I like the way that the buttons (Action, Mute, Volume) blend into the design, and that they’re slightly raised and are different shapes, making them easier to feel for by hand. The new Echo Dots will also come with Eero wi-fi support built-in and can be used as mesh network extenders with Eero as well (the 4th Gen Dots will be updated with Eero in the coming months).

The speaker projects sound forward through the mesh, rather than 360-degrees like its predecessor, while a silicone rubber foot keeps the ball from vibrating or rolling around. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian The Echo Show 10's dual, front-firing tweeters and woofer cannot move along with the screen (the screen is on an arm at the top of the speaker), but the barrel-shaped design still offers a decent shot at omnidirectional sound. Said screen can also rotate while you're watching the news, flash briefings, or TV shows from Hulu + Live TV and Prime Video. So just because you're cooking, you won't miss a second of your favourite show. The smallest and most affordable Echo speaker is now in its fifth generation. It might look the same as the previous model, but the Echo Dot (5th Gen) brings a serious sound upgrade. As well as showing the time, the screen shows you timers (those less than an hour are shown as a countdown; those over just put a ‘.’ on-screen at the top to show you that a timer is active). Set an alarm, and you get another ‘.’ on the screen (the lower one). As I said earlier, if you want the best-sounding smart speaker, the Sonos One is the way to go. But if you’re looking for a smart speaker that will not just play tunes, but act as a central smart home hub, the 4th-generation Echo is an excellent choice.

Strong audio and even stronger smart home skills make the new Amazon Echo the most well-rounded smart speaker you can buy

Another feature that's just arrived on the 4th gen Echo is motion sensing. This works similar to motion sensing on the Echo Show, but while those devices rely on a camera, the Echo uses "inaudible ultrasound" to sense when there's someone nearby. Echo Dot speakers can also control timers and alarms by only using your voice. You can even add items to your calendar without lifting your finger. There are certainly many things that you can do and achieve with this state-of-the-art device. Echo delivers clear highs, dynamic mids and deep bass for rich, detailed sound that automatically adapts to any room. A new low-power mode will reduce the Echo’s power consumption while it’s idle, with some caveats. The Echo won’t enter low-power mode if you linked a Spotify account to your Alexa account, if Alexa Guard is in Away mode, if there’s an active notification, if you have an external speaker plugged into the Echo, or if a smart home device is connected directly to the Echo via Bluetooth. If you need Alexa, there aren't too many rivals with these specifications, it must be said. However, if you're an iPhone user, the original HomePod now supports Apple's Lossless audio quality and spatial audio. The HomePod Mini also supports Lossless but not spatial audio – yet.

If you don't care for a screen but do want that Zigbee smart hub (to enable your lights, cameras and thermostat to work together for a truly smart automated home) plus a wider soundfield, all powered by Alexa, it's a great shout. Just want to dip your toes into the smart speaker, er, sphere? You may be fine with the Echo Dot. As well as hardware, there are still some omissions in the Echo multi-room functionality. Multi-room isn't possible when music is playing over Bluetooth, for example, and certain non-music content such as e-books aren't supported either. The display shows time in 12 or 24-hour format, and will also display the current outside temperature among other things on command. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian Yes – for some people. This is because the question of which voice assistant to introduce to your home is largely a personal one. If your household comprises mostly iPhoneusers, for example, the HomePod Minioffers Apple-focused functionality and a step up in terms of sound quality over the Echo Dot,albeit at a substantial price hike. Similarly, if you like speaking to the Google Assistant, the answer may also be 'no'. But if you've yet to pledge allegiance to a virtual voice assistant and you're open to the idea, this is a top entry-level smart speaker. The display is brighter than previous Echo Shows, and it has a 13MP camera to show off your visage in all its glory. The new Alexa Group Calls feature lets you call up to eight people at once (just say "Alexa, call my family").Every Echo speaker (including the Echo Sub) supports the multi-room feature, as well as third-party speakers from the likes of Sonos.

The Dot is larger and produces slightly fuller and wider audio because of it, despite having the same sized speaker as the third-generation model. Ask for the weather and you’ll see the current temperature on the screen but nothing else. Adjust volume and you can see the level on the screen, as well as referring to the light ring (it gets more complete the higher the volume).But with what looks like a superficial update, there's more that you need to know about, so we're running a full comparison so you can see exactly what the differences are and help you decide whether to grab that Echo Dot 4th Gen, or gun for the 5th Gen Echo Dot instead. It might have been superseded a newer model, but the Echo Dot (4th Gen) is still a top performer for the money. It has the same 1.6-in driver as the third-gen model (albeit now forward-firing), and has the same 70 per cent increase in maximum volume. The LED speech light is now at the base of the sphere, creating quite a futuristic vibe.

KEEP YOUR HOME COMFORTABLE - Control compatible smart home devices with your voice and routines triggered by indoor temperature sensors. Create routines to automatically start a smart fan if the inside temperature goes above your comfort zone. Of course, we'll have to test the new Echo Dot for ourselves before we can tell you how well the new model performs. EERO Built-in – Turn your Echo device into a Wi-Fi extender in minutes with compatible Echo and eero devices. Premium sound—Echo delivers clear highs, dynamic mids and deep bass for rich, detailed sound that automatically adapts to any room.This feature can be toggled on and off in the Alexa app, under the Motion Sensing option in your individual device's settings menu. So, how does it perform? Well, the bizarre thing is that despite having the same internal speaker specs as the third-generation Echo Dot, the 2020 version somehow manages to sound markedly better. Inside the Echo is a 3-inch woofer that faces upward and two 0.8-inch tweeters that face forward. Like the Echo Studio, the Echo uses its array of six microphones to determine the acoustic properties of the room it’s in, and adjust the sound output accordingly. It’s a feature that’s also found on the Sonos One and the Apple HomePod, but not the HomePod mini. If Alexa is the one for you, there's a compelling case for it. If, however, you prefer the Google Assistant and like the idea of using your smart speaker as a sleep guru, the Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen) might be one to look into.