It's surprising that it took the $49.99 Echo Dot smart speaker this long to start looking like, well, a dot. The fourth-generation Echo Dot is now a sphere, to mirror the look of the new fourth-gen Echo, albeit in a smaller size for half the price. Not much else has changed here, but the new Echo Dot remains one of the best ways to add Amazon's Alexa voice assistant to every room of your home. That said, we think the LED clock face on the Echo Dot With Clock is worth the extra $10 if you plan on putting the speaker on your desk, nightstand, or anywhere else you use clocks and timers.Mostly a New Design The fourth-gen Echo Dot is a 3.9-inch sphere, half plastic and half fabric covered, coming in blue, dark gray, or white. On the top there are four physical buttons for volume up, volume down, activating Alexa, and turning the mic off. The blue light ring that shows when Alexa is listening has migrated from the top of the speaker to the bottom, making the surface underneath glow soft...

The fourth-generation Echo Dot speaker doesn't offer particularly impressive sound quality, but for $50, it's still the best basic gateway to Amazon's Alexa voice assistant.

Affordable; Attractive design; 3.5mm output

Only a cosmetic change from previous model; Weak bass

Nice product reasonably pricrd

Upgraded speaker, quicker response time, and better design.

Product is as described. Great interactive features.

This was a birthday present for my 81 year old Dad. He found it easy to set up and has been using it already. So far, mostly to set a timer when he is cooking, but has tried playing the radio, checking the weather etc. Its a cool gadget that he likes.

The fourth-generation Echo Dot is a cute, ball-like redesign that breaks the mould of the traditional puck or pincushion-like speakers. Bought with or without an LED display, the Dot continues to sound better than you’d expect – ideal for small rooms or background listening – and provide all of...

Pros: Good value, Alexa, loud enough for small rooms, Bluetooth, 3.5mm socket, can be paired, frequently discounted, good mics, can be bought with or without LED clock, fresh design.

Cons: no real bass, less discreet shape, clock display brighter than predecessor, potential privacy implications of having mics.

If you're looking for a low-cost Alexa speaker, it really doesn't get better than the new Dot. While larger, more expensive speakers like the 4th-gen Echo ($99) or the Bose Home 300 ($199) will deliver far superior sound quality, the Dot is certainly sufficient for smart home control, Alexa...

Rather than rising from your favourite armchair, why not ask Alexa to carry out tasks.

The Amazon Echo Dot is one again the best smart speaker for less than $50, but the $60 Echo Dot with Clock is the better value. With the 4th generation Echo Dot, Amazon has once again delivered an inexpensive smart speaker that doesn’t skimp on features or quality.

Good audio for the size, Lots of Alexa smart home skills, Inexpensive

Large power brick

It's surprising that it took the $49.99 Echo Dot smart speaker this long to start looking like, well, a dot. The fourth-generation Echo Dot is now a sphere, to mirror the look of the new fourth-gen Echo, albeit in a smaller size for half the price. Not much else has changed here, but the new Echo Dot remains one of the best ways to add Amazon's Alexa voice assistant to every room of your home. That said, we think the LED clock face on the Echo Dot With Clock is worth the extra $10 if you plan on putting the speaker on your desk, nightstand, or anywhere else you use clocks and timers.Mostly a New Design The fourth-gen Echo Dot is a 3.9-inch sphere, half plastic and half fabric covered, coming in blue, dark gray, or white. On the top there are four physical buttons for volume up, volume down, activating Alexa, and turning the mic off. The blue light ring that shows when Alexa is listening has migrated from the top of the speaker to the bottom, making the surface underneath glow soft...

The fourth-generation Echo Dot speaker doesn't offer particularly impressive sound quality, but for $50, it's still the best basic gateway to Amazon's Alexa voice assistant.

Affordable; Attractive design; 3.5mm output

Only a cosmetic change from previous model; Weak bass