You want your daily life at home to feel more convenient? You may want to get yourself a smart speaker. Something like the Echo Dot from Amazon can be used to set timers for yourself, build routines, or even queue up any song at a moment’s notice—and you can do all of this completely hands free. Right now, Amazon has made its smart speaker even more attractive as the company has cut its price in half.
Well, kind of. A month ago, Amazon bumped up its MSRP from $50 to $80, and has now marked it down 50%. That brings it to $40. So this sale labeled as $40 off is really just $10 off from what’s it’s been selling at since release. That still ain’t a bad deal.
New to the Echo Dot 5
This is the latest model of the Amazon Echo Dot and marks its fifth generation. One of the largest areas of improvement are it’s upgraded audio which allows for double the bass as the previous model. You’re also getting a built-in temperature sensor and an occupancy sensor which can be used to trigger routines. An example of this might be automatically turning on the lights when you enter a room, or turning a fan on when the temperature goes about you comfort zone. Plus now has an accelerometer that can be used for unique tap gesture controls like tapping to snooze an alarm, to pause or play music, or to end a call.
Another added useful feature you have with the new Echo Dot is that is can work as a Wi-Fi extender on an Eero network. Eero is Amazon’s mesh Wi-Fi system. Having the new Echo Dot on your network can extend you range of coverage by up to 1,000 sq. ft.
You can also disable the microphone at anytime. Simply tap the mic button on or off. A red light will glow through it indicating when it is turned off.
Prime members will also gain access to the newly enhanced version of Alexa at no additional cost. Alexa+ is Amazon’s AI assistant that allows for more natural back and forths than was possible with previous versions of the voice assistant. Still, 90% of the time, you might just be using the Echo Dot to ask Alexa to queue up that one song you’ve got stuck in your head while you’re folding laundry or cooking dinner.
Amazon now has its popular Echo Dots not just in its original charcoal, but also in styles like deep sea blue and glacier white. What’s great is all three options are equally on sale for 50% off. That means you can order the one that best matches your own personal aesthetic for your home knowing you’re still getting the best deal.
