The Spot is the fifth speaker in Amazon's Echo range - and arguably the cutest. That's not normally a metric we use to rate products, but I'll make an exception here because the Spot is simply gorgeous.

great wireless speaker. Does all my home automation. Very useful in your daily life. Wifi is also great

Most people can safely skip the Echo Spot if they want and get another smartspeaker. There are better-sounding options, and if you want its alarm functions any screenless Echo will do, so long as you're prepared to say "Alexa, stop" before leaving for work.

Amazon Echo Spot is a unique looking, ball-shaped touchscreen smart speaker. Here is our detailed review of the latest Echo speaker in the Indian market.

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;

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

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 Echo Spot brings Alexa in the form of a tiny touchscreen alarm clock. Its display is indeed pretty useful, as its adds additional context and visual information. It's great for video calls, too.

Cute design; Touchscreen enhances the Alexa experience; Great for video calls; Cute design; Touchscreen enhances the Alexa experience; Great for video calls

Expensive for what it is; The tiny screen isn't suitable for longer videos; Mediocre audio quality; Expensive for what it is; The tiny screen isn't suitable for longer videos; Mediocre audio quality

The Echo Spot just might be the perfect smart speaker, with a versatility and fashion-sense that give it a sense of purpose and style.

Excellent design that looks great in any room; 2.5-inch circular screen is bright; crisp; and doubles as a clock; Camera can be completely disabled

Hefty cord somewhat limits where it can be placed; Videos are truncated in full-screen mode

"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