"Always two there are; no more, no less. A master and an apprentice." Yoda was referring to Sith lords, but he could easily have been talking about Amazon's general product strategy. The company has a habit of releasing a big product and following it up with a smaller, more affordable alternative.

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

Sound could be better

The newest member of the Echo family is Amazon's best-looking hardware yet.

Cute; sleek looking device; Intuitive controls; User-friendly; Alexa keeps getting smarter

Video camera could be a privacy issue; Wish it had a USB port

Products like the Echo Spot live and die by their features. This is the first of its kind to come through the testing rooms and it has performed well. It has a number of useful features, the display is sharp and it looks rather elegant.However, it's a much greater investment than the Echo Dot or...

Sharp screen; Good range of features; Neat design; Clear midrange

Divisive camera; Sound quality could be improved; Needs more video content

Affordable; decent sound quality; sleek looking

Screen needs some work; It's a camera for your bedroom

Amazon's latest Echo refresh has brought with it a design flourish that was sorely missing from its original line-up.

Lovely form factor; Video is clear

Round screen means video cropping; Pricier than the regular Echo

When Amazon released the Echo Show , many thought it was too expensive, too big and - dare we say - ugly. So if you were hankering after an Alexa speaker with a screen but didn't like the Show then the Echo Spot might fit the bill.

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;

The Spot hits a number of key areas: it's the best designed of the Echo range, giving it immediate appeal. Whether in the bedroom, on a kitchen worktop or side table in the living room, the Spot fulfils its role as master of all.

'Alexa Calling' video calls; Cute design; Sounds pretty good considering the size; The smartest radio alarm clock you'll ever find

'Drop In' could cause privacy concerns; Price feels a little high compared to Echo Dot; Small screen for video playback

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;

‘Alexa, are you watching me?'

Crisp; clear speaker for Alexa's responses; Bright display with large text that always shows the time; Microphones pick up voice commands well; Does all of the things other Echo devices can do

Do you really want an always-watching camera in your bedroom; Not the best for serious music listening; Expensive relative to audio-only Echo devices; Few third-party apps make use of the display