The echo spot is an excellent, versatile device. I love the design and the cute looks, perfect for the bedroom or for the kitchen. It's very easy to set up, it has lots of functionality and it's possible to add more and more skills. Very happy with my purchase, I would like to buy another one.

I got this for the wife for her birthday. She wanted one to replace our apparently outdated Echo Dot that wasn't acting right any more. Allegedly, the Dot wasn't supported any longer and started having trouble processing certain requests, so I purchased the Spot since she likes her other one so...

ImageTagInstance gallery-bf1b6005-b28f-48ee-9c03-47629e913a50 As it has been doing lately, Amazon has beat top tech manufacturers to the punch on yet another device evolution – a smart assistant with an interactive screen. First introduced in the form of the Echo Show, the Alexa-powered, touchscreen-toting Echo device has taken another form in the more compact Echo Spot. With a built-in camera, a 2.5-inch circular, alarm-clock-esque touchscreen display, and a $129.99 price tag, the Amazon Echo Spot puts a small, interactive face on the company's well-known Alexa assistant and retains all the skills and functionalities consumers have come to love about Echo devices. We now intend to find out if screen-less Echo devices should be a thing of the past.Design ImageTagInstance gallery-071c7b78-c931-42a2-ba6a-a3c9b04d8a98 ImageTagInstance gallery-f27bb28a-dd2d-499d-ad52-c3aa465adbaf The Amazon Echo Spot has an almost totally spherical shape to it, reminiscent of the size and shape of a Magic ...

Touchscreen interface makes some tasks easier and Alexa slightly more tangible; Good looks; can fit in most any room; Decent sound for a small device; Front-facing camera adds value;

Lacking in display integration and touchscreen interaction with Alexa/Skills;

We're still not 100% sold on a screen being a critical part of the Echo experience, but the Echo Spot feels significantly more focused and purpose-driven than the slightly aimless Echo Show – especially with a £80 difference in price. The smaller sized screen feels more useful here, but it also doesn't need to do as much to justify its presence. It's an effective bedside clock and ideal for alarms, timers, or playing music, and while Alexa still doesn't have a lot of critical skills that have visual components, that doesn't sting here as much as it does with the larger, pricier Echo Show. If you're new to Alexa, you're probably better off starting with the cheap Echo Dot or the baseline 2nd-generation Echo. But if you're looking to add another Echo to your home, especially one away from your main living area, or you really think you'll the most use from an Echo in your bedroom, then the Spot is well worth considering. It's shipping today in the UK, directly from Amazon.

Sleek, compact design; Alexa with all her powers; Great as a bedside clock;

Only modest sound quality; Not many useful visual skills yet; Bedroom camera can be unsettling;

With the smart speaker category has fetishizing audio quality as much as it does, it’s hard not to see the Amazon Echo Spot as an interesting rebuke to that arm-race. We could have made them look like anything, why do they have to look like speakers? Why not an alarm clock?

The Echo Spot feels like a smart speaker that’s definitely for someone - but one that's not going to be for everyone.

Display is neat; Audio output;

Webcam is creepy; Expensive;

Amazon invented the ideal smart alarm clock two years ago in the Echo Spot, a perfect bedside companion for anyone interested in an Alexa-powered home. While expensive at $129.99, it was far better than using an Echo Dot or a traditional alarm clock to wake up to, with plenty of additional usefulness as a kitchen clock or a monitor for various smart home devices. It was one of the first smart displays we were really enthusiastic about, and remains high on our list of recommendations in the category, as well an Editors' Choice. However, the introduction of the $89.99 Echo Show 5 means the Spot has some very strong competition, and both are worthy of your attention. Design, Audio, and Skills The Echo Spot is a tiny globe with a flat edge that comes in black or white. It measures 4.1 by 3.8 by 3.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 14.8 ounces. It has a reasonably sharp 2.5-inch, 480-by-480 circular color touch screen on the front, and a 1.4-inch speaker that radiates out through a grille arou...

The tiny, Alexa-powered, touch-screen Amazon Echo Spot makes a perfect smart bedside or desk clock.

Super cute design; Useful display; Supports all Alexa features; 3.5mm output

Not a powerful speaker; No non-camera option

Adding a screen to the Echo smart speakers has proved a winner for Amazon, particularly here with the diminutive Echo Spot. With the clear, round display, the Echo Spot becomes the perfect bedside companion, giving you a clock and more information on requests, plus the ability to make video calls. The only potential downside is the upcoming Echo Show 5, which gives you a traditional 5-inch screen in an Echo and is going to be cheaper than the Echo Spot when it's released late in June. If you can hold off, wait until we've had a chance to review this new model; if you want the smallest, screen-enabled Echo then the Echo Spot remains a quality product.

Useful screen; Video calling works well; Compact dimensions; More intuitive than audio-only Echo devices;

Sound could be better;

Sleek, compact design; Alexa with all her powers; Great as a bedside clock;

Only modest sound quality; Not many useful visual skills yet; Bedroom camera can be unsettling;

If you're all about having a smart home, owning just one smart assistant probably doesn't cut it. To truly control your home with voice activation, you need smart assistants in multiple rooms so that you're always within range to make a command. Purchasing multiple smart devices can leave a pretty hefty hole in your wallet. Luckily, Amazon is offering $40 off when you buy two Echo Spots together. Amazon's Echo Spot is small enough to fit almost anywhere in your home, but advanced enough to show you news briefings, shopping lists, recipes, and more all from voice commands. The Spot also connects to other Echo and smart devices so your entire home can be synced up. Though it's not just your devices the Spot can recognize — you can make video calls to other people who have Echo Spot and Show devices in their homes. Check it out: Normally two Echo Spots price out at $259.98, but right now when you buy two of the smart assistant devices, you'll save $40. The savings...