The Amazon Echo is, to put it simply, one of the coolest new products to arrive in the last year, with Amazon finally launching the smart speaker in the UK last month.
Now, the company has provided us Brits with a more affordable option, which comes with all the best features of the Echo, in the form of the Echo Dot.
The smaller voice-controlled device is also powered by virtual assistant Alexa and uses the same far-field voice recognition as the larger, and more expensive Echo.
Related: Google Home vs Amazon Echo
With the Dot, however, which is lacking the built-in speaker of the Echo, users connect the device to a set of speakers in order to hear Alexa’s responses to their questions and requests.
Amazon has provided a 3.5mm jack alongside Bluetooth connectivity, giving users the option to connect to wireless speakers.
The Amazon Echo
The Dot is available in either black or white now for £49.99 through Amazon, and is also available in a six-pack (buy five, get one free), and in a 12-pack (buy 10, get two free).
Buy Now: Amazon Dot at Amazon.co.uk from £49.99
Amazon has also provided some new updates for Alexa, including voice shopping, which lets users say things such as “order paper towels” to make Alexa find a product that ships with Prime and apply available discounts.
Another new Alexa feature, Echo Spatial Perception (ESP), means, in situations with multiple devices, the Echo or Echo Dot can now calculate the clarity of the customer’s voice and determine which Echo is closest and should respond to the request.
Finally, the new List Skill API, allows customers to integrate Todoist and Any.do lists with Alexa, with the ability to add items to personal Alexa Shopping or To Do Lists.
WATCH: Amazon Echo review
Let us know if you’ll be picking up a Dot in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.