, are growing rapidly.
However, the basic features of Amazon Echo Dot are also quite good features and you can do a lot of things with Alexa’s Amazon Echo Dot virtual assistant.
And one thing is certain that behind the hundreds of thousands of Amazon Echo / Echo Dot users, there is an extremely strong development team. As a result, Alexa / Amazon Echo Dot is becoming more and more intelligent.