Picture this: your hands are messy from cooking, completely greasy and covered in tomato sauce. You need to set a pasta timer. What do you do? If your answer involves Alexa, then you’re not alone. A voice assistant can be a useful addition to any home. Not only can they help with cooking timers, but they can also make it easier to control your lights from the comfort of your bed, check the air quality of your home and so much more.
Amazon’s Echo devices have the aforementioned Alexa voice assistant and a full lineup of smart displays and speakers. Over the years, dozens of Echo products have been released, and it can be a bit confusing to differentiate between them. We’ve rounded up the latest and most notable Amazon Echo products and explain which one is right for you.
SKIP AHEAD Smart speakers | Smart displays | How to shop for Amazon Echo speakers | Other Amazon products | Why trust NBC Select?
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Smart speakers (Echo)
Amazon’s smart speakers connect to your home Wi-Fi and use Amazon Alexa voice control to handle a wide variety of tasks — setting timers, streaming music, controlling smart home gadgets and more. They must be plugged in, and do not use screens. All Echo smart speakers are compatible with Matter and act as extenders for Eero Wi-Fi routers.
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
- Compact size
- Good price
- Decent sound quality
The Amazon Echo Dot is the brand’s flagship smart speaker and is a favorite of NBC Select associate updates editor Zoe Malin. An avid baker, Malin has used it for over a year in her kitchen, where she uses Alexa to set timers.
Malin has used more of the Echo Dot’s built-in features. She now uses it to control her connected smart plugs and smart lights, get alerts about the weather and receive grocery deliveries. All of this can be set up through the Amazon Alexa app. “I’m a huge Alexa user,” says Malin. “I ask her to make lists for me, play music and answer literally any question that comes to mind.”
The Echo Dot is also available in a kids version that includes one year of Amazon Kids+, has more parental controls and uses a kid version of Alexa that filters responses, according to the brand.
Size: 3.9 x 3.9 x 3.5 in | Weight: 10.7 oz (304g) | Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Voice Assistant: Yes
Amazon Echo Pop
- Compact size
- Good price
- Weaker sound quality
The Amazon Echo Pop is the brand’s lowest-priced smart speaker. It acts almost exactly like the Echo Dot. Malin uses the Pop in her bedroom, where she asks it to control her smart lights and give her morning reports about the weather as she dresses.
While wildfires raged in Canada in 2023, the Echo Pop “gave me an alert about bad air quality in New York as part of the weather routine, and I knew to wear a mask that day,” says Malin.
Size: 3.9 x 3.3 x 3.6 in | Weight: 6.9 oz (196 g) | Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Voice Assistant: Yes
Amazon Echo Studio
- Sound quality
- Spatial audio
- Expensive
- Largest Echo speaker
The Echo Studio is the brand’s largest and most expensive smart speaker. It has five speakers instead of one, which provides much better audio quality than the Dot or the Pop.
It has all the same Alexa smart features as the Dot and the Pop but has improved music streaming capability, with support for spatial audio, Dolby Atmos and more. In terms of audio quality, it is more akin to other expert-recommended smart speakers from brands like JBL and Sonos rather than the small, single-speaker Dot and Pop.
Size: 6.9 x 6.9 x 8.1 in | Weight: 123.2 oz (3,500 g) | Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Voice Assistant: Yes
Amazon Echo Spot
- Compact design
- Alarm clock
- Sound quality
- Nothing to note at this time
This Amazon device is an all-in-one Alexa speaker and alarm clock. It features a tilted LED display which shows you the time, weather updates and other notifications. It’s meant to be placed in a small space like your bedroom so you can quickly look at timers or upcoming alarms.
It can be used to play music, podcasts and audiobooks. Plus, the Echo Spot can control other smart home devices and set up routines to wake you up. It has improved sound quality with a front-facing speaker, adjustable privacy settings and a built-in microphone.
Size: 4.5”W x 4.1”D x 4.4”H | Weight: 14.3oz (405g) | Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Voice Assistant: Yes
Smart Displays (Echo Show)
Amazon’s smart displays are collected under the name Echo Show. Like the Echo smart speakers, they connect to your home Wi-Fi and integrate with the Amazon Alexa app and its voice controls.
Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen)
- Large screen
- Rotating screen
- Motion tracking
- Pricey
The Show 10 is one of the most advanced models in the Show lineup. It has a large 10-inch screen and a 13-megapixel camera, making it well-suited to video calls and streaming content. What’s unique about the Echo Show 10 is the rotating screen — it can rotate 360 degrees around the unit’s base. It has motion tracking during video calls, so the screen automatically follows you as you move around, according to the brand.
