The Amazon Echo Dot is basically a little sister to the original Amazon Echo. At a fraction of the size, the Echo Dot is meant to compliment your main Amazon Echo by providing voice services in a different room or a different floor of your house. The Dot handles voice commands as you would expect, such as checking the weather, reading news headlines, setting alarms, and handling smart-home commands.

The main different between the Echo Dot and the Echo Tap is that the Dot is always listening for the wakeup word (the Tap requires a button press before Alexa starts listening). The Dot can also link it to a Bluetooth speaker for better sound quality when playing music. Or, connect a speaker using a standard audio cable. The Amazon Echo Dot can connect to the Amazon Prime Music Library, iHeartRadio, Pandora, TuneIn, and Spotify for streaming music.

In my experience, the Echo Dot worked just as well as the original Amazon Echo as far as understanding what I said. The multiple-microphone configuration allows you to talk to the Echo Dot in your normal speaking voice, even when you’re not near it.
One current limitation is that the Echo Dot cannot sync music playback with another Echo in your home, like Sonos or Google Chromecast Audio currently can.  The Echo Dot can “remember” the pairings for multiple Bluetooth speakers, but it can only connect to one speaker at a time (so no multi-speaker playback).

However, if you already have an Amazon Echo and you wish Alexa could here you throughout the house, the Echo Dot is an ideal “satellite” speaker that provides all of Echo’s functions in a smaller form factor.

PROs

• Functional: The Echo Dot does basically all the same tasks as the original Amazon Echo.  Most of your settings on the original Amazon Echo (smarthome settings, Pandora logins, Flash News Brief settings, etc) all carry over to the Echo Dot without reconfiguration.
• Bluetooth pairing: You can connect the Echo Dot to your own Bluetooth speaker for improved sound quality. Most Bluetooth speakers will automatically reconnect to the Echo Dot upon power on.
• Line-out: If you don’t want to mess with Bluetooth, you can also use the included audio cable to connect your speaker.
• Small form-factor: The Echo Dot is ideal for small spaces, such as a night stand.
• Accurate listening: Like the original Echo, the Echo Dot can hear you accurately, even if you are not directly facing the unit.

CONs

• Built-in speaker: The speaker built-in to the Echo Dot is very tinny and definitely not comparable to the original Amazon Echo.
• Bluetooth controls don’t pass through: If you press the “skip forward” button on your Bluetooth speaker, this does not make it to the Echo Dot.
• No coordination between the Echo and Echo Dot: If you stand within “ear”shot of both speakers and give a command, they will both respond.

Check out the Amazon Echo Dot on Amazon

Also, be sure to check some tips and tricks that you can perform on the Echo and Echo Dot 

Echo Dot (2nd Generation) - Black

Echo Dot (2nd Generation) - Black

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as of October 6, 2023 1:03 am

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Last updated on October 6, 2023 1:03 am

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Music

• Amazon Prime Music: Don’t forget you have access to the Amazon Prime music library on the Amazon Echo (if you’re a Prime subscriber). Just ask Alexa to play a song or artist from the vast Prime Music library to hear full songs.  “Alexa, play some Foo Fighters.”
• Pandora Radio:  Link up your Pandora account using the Amazon Echo app or alexa.amazon.com.  Then, you’ll need to specify “Pandora” whenever you request Alexa to play a station.  For example: “Alexa, play Blink 182 radio on Pandora“.   You can also vote with your voice by saying, “Alexa, thumbs up.”
• Sirius XM: If you subscribe to satellite radio (with the streaming add-on), you can listen on your Echo devices.  You’ll need to link your account by enabling the Sirius XM skill. Then, simply say something like, “Alexa, play Alt Nation on Sirius XM.”
• Prime Stations: Amazon offers Prime subscribers an ad-free streaming radio service called “Prime Stations”.  Simply say “Alexa, play the Green Day Prime Station” to start rockin’.  You can also skip with a “Alexa, next” or replay a song by saying “Alexa, go back”.  You can help customize the stations by saying “Alexa, thumbs up/down”.  (added 5/8/2015)
• Spotify:  Go into the Alexa app to link your Spotify Premium account, then ask Alexa things like “Alexa, play ‘jazz’ on Spotify” or “Alexa, play Ed Sheeran on Spotify”.  (added 2/5/2016)
• Load your own songs: The Amazon Echo won’t accept SD cards or otherwise store your music locally, but you can upload up to 250 songs to the Amazon Cloud Player for free.  Just go to the Amazon Cloud Player to get started.  Alexa will then happily play your requests. Update 1/5/2018: Unfortunately, Amazon Music Storage is being retired. More details are available here.

