See what Alexa can do
What a fantastic device this is! I bought one on Amazon Prime Day, so I have only had it hooked up for a couple of days. I love it so much, though, that I ordered a second one so I don't have to keep moving it around. I also ordered an external speaker (via Amazon, of course) for the one I'll keep in the living/dining/kitchen area.
There are so many fantastic reviews on the Echo Dot that I won't reinvent the wheel; instead, I will just address some questions that I still had even after reading reviews and etc. and hope you find it useful.
Setup really IS a breeze. I am technologically-challenged, so I was a bit worried about this aspect of it. If you can download an app and read, you won't have any trouble. That said, I DID have some trouble initially because I was using my laptop, and the setup process kept getting stuck at connecting to the internet (she'd connect, but in the process, I lost my own connection). I did spend time trying to look for a solution but eventually gave up and downloaded the Amazon Alexa app to my Kindle Fire. Despite its poor ratings (I think it has only 3 stars, mostly because it doesn't appear to have been updated in quite some time), I found using the app to get the Dot up and running was easy-peasey and very fast (less than two minutes). Just follow the setup instructions, and Alexa does all the work (you do have to enter your wifi password, though, so have that handy).
You do NOT have to have skills for Alexa to function. Skills are those add-on things that everyone's talking about that are like little programs you can open to do different things, sort of like "tools" on your phone or "calculator" and "stickies" (etc.) on your computer. I'm only adding that because I wasn't clear about that just from reading about them, and they sounded confusing (more on this in a bit).
Without skills added, she is remarkable. To start, just say, "Alexa" and then whatever else, and she will tell you. She'll tell you the weather, the time, get any information you can think of (from Wikipedia), tell you about local stores (including hours, distance, and whether or not they are open when you ask--you do need to allow her to access your location via the app), tell you what day Christmas (or whatever) falls on in any given year, add things to your shopping list (accessible via the app, including off-line if using a tablet as I am), shop via Amazon (just say, Alexa, how much is [product]? She'll look it up and tell you, including different options, and then she'll ask if you want to buy it. Or Alexa, buy [blah]). And she will: tell you a story, sing you a song, read your news (she's preset to a briefing but you can change it to Fox or Reuters or NPR, etc. in the app), play any song via Amazon Music (I do not have a sub to the pay Amazon music, just regular Prime), tell you when sunrise and sunset are, and probably a zillion other things that I can't remember or haven't tried.
To get anything to happen, just say "Alexa," and then whatever you want to happen.
WITHOUT skills added, Alexa does SO MUCH: Some of my favorites already are the stuff you wonder or would like throughout the day (the time, the temperature, the weather, the news, timers, reminders, whatever), and for fun, I love the following:
"Alexa, sing me a song" She'll sing "Take me out to the ballpark," some original material about how helpful she is (HILARIOUS), and a bunch of others.
"Alexa, tell me a story" She'll tell you a quick little story, so far the ones she's told me are "clean" (i.e. appropriate for households with children) and quite sweet.
"Alexa, tell me a joke" She'll tell you a quick little joke, some are groaners, but so far, they're all at least cute and fun.
"Alexa, what's your favorite movie" She'll tell you and add a quick little blurb about why she likes it.
She'll also set up an alarm for you without a skill. Just say, "Alexa, set an alarm." Ditto for reminders: I said "Alexa set a reminder for Monday," and she asked what time and what the reminder is for, so I just told her, and voila! Instant reminder to take the trash out.
Another concern I had was whether or not I had to remember a bunch of commands, but it turns out, you don't have to be so picky about what you say when not using skills, just say what you think makes sense, and she'll usually get it. If she doesn't just rephrase it.
For example, I asked her "Alexa, who starred in The Rifleman," but she said she didn't know. So I said, "Alexa, wikipedia, The Rifleman," and she told me about it, including the star of it (Chuck Conners). The initial blurb is short (less than 30 seconds), but she will ask if you want to know more (at which point, say "Alexa, tell me more" if you want more, or nothing, if you don't).
I was initially worried that it would be too confusing to dive into skills and things I'd never heard of before, so I was relieved that she does so much without skills. That said, skills are definitely fun: I've added Jeopardy (Alexa, play Jeopardy) and Sleep Sounds (a great skill with a bunch of soothing sounds like rain, thunderstorm, ocean, and many more. They loop, so until you tell her to stop, she will keep playing them (I tell her to stop when I wake up). I also added this day in History (Alexa, tell me what happened on this day), Inspire me (Alexa, inspire me; she'll play you a random inspirational quote--so far, they are recordings not in her voice), and quite a few more.
