Amazon Echo Dot (1st gen. 2016)

764 reviews

Nov, 2024

Positive
usability (203)
price (76)
size (67)
design (27)
sound (7)

Negative
reliability (5)
treble quality (1)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 764 reviews of Amazon Echo Dot (1st gen. 2016). The average rating for this product is 4.3/5, compared to an average rating of 4.5/5 for other products in the same category for all reviews. Reviewers really like the sound and design. The size and price also get good views, but there are some mixed views about the bass quality. The treble quality and reliability get critical reviews.

usability, price, size, design, sound

reliability, treble quality

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other products in the same category the Amazon Echo Dot (1st gen. 2016) is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 91/100 = Excellent quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 764 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

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Showing 753 review(s)

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Showing 1 - 10 of 753 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (8)

Expert review by : What Hi-Fi? (whathifi.com)

Amazon Echo Dot review

A simple and effective entry-point into Amazon's world of artificial intelligence

Cheap and easy to use ; Good comprehension ; Lots of compatible devices ; 3.5mm output

Low quality speaker ; AI could be more advanced

A simple and effective entry into the world of voice assistants

Dec, 2017

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Expert review by : What Hi-Fi? (whathifi.com)

Amazon Echo review

Is Amazon's voice-controlled speaker the answer to your smart home dream?

Alexa voice assistant is genuinely useful ; Reliable voice control ; Decent selection of features ; Easy to use

Sound is nothing special ; Relies on other apps and devices to make the most of it

So-so sound but the Alexa assistant makes this a seriously clever speaker

Oct, 2017

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Expert review by : Duncan Bell (t3.com)

Amazon Echo Dot review: Alexa on the cheap makes purchase a no brainer

This is the one you want. Alexa the voice-controlled PA for just 50 quid, and you can plug in your own speaker

Stellar music, to-do list and timer apps ; Handy news, weather, smart home and calendar stuff too ; Futuristic tech, old-fashioned price ; You can plug it in to any speaker with a line in

…So yes, you do need to already own a speaker to get the most out of it ; Same limitations as full-size Echo

Jun, 2017

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Expert review by : Adrian Willings (pocket-lint.com)

Amazon Echo Dot review: The tiny personal assistant with big personality

The Echo Dot is Amazon's small and affordable route into Alexa, its voice-controlled personal assistant for your home, which can playback music, add to your Amazon shopping list, control third-party apps and much more. The Amazon Echo Dot is a...

Works with additional speakers for boost to sound, compact and sleek design, superb mic pickup, easy setup and connectivity, plenty of compatible services, great price point

Some frustrations with understanding commands, no battery for portability, as a standalone speaker the quality is tinny

The Amazon Echo Dot is a brilliant, small and affordable smart home device. The Alexa personal assistant is currently as good as it gets, despite some foibles in her conversational understanding.

Nov, 2016

Partner Source

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TechAdvisor Recommended

Expert review by : Jim Martin (techadvisor.co.uk)

Amazon Echo Dot

The first-gen Echo Dot is a tiny voice-activated speaker that's a lot cheaper than the big Amazon Echo. Is it the one to buy? Find out in our Amazon Echo Dot review

Nov, 2018

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Expert review by : Ry Crist (cnet.co.uk)

Amplify Alexa with this nifty Echo Dot accessory

For fifty bucks, the Vaux speaker and battery base for the second-gen Amazon Echo Dot offers portability and pumped-up volume.

Vaux looks great, is easy to use and offers a legitimate sound quality upgrade for your Amazon Echo Dot -- plus portability,

Sound gets slightly distorted when you crank it up to max volume, and battery life wasn't quite as good as you'll get with a speaker-free battery base. There's also no charging dock like the one you get with the Amazon Tap.

The price is right for this sensible Echo Dot upgrade, but you might be better off just getting an Amazon Tap.

Apr, 2017

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Expert review by : Alex Todd (recombu.com)

Amazon Echo and Echo Dot Review: In Depth

Amazon Echo and Echo Dot review: We test out the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot to see if you should invite Amazon's personal assistant into your home.

Premium build ; Excellent sound quality (Echo) ; Unobtrusive (Echo Dot) ; Great microphone performance ; Expansive skill set

Voice commands can get confusing ; Filtering good and bad skills is difficult ; Amazon Prime membership needed to get the most out of it

Out the box, the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot are both amazing examples of consumer technology. What is essentially a talking speaker possesses hardware and software designed to streamline your daily routine, educate you, entertain you and control the...

Dec, 2016

Partner Source

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Expert review by : Marc McLaren (stuff.tv)

Amazon Echo Dot review

The smaller of Amazon's two digital assistants does almost everything the larger one does but at a bargain price. It's a must-buy

Seamless smart home integration ; Pretty decent DJ ; Dirt cheap!

Alexa sometimes plays dumb ; Needs hooking up to a better speaker

One of the best bargains in tech right now and a first step into a wonderful future

Nov, 2016

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Expert review by : Ry Crist (cnet.co.uk)

Amazon Echo Dot is the future, for fifty bucks

The Editors' Choice-winning Amazon Echo Dot is back and even better than before -- all for almost half the price of the original.

The second-gen, mini-sized Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker is just as smart as the first at nearly half the cost, and it's better at hearing you, too. It's also the only Echo product you can connect to an existing audio setup.

Amazon's Echo products still can't offer audio that syncs across multiple devices in multiple rooms.

The new and improved Echo Dot takes Amazon's best-in-class smart home speaker and wraps it in an ultra-affordable package.

Oct, 2016

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Expert review by (which.co.uk)

Amazon Echo Dot review

(Rating Hidden)

The Amazon Echo Dot, and its voice assistant Alexa, has proved a smash hit since its launch in 2016. This round gadget acts as your home helper, enabling you to request information and control other devices with just your voice. But is Alexa really a...

Jan, 2017

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