Amazon’s Echo Dot with Clock (2020) has a refreshed design, but is this enough to entice over its (usually discounted) predecessor?
The Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (2020) was announced alongside a host of other Echo speakers at the company’s hardware event in September 2020.
Like its predecessor, the Echo Dot with Clock (2020) can double as a bedside alarm, albeit one that comes with all the smarts of Alexa on board alongside the ability to control your smart home devices (via a separate Zigbee-supporting speaker).
It has undergone a rather radical design overhaul over the previous Echo Dot with Clock, sporting a space age-esque spherical design that’s available in both gray and white color schemes.
All the features of the previous Echo Dot with Clock remain, including a 3.5mm AUX-in port, and the blue Alexa light ring – although this is now located at the bottom of the smart speaker rather than the top.
Aside from the design change, there isn’t an awful lot that’s new about the 2020 Echo Dot with Clock. It houses the same 1.6-inch front-firing speakers inside, and despite what its spherical build might imply, there’s no 360-degree soundstage.
As a result, the Echo Dot with Clock (2020) doesn’t offer best-in-class audio, and it really won’t cut it as your main music-listening device. As a desk buddy, however, it works well enough to provide a little background music while you work or study.
It’s a shame then that Amazon hasn’t made greater improvements to the inner workings of its smallest smart speaker, because it’s hard to justify spending the extra money when the previous model can so frequently be found discounted.
However, those after a more powerful Dot will be happy to learn that Amazon has will soon launched the Echo Dot (2022), with upgraded audio. We’ll be publishing our review as soon as we’ve had chance to put it to the test.
In the meantime, if you’re considering the 2020 Echo Dot with Clock, read our full review below.
The Amazon Echo Dot with Clock is available to buy for $59.99 / £59.99 / AU$99, which is slightly pricier than the regular Echo Dot – by only by $10 / £10 / AU$20.
That price hasn’t changed since the first Echo Dot with Clock, which launched in 2019. Deals for the previous Echo Dot with Clock came fairly quickly after its launch, so you can expect the price of the newer version to be discounted in the coming months.
The low price of the Echo Dot with Clock puts it in direct competition with the Google Nest Mini, which cost $49.99 / £49 / AU$79. However, since this speaker is a little older now, it’s usually discounted.
Amazon’s 2020 Echo smart speakers all come sporting a spherical design, which gives them a rather futuristic look that our inner sci-fi nerd can’t help but love.
It’s a bold move from the company; after all, the cylindrical build of the previous Echos became ubiquitous with the idea of a smart speaker. However, we’re sure this look will be just as popular – Apple’s HomePod Mini has a similar design after all.
The Amazon Echo Dot with Clock is largely the same as the Echo Dot also launched in 2020, with the addition of an LED timepiece to the former allowing the device to double up as a bedside alarm clock or kitchen timer.