Most skills appear to be pretty picky about what you have to say to get it started, but the skill description provides the term to use to start it, and you can review your skills via the app). Remembering this stuff is not my strong suit, so I have to look in the app to remember what skill words are correct and will get the desired result. As with anything, the more I use it, the more I will remember. And I'm sure that skills will fall by the wayside as I either forget the correct phrase or quit caring about it.
The Alexa app is pretty intuitive, and the menu is good, helping to find specific things you want to know. I do wish it had a "home" button you can click at any time because it's a pain to have to page back to it (or quit the app and restart it).
You do not have to be right on top of her or even facing her for her to "hear" you. Just speak in your normal speaking voice. I have her in my living room, adjacent to my dining/kitchen area, and I said "Alexa, add pickles to my shopping list." My back was to her, and I was foraging in the fridge at the time, and she heard me perfectly and added pickles to my shopping list.
That said, I've found that some skills mess with her "hearing," and that you have to yell in her direction to get them to stop (I deleted these immediately; who wants to stand around yelling at a hockey puck-looking object?).
You can unplug the Dot and move it to another room, she'll just start up again on her own once plugged back in, including keeping all reminders and timers you've set.
Dot cannot work without wifi, so it doesn't really matter that she doesn't have a battery pack in that sense. But there is no way to move her to a place where she cannot be plugged in and still have access to wifi.
Security: She is always listening. Always. To stop this, you can mute her (button on top of Dot) or just unplug her to be doubly sure. She doesn't record anything you say unless you say "Alexa" first (or "Amazon" or "Echo" depending on what you prefer, I stuck with "Alexa" which she comes programmed to answer), but she will record anything you say after that even if she has no idea what you are talking about. You can manage these recordings via the app.
Alexa calling: this does NOT work unless you have the app on your phone AND enable access to your entire contacts list. This is unfortunate and will hopefully be fixed at some point so that you can give only those contacts you intend to actually contact or wish to be contacted by via Alexa. That said, if you are so inclined, you can enable access and then go though via the app and block everyone you don't want calling/messaging you if they have Alexa (or the app). This is still too intrusive to me, so I'm not doing it.
I think that's all the questions I still had before purchasing the Dot and hope it helps. If you are even thinking about getting this, I say, go for it. You will be pleasantly surprised by how functional she is before you add even one skill.
________________
UPDATE: 10/31/2017
I just saw that you can save $10 on a one-day deal on Echo dot. Buy one. Even if you aren't sure, for $40 what do you have to lose?
Since I wrote my initial review, I have grown to love the Echo dot more than ever. My latest favorite thing is saying, "Alexa, good morning." She'll give you some fun fact or random observation about the day in question.
I set timers, alarms, and reminders all the time, and she never fails (well, barring a power or internet outage). She will tell you the weather and when sunset and sunrise are. She'll cheer you up with a silly joke or inspirational message, and she'll tell you how many tablespoons equal one cup, she'll do whatever math you ask her, and she'll tell you if your apples are bad.
The only downside that I can see is that the calling feature is still far too intrusive. Amazon doesn't need to know every contact I have; they need only those contacts I will contact via Alexa. When that happens, my happiness with this device will be complete.
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"Alexa, turn on the lights."
Control the lights with your voice.
Technical Details
Echo Dot
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Size |
1.3” x 3.3” x 3.3” (32 mm x 84 mm x 84 mm) |
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Weight |
5.7 oz. (163 grams) Actual size and weight may vary by manufacturing process |
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Wi-Fi connectivity |
Dual-band Wi-Fi supports 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz) networks. Does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks. |
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Bluetooth connectivity |
Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) support for audio streaming from your mobile device to Echo Dot or from Echo Dot to your Bluetooth speaker. Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) for voice control of connected mobile devices. Hands-free voice control is not supported for Mac OS X devices. Bluetooth speakers requiring PIN codes are not supported. |
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Audio |
Built-in speaker for voice feedback when not connected to external speakers. 3.5 mm stereo audio output for use with external speakers (audio cable not included). |
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System Requirements |
Echo Dot comes ready to connect to your Wi-Fi. The Alexa App is compatible with Fire OS, Android, and iOS devices and also accessible via your web browser. A list of supported operating systems can be found here. Certain skills and services may require subscription or other fees. |
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Warranty and Service |
90-day limited warranty and service. Optional 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year extended warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Echo is subject to the terms found here. |
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Accessibility Features |
The Alexa app and Alexa-enabled products include several features for customers with accessibility needs related to vision, hearing, mobility, and speech. Learn more about Alexa accessibility. |
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Included in the Box |
Echo Dot, power adapter (9W), Micro-USB cable, and Quick Start Guide. |
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Dot, Echo or Google?
