Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen has been released with a significant new redesign. You might be wondering if it is just a design change or did it improve over the previous generation. I’ll compare it side by side with the old version, to help you know if you should spend a bit extra money if you’re buying an Echo Dot for the first time or upgrading your previous generation Echo Dots.
Table of Contents
Design & Hardwears
The big surprise when Amazon unveiled the new Echo Dot was the design. The hockey puck shape is now a thing of the past and the new Echo dot looks more like a ball wrapped in fabric. I think some people didn’t like the shape at first but then Apple unveiled their Homepod mini, which looks almost exactly the same. It’s pretty much the same width and height as the Echo dot. It seems like more people are rolling with it now.
The new Echo dot is almost twice as tall as the 3rd gen but has the exact same width. When I set up the Echo dot I was surprised, that it still feels small. Amazon’s close-up pictures make it look bigger than it really is but it’s still less subtle on your kitchen counter compared to the 3rd gen. You can mount it like the previous version but this might affect the sound quality because of the direction the speakers a facing.
Echo Dot 4th gen Specs:
Another change with the 4th gen Echo dot was moving the ring light from the top to the bottom. This functions more as the accent light and really like how it looks compared to the 3rd gen. However, it does make it slightly more difficult to see. So, there is that trade-off the buttons are still on the top and the new tap-to-snooze feature let you snooze an alarm quickly. It is nice if the Echo dot is by your bed. The new Echo dot has a faster chip inside to make responses twice as fast. It does have a low power mode to consume less energy.
Speakers
The taller design is all focused on improving audio. The speakers are the same size at 1.6 inches. Now they are front firing. So, the audio moves forward and the sound is more full. You probably remember the Echo dot 2nd gen, which had pretty terrible audio quality. When playing music the leap from 2nd gen to 3rd gen was dramatically improved. Now upgrading from the 3rd gen to the 4th gen may not be quite as dramatic but still sounds much stronger.
While the music playback is better, the voice clarity is a huge improvement. The voice assistant always sounded slightly muffled on the Echo dot 3rd gen but in the Echo dot 4th gen, it is more clear. If you listen to the podcast, your flash briefing or ask the echo a lot of questions then this will be a big benefit for you. The Echo dot 4th gen doesn’t have fabric on the back. that is because it should be plugged in near a wall or corner to project the audio through the room. It actually sounds more clear because the speakers are facing you. With the music sounding better and the voice assistant sounding way sharper. The Echo dot 4th gen offers the best sound quality for a smart speaker in the $50 price range
Microphones & Other Versions
The smart speaker is no good if it cannot hear you. The Echo dot 4th gen could pick me up pretty well with its 4 microphones, which is the same as the Echo dot 3rd gen.
You also may want to check out other versions of the new Echo dot you can get one with a clock or the kid version.
Things To Do In Echo Dot 4th gen
Just like the previous Echo devices, You can use this to do a lot of things…
- Ask questions.
- Make phone calls.
- Set timers.
- Two-way conversations.
- Control smart home devices. (ex:- changing lights, controlling your TV )
- Routing in the Alexa app to set automation for your smart home.
- Get cooking ideas and tips.
- Get the news.
- Use Spotify to play music.
Should You Get It?
Is it worth upgrading your old Echo dot 3rd gen to these odd little spheres? So, How much do you like audio?
The Echo Dot 3rd gen sounds Okay and easily connects to another speaker if you want better sound. You might even prefer the hockey puck design because mounts flatter but if you use your Echo dot daily to play music, news, or podcasts you might want to think about upgrading. Especially, if your speakers will be against a wall or in a corner. This new Echo dot sound is much better than the previous version. So, if you don’t mind the shape, then it might be upgraded.
Buy It
Echo Dot
Echo Dot With Clock
Echo Dot Kids
