Amazon All-new Echo Dot & Echo Plus review: A great upgrade on the previous versions

All-new Echo Dot is substantially larger than the one it replaces.

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Amazon Echo Dot
Price: Rs 4,499

Amazon Echo Plus
Price: Rs 14,999

Rating: ****1/2

Pros: Wireless smart speakers with Alexa, far-field microphones, Bluetooth audio output, 3.5mm audio output.

Cons: Updated designs, better quality sound, support for casting from app, stereo pair.

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Echo line-up. This review is based on the all-new (second gen in India, third gen overall) Echo Plus and the all-new Echo Dot (second gen). The differences are in the design and the updated sound — all the newer generation speakers are undoubtedly better sounding than the ones they replace. It’s a combination of larger speaker drivers and better audio processing.
Amazon Echo Dot

The all-new Echo Plus is a lot shorter than the one it replaces but it still has the Zigbee smart home hub built in. This means you can use voice to control compatible smart home devices (lights, locks, plugs) that would normally need a separate bridge/hub.

On the other hand, the all-new Echo Dot is substantially larger than the one it replaces. We know the nomenclature is confusing but bear with us for a moment. The important part is that functionality remains the same across all the Echo devices. They all have access to the same skills, they all have multiple, far-field microphones and they can all be used as part of a multi-room audio setup (mix and match, old or new Echo, doesn’t matter).

The Alexa app also let you group speakers together or create a stereo pair. Starting with the Echo Plus, it doesn’t have interchangeable outer shells (like the older allnew Echo). So you choose a colour and you’re stuck with that. It also does away with the rotating volume control ring of the older Echo Plus (which is a shame, because we quite like it).
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The shorter design makes it quite unobtrusive — yet it can produce roomfilling sound. The Dot sounds better than before but it’s also the most likely to be connected to a larger speaker (either via Bluetooth or 3.5mm). Setup is simple with the Alexa on your phone — it walks you through the two steps of signing in with your Amazon account and linking it to your WiFi. You might be wondering — is it worth upgrading if you already have an older Echo? And the answer is probably not.

But if you’re buying new, the newer ones are simply better looking and better sounding. We say this because Amazon did keep some of the older versions at discounted rates during the sales. Remember to keep a lookout for the deal prices that keep coming. But for now, the five Echo devices you can buy include the All-new Dot, Echo, All-new Echo Plus, Spot and the newly launched Echo Sub.
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