10/03/2018 Update:While I still like my Dots and Echos, Google assistant is better than Alexa especially when it comes to questions with multiple phrases, technical or is not a simple reaction to a command. Google has a sense of humor whereas Alexa - not-so-much. Off-the-wall questions to Alexa illicit either a blue and cyan light without any response, an "I don't understand" response or something which makes absolutely no sense. Here's a simple, and funny, test to try. I apologize for anyone that is offended by this example. Ask each of them if they farted - Google assistant will crack you up - at least she did me. Alexa on the other-hand completes fails to understand what you're getting at and eventually goes on to define flatulence - boring. Don't get me wrong I still use Alexa extensively as I have integrated the Alexa eco system into my environment over time - I guess you could say that I have allowed myself to be assimilated and now part of the Amazon collective ;-).Nevertheless, the Google machine learning algorithms are superior to the ones used for Alexa and seem to be getting even better with regards to true interaction. I can ask both the same questions and I will often get back "I don't understand" or some off-the-wall response from Alexa. To be fair, the Google machine learning algorithms flake out as well from time to time. So far, I believe that Google has failed to exploit what they've developed whereas Amazon keeps pushing the envelope. I also expect Alexa to improve over time. Both Google and Amazon would benefit from development teams with a bit more creativity I think, but hey maybe I am just weird and what I like diverges far beyond the market both are selling.The net-net is get both, even if it's nothing more than a Dot and a mini. This will give you the best of both worlds. Forget about Siri, Apple completely blew that opportunity.Both the Dot and mini are frequently are discounted, so just wait for the next discount on whichever one you want or don't have and then you'll have them everywhere. You can even do some relatively simple hacking and use either in the car or just wait a tiny bit longer for Amazon's Echo Auto which I expect is just a much better productization of my hack using things I already had laying around.=======================================================================================================I purchased an Echo and and a Dot about a year ago during Black Friday and have added to the collection since. I got my first devices soon after getting out a lengthy hospital stay. My surgery had been challenging and I was pretty much bed-ridden for eight weeks afterward. Needless to say I was miserable due to being bed-ridden and my inability to hardly walk or care for myself.I had previously been somewhat familiar with the Echo and Dot, but had never taken the plunge. I decided to get my first two devices shortly after discovering Audible and seeing that the Echo products, Audible and TuneIn were compatible. The Black Friday discounts were pretty enticing as well and given my health at the time and lack of anyone to help me compelled me to make the plunge. In hindsight, the product combination, capability and timing was a Godsend for me. In combination they helped me make through a difficult and challenging period. Alexa allowed me to control my lights, music, check the news and weather, listen to TuneIn, Pandora, set alarms, medical reminders and timers, listen to books via Audible, and even tell me good morning and good night all from my bed.In terms of sound quality, the Echo is hands down substantially better than the Dot, but I compensated the shortcomings of the Dot's speaker by pairing it with a JBL Charge speaker that I had gotten for my recovery ahead of time.Fast forwarding, my Alexa Eco system has grown in combination with my overall home automation. Overall, I think the Dot and the rest of the Alexa ecosystem are awesome (see my review on the Fire TV 4K Ultra for what else you can do from a video perspective), especially when it comes to home automation and control. In terms of sound and responsiveness, the Dot is not as good as the Echo. The Dot's sound quality is understandable.The sound quality of the Dot can be addressed by using external Bluetooth or powered speakers with an analogue input as I mentioned previously. Or if you happen to have Sonos speakers, then sound quality is a non issue since you'll use the Sonos speakers in either case. In terms of responsiveness, the Dot is just not as good as the Echo. I find myself having to sometimes repeat myself to the Dot, especially if music is playing and the DOT is placed too closely. The Echo appears to handle this type of scenario much better.If you don't have external speakers and you plan to use for listening to music, then definitely pay the extra to go with the Echo. The sound quality is substantially better with the Echo. But if you're interested in primarily listening to Music get the Dot and pair it up with a SONOS 1, a bit more expensive but a great combo and you can pair the Sonos speaker with other devices and services.The Dot is still a great product if you're not going to use for listening to music or if you already have external speakers you can use with it. A fun Alexa capability if you happen to have multiple devices and want to listen to the same music in multiple locations in your home then you can use the Alexa app to set that up. I really like this capability and find myself using this option frequently.Where the Dot and