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There was an Echo for your car, an Echo subwoofer, an Echo microwave, and an Echo Clock. Plus, Amazon revealed redesigned versions of the more mainstream Echo Show, Dot, and Plus.
There are now so many Echo devices, it's almost impossible to count them - and seemingly even harder to pick the right one for you.
But even though Amazon makes plenty of solid Echo devices to choose from, there is actually one option that will suit most people just fine: the Echo Dot. It may seem like the most basic option in Amazon's lineup, but there are plenty of reasons to buy the Dot over some of the fancier options.
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Here's why the Echo Dot is the only Echo you really need:
The Echo Dot only costs $50, and Amazon frequently offers promotions on it — for Black Friday, for instance, Amazon was selling the Dot for $24, and for the holidays, it's on sale for $30.
Compared to Amazon's other devices, the Dot is crazy-cheap. The standard Echo is $100 (although it's on sale for $70 right now), the Echo Spot is $130, and the Echo Plus is $150. But there's no reason to spend that much when you can get a Dot for as lost as $24.
The original Dot was a hard, plastic device that had the overall look and feel of hockey puck. But the new Dot adopted the fabric exterior of the standard Echo, giving it a fuzzier, cozier look.
The new design makes the Dot look not only more high-end, but more modern, too, and it should fit into your home's decor better. Plus, the Dot's small size means it fits well into nearly any space in your home — your bedside table, your kitchen counter, your bathroom...you name it.
3. The functionality
Perhaps the most important reason to choose the Echo Dot has more to do with what's on the inside than what's on the outside.
The version of Alexa that lives inside the Echo Dot is no better and no worse than the Alexa that lives inside the Echo and Echo Plus. The Echo Dot can still answer random questions, make shopping lists, let you know the status of your package, tell you the news and weather, and more. You're not getting a subpar Alexa just because you buy the less expensive product.
The only area where the Dot may not measure up to other Echo devices is the audio quality. Amazon improved the speakers on the Dot compared to the previous generation, but due to its small size, the sound quality likely isn't as good as a device like the Echo Plus.
However, the Echo Dot has an ace up its sleeve: It has a standard audio jack in the back, so you can plug in any full-sized speakers you happen to have lying around. You can still talk to Alexa via the Echo Dot, but the sound output will come through your sound system — meaning it's a good, affordable way to make your existing stereo a little smarter.
That being said, if you're in the market for high-end audio, and you don't have your own speakers, don't buy an Echo anyway. There are far better speakers out there for playing music, audiobooks, or podcasts.
