Spot, the newest addition to Amazon’s line of Echo speakers, is not only a near-perfect alarm clock and everything else you would associate with an Alexa-enabled Echo device but is also pleasing to the visual faculty, an area its predecessors were found wanting in.
At the expense of being somewhat unkind to Amazon, one has to say that the Echo Spot looks more like a product you would expect out of an Apple facility, rather than what we’re used to seeing from Amazon, aesthetically speaking, of course.
Gone is the unsightly retro look of the previous line of Echo smart speakers!
It is the ideal cross between the Echo Show and the Echo Dot, retaining all the goodness of both in a stylishly compact half-hemispherical design, the size of a softball that blends in perfectly in your home.
With a price tag of $130, the Spot is not only expected to give similar Apple and Google products a run for their money, it can potentially topple its own.
Designed to resemble an alarm clock, it’s the perfect bedside companion – not that it looks out of place elsewhere in the home environment.
With the announcement of the new alarm feature for all Alexa-powered devices last week, the Echo Spot’s release has been perfectly timed.
The new feature allows you to set your alarm to wake you up with music from the streaming service of your choice, be it Amazon’s own Prime Music Unlimited or third party services supported by Alexa-powered devices such as iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, and SiriusXM.
Read more about that feature here:
“Alexa Can Now Wake You Up Shaking a Leg to Your Favorite Tune” (https://timelybuzz.com/alexa-can-now-wake-shaking-leg-favorite-tune/)
Here are some of the main features of the Amazon Echo Spot.
Designed to blend in perfectly anywhere in your home, the Echo Spot’s second-generation far-field voice recognition allows you to watch video flash briefings, see music lyrics, weather forecasts, shopping and to-do lists, browse and listen to Audible audiobooks, and more.
All you need to do is ask Alexa – a cloud-based voice service. It’s the ultimate hands-free experience.
Just ask the Alexa-powered Echo Spot to play music by song, artists, or genre, and see lyrics with Amazon Music and even stream music and books from Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and Audible, using Spot’s built-in speaker or connecting to other speakers via Bluetooth or 3.5 mm stereo cable. With multi-room music, you can play music on your Echo devices in different rooms.
Make it read the news, answer questions, and control your smart home devices by simply asking Alexa to lock your doors, turn on your lights, show baby monitors and front door cameras, as well as control your TV, thermostats, garage doors, sprinklers, and more – to give a few examples of its handiness.
You can use voice commands to request an Uber ride, order your favorite pizza, make hands-free calls, or connect to family and friends through video calls or instantly connect to other Echo devices in your home.
With tens of thousands of Alexa skills and growing, the sky is the limit when it comes to the Spot’s usefulness!
I love Google Home, but #Alexa has won my bedside spot. #EchoSpot pic.twitter.com/4zPmZkZn3e
— EY.AL⚡️ (@eyalshahar) December 19, 2017
Is the new @amazon #EchoSpot the next breakthrough #VoiceFirst device or a preemptive move against @Google ? https://t.co/R9QxumVM1X pic.twitter.com/xP2z7q1KFi
— Greg Liburd (@lovegreg) October 4, 2017
When will the #echospot be released in the uk ?@AmazonUK
— Anthony Copeland BMB (@masterbarberuk) December 19, 2017
Looking forward to getting my pre-ordered #EchoSpot in a few days. New toy! https://t.co/sWqTxoa8QO pic.twitter.com/zxGG6yameu
— David Heyman (@dcborn61) December 19, 2017