Screen: 10.1 inch,1280 x 800 pixels | Camera quality: 13 MP | Size: 9.9 x 9 x 6.7 in | Weight: 90.3 oz (2,560 g) | Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Voice Assistant: Yes
Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen, 2021)
- Good camera
- Spatial audio
- Nothing to note at this time
The Echo Show 8 is a perfect middle ground for all Amazon smart display devices. It has improved spatial audio, an improved 13MP camera and easy smart home controls. You can stream from apps like Youtube or Netflix and tell Alexa to pull up the latest weather forecast or set a timer. The Echo Show 3rd Gen also has improved touchscreen responsiveness, according to the brand, making it easier to swipe between different Amazon Echo widgets or smart home controls.
Screen: 8 inch, 1280 x 800 pixels | Camera quality: 13 MP | Size: 7.9 x 5.4 x 3.9 in | Weight: 36.6 oz (1,037 grams) | Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Voice Assistant: Yes
Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen, 2023)
- Compact size
- Affordable price
- Weaker sound quality
The Echo Show 5 is the lowest-priced model in the Show lineup. It has a lower quality camera and resolution screen than the other Show models, making it less suited to video calls and video watching. Critical reviews note that its lower price and Alexa capabilities make it a good option if you are looking for a smart-connected nightstand.
The Echo Show 5 is also available in a kids version that includes one year of Amazon Kids+, has more parental controls and uses a kid version of Alexa that filters responses, according to the brand.
Screen: 5.5 inches, 960 x 480 pixels | Camera quality: 2 MP | Size: 5.8 x 3.6 x 3.2 in | Weight: 16.1 oz (456 grams) | Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Voice Assistant: Yes
Amazon Echo Hub
- Smart home controller
- Customization
- Smaller screen
- Pricey
The Echo Hub is Amazon’s accessible smart home control panel. Unlike the Echo Show models, it’s designed specifically for adjusting smart home appliances and controlling other smart devices. With a simple swipe or tap of the eight-inch touchscreen, you can turn on lights, adjust the thermostat or view the video doorbell. It has dual stereo speakers, four microphones and a 1280 resolution for a clearer image.
Screen: 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels | Camera quality: 5 MP | Size: 15.5 x 9.9 x 1.4 in | Weight: 78.1 oz (2,215 grams) | Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Voice Assistant: Yes
How to shop for Amazon Echo speakers
Amazon Echo Dot vs Echo Pop
The Echo Dot and the Echo Pop are the most popular Amazon Echo smart speakers. Functionally, they can handle almost the same tasks: setting timers, streaming music, controlling smart home gadgets and more.
However, the Echo Dot is slightly more capable than the Pop. Its interior speaker is slightly larger and louder than the Echo Pop’s, and its globe shape projects sound more widely, says Malin.
Smart home lovers may prefer the Echo Dot over the Echo Pop. The Dot has a temperature sensor, which is useful for working with a smart thermostat. Compared to the Pop, the Dot has more advanced Matter and Thread connectivity.
Malin loves both the Amazon Echo Dot and Echo Pop for different reasons. The Echo Dot is a more capable kitchen and living room companion, while the Echo Pop is a more affordable bedroom assistant.
Amazon Smart Displays
Amazon’s smart display devices can make video calls to other people on the Alexa app, a compatible Alexa-enabled device, or supported apps like Zoom, according to the brand. They can control all your smart devices, and using the screen, you can view the feed of any compatible smart doorbells or video cameras. You can also stream shows and movies on apps like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Max and more.
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Other Amazon products
There are a lot of other popular Amazon gadgets outside of the Echo line.
Amazon Fire encompasses most of the brand’s multimedia products, such as the Fire TV and Fire Tablets. While the Amazon Echo Show products are hybrid smart assistants and streaming devices, the Fire lineup is much more focused on entertainment, apps and big-screen action.
Amazon home devices include popular smart home gadgets like the Amazon Smart Plug, Amazon Smart Thermostat, Blink Video Doorbell and more.
Amazon Kindle is the brand’s e-reader lineup. Select staff have used various Kindle models for years, and particularly recommend the Kindle Paperwhite.
Why trust NBC Select?
Harry Rabinowitz is a reporter at NBC Select who covers technology and fitness including guides to fitness trackers, air purifiers, running shoes and more. For this piece, he combined his expertise with the experience of the NBC Select team using Amazon Echo products.
Jordan Bowman is an editor at NBC Select who Jordan Bowman is a commerce editor for NBC Select who writes and edits stories on various topics including tech, fitness, home and more.
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