Traffic

• Traffic reports: Alexa can now tell you the fastest way to work.  Just go to alexa.amazon.com to configure your work and home addresses. Then say, “Alexa, how’s the traffic?”

Weather

• Snowfall amounts: Alexa normally doesn’t give snowfall amounts, but if you ask “Will it snow today?” or “Will it snow on Tuesday?”, she’ll give you the probability of snow and the expected amount.

Shopping

• Track your Amazon packages: Wondering where your order is? Just ask, “Alexa, where’s my stuff?” and the Echo will provide an update.  The Echo will also tell you when the order was placed and it will add a link to more details in the Alexa App. (added 5/13/2016)
• Print your Shopping List: You can’t tell Alexa to print anything, but you can head over to alexa.amazon.com on your computer and print your shopping list from the website.
• Order Domino’s: Use the Alexa app to enable the “Domino’s Pizza Skill”.  Then, Alexa can place an Easy Order or check the status of your existing order.

Wikipedia

• Guess the celebrity’s age: How often have you wondered how old an actor or actress is while watching TV?  Simply ask Alexa!  For example, you can ask: “How old is Gwyneth Paltrow?”

Home Automation

• Control Belkin WeMo: Alexa can now control your appliances connected to a WeMo control device.  For example: “Alexa, turn on the air purifier”.  You can get started by saying, “Alexa, discover my appliances.”  Need some WeMo controllers?
• Control Philips Bulbs: Alexa can also control your Philips bulbs.  For example: “Alexa, turn on the living room light”.  Need some bulbs?
• Wink Connected Home: The Wink hub is now supported by the Echo.  Just pull up the Echo app, go to Settings, then Connected Home.  You’ll find the option to login to your Wink account, and then you can then say, “Alexa, discover my devices”.  The Amazon Echo can then control many smart home gadgets!
• Samsung SmartThings: Alexa keeps learning more and more home automation skills.  She now controls Samsung SmartThings.  To introduce Alexa to your SmartThings, connect your devices to your home Wi-Fi and name them in their respective app. Then say, “Alexa, discover my appliances.”  (added 8/21/2015)
• ecobee Thermostat: Alexa can manage the temperature in your home if you have the ecobee3 Smarter Wi-Fi Thermostat.  You can say things like “Alexa, set the temperature to 72” or “Alexa, increase the temperature in my home.”  (added 2/12/2016)
• Lutron: Alexa’s voice control is also available for Lutron’s wireless dimmers and switches  (added 4/8/2016).
• IFTTT Channel: Amazon now has a channel in IFTTT that brings some integration to your phone and home devices.  For example, I can have Alexa add items to my iPhone’s built-in Reminders list thanks to the new IFTTT channel.  Amazon states that they will be adding more features in the future.
• Check out the complete list of connected home devices supported by the Amazon Echo.

Movies and Entertainment

• Movie Showtimes: When planning your evening, you can ask the Amazon Echo things like “Alexa, when is ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens” playing?” or simply “Alexa, what movies are playing?”.  Of course, Alexa will need to know your location, which can be set in the Alexa app.
• Read Kindle books: Alexa can read your Kindle books out loud.  Simply say, “Alexa, read my Kindle book” or “Alexa, read (book title).”

Setup

• Reconfigure your WiFi: Did you recently change your WiFi password, and now Alexa refuses to talk to you?  Press and hold the “Action” button (the button that is not the “Mute” button) for five seconds. The light ring will change to orange, and then you can use the Amazon Echo app on your phone to reconfigure the Echo.

Fun Stuff to ask Alexa

• How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
• What’s your favorite color?
• Will you marry me?
• When were you born?
• What’s your favorite food?
• Are we in the Matrix?
• Want to play global thermonuclear war?
• Self destruct.
• What does the fox say?

Check out the Amazon Echo on (you guessed it) Amazon

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