The Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) is currently the cheapest Alexa speaker, making it the most accessible way to add the smart assistant to any room. This is likely to be the most appealing choice for those wanting to get their feet wet and try out the Alexa ecosystem, or those looking for a cheap way to add another speaker to their existing setup.

For its size and price, it's not the best value speaker if audio quality is your priority. But if you're willing to sacrifice performance for those smart Alexa features, then this is worth checking out.

Echo Dot vs Echo

For the most part, all of Amazon's Echo speakers will give you an identical Alexa experience and have the same smart features. The most popular include talking to and asking Alexa questions, streaming music, setting reminders, timers, or alarms, controlling your smart home, and even calling or dropping in with other Alexa speakers. Aside from its larger size and significantly better sound quality, the standard Amazon Echo (not the Dot) has Dolby audio, Zigbee connectivity for pairing certain smart home devices, and the 3.5mm jack also supports inputs; while the Dot is limited to output only.

These omissions help keep the cost of the Echo Dot lower. Regularly priced at $49.99, the Echo Dot is half the cost of the larger Echo, making it much easier to fill your home with smart assistant access. For smaller rooms, or placing on a nearby desk, the Echo Dot gets the job done well. It gets plenty loud and its more compact size makes it slightly easier to sneak into tighter spots. Interestingly, though, the new Echo (4th Gen) doesn't offer that much in terms of improvements over its predecessor, and in some ways, is actually worse.

What's New is Old

Despite its new design, matching the larger Echo (4th Gen), the Dot hardware is largely unchanged from the previous 3rd Gen model. The new Dot loses its iconic patty shape and now looks like a shrunken Echo.

The spherical Dot measures 3.9" wide by 3.5" tall. Just as with the Echo, the Dot now has its ring LED light moved to the bottom, resulting in a nice reflection depending on the surface it sits on. The build and feel are also almost identical to the larger Echo, using a mix of recycled plastic, fabric, and die-cast aluminum. The Dot is available in the same three colors: Charcoal, Glacier White, and Twilight Blue. This is nice if you like the idea of your different devices looking the same, but it comes at the expense of practicality.

The older Dot offered several useful mounting accessories. You could easily attach them to the sides of cabinets, walls, or even directly into an outlet.

The Echo Dot (3rd Gen) introduced the 1.6" speaker which was a big upgrade over the 2nd Gen's 1.1" speaker. The improvements were very noticeable side-by-side. This 4th Gen model has the same 1.6" speaker, but it's now front-facing. The benefits aren't as prominent, especially at lower volumes. When you crank up the volume the new front-facing speaker allows it to get louder before it starts to rattle.

With the lack of any other real improvement, it would seem Amazon opted for this design change simply to make the Echo lineup more cohesive.

Unlike the Echo, the Echo Dot also has a clock variant, which for $10 more ... shows you the time. Obviously. Additionally, the Echo Dot has two Kid's versions that either come in a Tiger or Panda color scheme. The Kids version is also $10 more than the regular Dot, but it comes with a longer 2-year warranty and a free 1-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.

Controls and Connectivity

The Echo Dot sports the familiar button layout found on other Echo devices; Alexa/Activity button, Volume Up, Volume Down, and Mute.

I much prefer the physical controls compared to the finicky touch controls of the Google Nest Mini. The 3.5mm audio output that allows you to connect the Echo Dot to larger speakers might be a big selling feature for you if you just want to add Alexa functionality to an existing speaker setup.

Sound Quality

Just as with the previous Echo Dot, the sound quality is decent, but far from exciting. These smaller Dots lack the power and range to nicely fill a room. You won't be hosting a house party with these, but as a small personal speaker that sits closer to you, it's alright. This is intended to give you that Alexa experience in a compact form that can easily be added almost anywhere, without being imposing.

Its most direct competitor is the Google Nest Mini. Priced identically, the larger and more powerful Echo Dot will give you better audio quality. The Dot can get much louder compared to the Nest Mini and provide punchier bass, though it isn't a high bar to pass. The Dot's microphones aren't as sensitive and effective, but for audio playback, it has the Google Home Mini beat.

Similar to a number of other Echo products, the new Echo Dot can be paired with a second device for a stereo setup. Additionally, this stereo setup is also compatible with the Echo Sub, but if you're considering either getting a second Echo Dot or Sub to achieve this, your money is best spent on upgrading to the full-sized Echo instead. If audio quality is important, skip the Echo Dot altogether, or buy separate Echo devices specifically for this need.

Should You Buy the Echo Dot?

At its full price, the Echo Dot (4th Gen) audio performance is a little underwhelming, especially in the bass department. Alexa proves to be a reliable voice assistant that many users want to add to their homes. The Echo Dot is one of the cheapest ways to do so while also offering you the benefits of a compact wireless speaker that you can play audio to.

I would highly recommend waiting on a sale or promo and avoiding buying this at full price. At its more attractive sale price of $19.99 as part of Prime Day 2022, this is a must-buy for adding Alexa home-wide on the cheap. If audio quality is important, you're best spending the extra cash on the much more capable and impressive Amazon Echo. The Dot is best seen as a smart assistant hub that can play music rather than a speaker with a smart assistant.