Echo come up short in my opinion, is if you try to address things in a more conversational manner or to answer questions. Neither product does very well in this area, they actually do pretty poorly. Whereas the Google Home and Mini excel in this. The Home and the Mini provide better answers to most question compared to Alexa Echo or Dot. The Google cloud server is just better at this type of thing. I can also access songs and other content from YouTube using the Home or Mini and use Chromecast to cast it to another device. Neither of which can I do with the Dot or Echo. YouTube access is huge for me, I wish Amazon and Google would play nice together and allow each other's devices access to one another's content. I have to admit, despite that I am a huge Alexa fan, I really like the Google devices and their capabilities. However at the same time it get's very annoying and sterile having to say "Hey Google" over and over again. "Alexa" is so much more pleasant. Additionally, the Google devices do not currently work with Sonos whereas the Dot and Echo do. I am not sure if Sonos/Google integration will ever occur, especially now that Google has introduced it's own Sonos-like speaker.So which do you choose if you're just starting out? I would say it depends on a number of factors. If you have a preference for one or the either's Eco system, then let that be your guide. If you want to have somewhat of a conversation, get nswers to questions or listen to a lot of YouTube content and you don't mind saying "Hey Google" over and over again, then I would recommend either the Google Home or Mini. If you're going the Google route, then I would skip the Home and go with the Mini personally and pair it up with one of the Chromecast devices and some low cost (or better) speakers. The Google Home and Mini are pretty good for home automation use, but the Echo and Dot still have them beat in that area (although the gap is starting to close). I should mention, at least at the time of this writing, Alexa has some periodic problems with Hue lights. You can ask Alexa to turn on a particular device and she may turn on all of your Hue devices which can be frustrating if you didn't want them all on. The problem is absent from the Google devices.If you already have, or plan or getting Sonos speakers, then go with the Dot. Although if you're considering the Sonos 5, you may want to compare it to the Google Home Max which is $100 cheaper although not as functional yet. If you just want to listen to Audible content, newscast and sports then you could get by with the Dot alone, but I would recommend that you jump to the Echo. I really wouldn't recommend the Dot as a standalone unit. It's better if you already have some overall use in mind such as controlling your lights in which it would work nicely. Don't get me wrong, the Dot is a great little device, but not as a standalone unit in my opinion.If you're on a limited budget and you're starting from ground zero, go with the Dot and purchase a low cost, compatible speaker to go with it. The Google Mini doesn't have an analog port like the Dot does, but you can pair both devices with Bluetooth capable speakers. Despite the limitations in the conversational area, there's a large number of Apps and products that already work with the Dot and Alexa - plus you don't have to say "Hey Google" all the time ( ;-) maybe it's just me that's bothered by this - I really wish Google would change this). If you have the money, but not sure which direction to go in or want the best of what's available from each ecosystem, then get a Dot, a Google Mini, a Sonos Play 1 and one of the Chromecast devices and figure out how you want to grow from there.Light Ring Status Meanings:I thought I should also mention something about the light ring status indicators as they can sometimes be a bit confusing and the Alexa app does a poor job of communicating what they mean. You can find light ring meaning if you check Amazon Device Support › Echo Help › Getting Started with Echo› on the Amazon site or check in my review below:* Pulsing yellow light - A message or notification is waiting for you. Say, "Play my messages" or "What did I miss?" To learn more go to About Alexa Messaging at the site I mentioned above.* Pulsing green light - You are receiving a call or Drop In on your device. To learn more go to Answer or Ignore Calls on Your Echo Device at the site I mentioned above.* Single flash of purple light after an interaction with Alexa - Do Not Disturb is active.* Spinning blue light that ends in a solid purple light - Do Not Disturb is enabled. To learn more, go to Use Do Not Disturb for Alexa at the site I mentioned above.* Continuous oscillating violet light - An error occurred during Wi-Fi setup. To learn more, go to Your Echo Device Doesn't Connect to Wi-Fi at the site I mentioned above.* White light - You are adjusting the volume level on your device.* Solid red light - You have turned off the microphones on your device. Press the Microphone button to turn on the microphones.* Orange light spinning clockwise - The device is connecting to your Wi-Fi network.* Solid blue with cyan pointing in direction of person speaking - Alexa is busy processing your request.* All lights off - The device is active and waiting for your request.* Solid blue with spinning cyan lights - The device is starting up.I hope you enjoy your Dot as much as I have enjoyed mine.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2016
Color: BlackConfiguration: Echo DotVerified Purchase
