Amazon Echo Dot 3

amazon Amazon Echo Dot 3 reviews

While I am often surrounded by great technology, I confess that I have never used an Amazon Alexa-enabled speaker in my home until now. That is because I bought a Google Home first and have been on board the Google Assistant ever since. Also, once you’ve invested in the ecosystem, it’s hard to make the switch.

But I am turning to Amazon’s Alexa with the company’s latest affordable smart speaker in the Amazon Echo Dot with Clock. I know what you’re thinking. It’s just the Amazon Echo Dot slapped with an LED clock. But don’t dismiss it just because it’s a subtle change.

Try these new features.

Alexa is getting smarter by the day, thanks to regular updates that expand her toolkit. While there are some basic features that you should know about, new tricks will be available every month. You can try the following with Amazon Echo Dot with Clock.

Get the latest weather alerts.

Storms and other severe weather can pop up instantly, which is useful for the latest warnings. The Echo Dot with Clock can keep you up to date by saying, “Alexa, let me know when severe weather warnings are available.

Election Update

There will be a lot of news as the presidential election gets in the way, so it’s a good idea to know what’s going on in the political arena. You can use Echo Dot with the Watch to get the latest voting information, debate summaries, and more. All you need to do is say, “Alexa, what is my election update” or “Alexa, what happened during the last debate?”

Timekeeping

With the advent of smartphones, bedroom alarm clocks have almost become extinct. So why in the world would we need another stationery thing to tell us the time? Well, since even the Xfinity cable box in my bedroom has removed the Clock from its design, there’s no other way to tell the time unless I glance at my phone.

That’s why I can highly recommend the Amazon Echo Dot with Clock because when you’re half asleep, you don’t want to fumble around for the time. Instead, I can quickly glance at the puck-sized speaker on my nightstand. Since the brightness of the LED meter adapts to the ambient light conditions, it is never too bright or dim.

When you’re half asleep, you don’t want to fumble around for the time.

It’s great to see different color options for the LED Clock, but the design of this Echo Dot is refreshingly simple and intuitive. No-fuss about it. You don’t even have to touch your phone.

Existing owners of the 3rd generation Amazon Echo Dot won’t find anything majorly different with the design of this latest model. Besides the addition of that LED clock, so does the rest of the speakers. It has a fabric exterior finish, physical buttons on the top, and a signature light ring. Available in sandstone only at the moment, it complements any décor without completely overpowering anything you might lay around.

While the Google Nest Mini has a more cohesive look, mainly because it takes advantage of the LEDs and buttons embedded in its fabric case, the Amazon Echo Dot benefits the Clock by providing a more tactile experience.

Don’t expect to explode.

Due to its compact size, the Amazon Echo Dot with Clock won’t be your primary choice for tune-ups when friends are over. That’s one thing for sure! For smaller, isolated spaces, its sonic performance is adequate, but the distortion becomes noticeable at higher volumes, and it exposes how this speaker struggles to maintain clarity.

As I started adding more skills and my different accounts, it became clear that Alexa was as capable as Google Assistant.

The 3.5mm auxiliary jack means you can connect speakers to boost musical performance if you want, although that can be an awkward solution.

Amazon Echo Dot with Clock is best suited for interactions with Alexa. The four microphones responded well to my voice commands, while Alexa’s default voice responses were much more natural in tone than Apple’s Siri or the Google Assistant. The speaker has correctly detected all my requests.

Diversified smart home integration

At first, Alexa doesn’t seem as smart as Google Assistant. However, once I started adding more of my skills and different accounts, it became clear that she had the ability. It can control my Philips Hue lights, make a phone call or order a pizza.

Echo’s LED clock adds the convenience of displaying a countdown when setting a timer. It can also display the temperature when you ask Alexa for it. These are small features, but it eliminates the need to rummage around with my phone. Besides, the same features that exist with the last one continue to be available here.

While you can’t deny Alexa’s ability to control various smart home devices, there are still some minor annoyances with which I’m using Alexa. For example, I can’t adjust the speaker’s volume using the volume controls on my smartphone unless I run the Alexa app and select the volume control option.

Another minor complaint I’ve dealt with Alexa is that I can’t stream something I’m listening to on my phone to the speaker using an app. Pandora lets me do this if I’m using a Google Home device, but the Echo device doesn’t support it. Instead, everything is managed through the Alexa app.

You could argue that these functions can all be done by talking to Alexa, but sometimes I still like to control my smartphone.

That claim aside, I have to admit there is a huge library of Alexa skills that enhance the functionality of this virtual assistant using the Amazon Echo Dot with Clock. It’s impressive, even if it’s not perfect.

Warranty Information

Amazon Echo Dot with Clock comes with 90-day limited service and warranty.

Adding an LED clock to existing speakers may seem like a lazy update on Amazon’s part, but the Echo Dot (3rd Gen) with Clock remains a standout among entry-level smart speakers. Indoor scenes with a special $60 smart home integration, powerful Alexa assistant, and a design to match any décor.

where can you get a Amazon Echo Dot 3 online

Echo Dot (3rd Gen) – Smart speaker with Alexa – Charcoal: Buy it now