Searching for the best Echo Dot deals? You're in the right place. This diddy smart speaker packs the full power of Amazon's AI assistant Alexa, so you'll be able to use your voice to request songs, play local and national radio stations, manage cooking timers and reminders, call friends and family, order taxis and takeaways, control smart lightbulbs, thermostats and video doorbells around your home, and much, much more.
If you're looking for the cheapest Echo Dot deal, we'd recommend the third-generation Echo Dot. As part of its Prime Day sales, Amazon has dropped the price of this speaker down to just £24 and is offering a free six-month subscription to its Music Unlimited streaming service as part of the deal.
As always, you'll need to be a Prime member to take advantage of the latest Prime Day discounts. Fortunately, you can take out a Prime free trial to access the deals – then cancel it!
For those who don't know, Amazon's Music Unlimited streaming service offers access to millions of tracks, albums, and hand-curated playlists. These can be played on your brand-new Echo Dot, or an existing iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet, Fire TV, or dozens of other gadgets around the home. Music Unlimited is a direct competitor to Spotify and Apple Music and usually costs £9.99 – so you're getting a subscription worth £59.94 as part of this £24 bargain!
But back to the Echo Dot ...the third-generation model is perfect for anyone who wants to dip their toes into the smart speaker market as it regularly enjoys the biggest price cut.
The third- and fourth-generation Echo Dot both enjoy the same functionality courtesy of voice assistant, Alexa. That means you'll be able to listen to live radio stations, playlists and tracks from Music Unlimited (for free, if you take advantage of the latest Prime Day deal) and other streaming services, set reminders, order takeaways, make calls to other Echo owners, and ask general knowledge questions like the height of the Eiffel Tower or the age of your favourite celeb.
Echo Dot plays nicely with a number of the most popular services – from Spotify to Apple Music, TuneIn to BBC Sounds, Philips Hue to Ring, Audible to Fitbit.
The fourth-generation Echo Dot has a spherical design, which Amazon says offers improved sound quality compared to its predecessor. The speaker inside the fourth-generation Echo Dot has also enjoyed an upgrade ...so those who want to listen to the radio, albums or playlists with the Echo Dot should look at the newest model.
The new design also means the fourth-generation Echo Dot is a little bulkier, so you'll want to make sure you have room. The hockey puck-like appearance of the third-generation Echo Dot means it's easier to keep around the house. It's also worth noting that neither the third- or fourth-generation Echo Dot offers the same audio performance as the full-sized Echo, which is also on sale in the Prime Day sale. If you're going to be streaming back-to-back playlists on your Echo, that is the model to get.
With the introduction of the fourth-generation Echo Dot, Amazon started to use recycled materials in its design. As such, if you want to ensure that your new purchase has less of an impact on the planet, you'll want to upgrade to the newest Echo Dot in the lineup.
Regardless of which Echo Dot model that you decide upon, to take full advantage of all of the functionality available from the gadget (and its chatty assistant, Alexa), you should sign-up for Amazon's Prime membership scheme. This not only unlocks next-day (or, in some limited areas, same day) delivery on the Echo Dot ..but thousands of other goods from Amazon.
You'll also benefit from music streaming from Amazon Music, with thousands of popular tracks and playlists available with a hands-free request. Prime members can also access hundreds of free ebooks for their Kindle ereaders, watch exclusive shows like The Boys and Clarkson's Farm on Prime Video, and access unlimited cloud storage for all of their photographs so everything is safely backed up in case you lose (or irreparably damage) your phone.
Prime is available with a 30-day free trial, so there are plenty of opportunities to test the benefits for yourself before signing up.
As mentioned above, you'll also need an active Prime membership to take advantage of the discounts and deals available in the Prime Day sales. However, some high street retailers are matching the prices available in the Prime Day sales ...so it is possible to unlock some of the same price cuts without signing-up to Amazon's annual membership scheme.
What Can You Use An Alexa Smart Speaker For?
Amazon's hugely popular Echo Dot smart speaker is the perfect way to begin transforming your home into something from The Jetsons. It allows you to link together smart home gadgets from an array of different brands – smart lightbulbs, internet-connected thermostat, video doorbell, security cameras, wireless speakers – with a single voice assistant. You won't need to bother juggling between half a dozen different apps to turn gadgets on or off ...you'll just need to say the command out-loud with the wake word "Alexa..."
If you have multiple Echo smart speakers dotted around your house, you can also use Alexa to wirelessly beam messages to people in other rooms. For example, you can let them know that dinner is ready without shouting up the stairs. If a friend or family member has an Amazon Echo in their home, you'll be able to use these speakers to chat to one another. These VOIP calls won't be susceptible to international call rates, so it's perfect for international calls.
Best Echo Dot Deals 2022 With Clock Price UK
Amazon sells multiple versions of the Echo Dot, including an optional digital clock face (Image: AMAZON)
If the recipient is out-and-about, they can answer within the Alexa companion app on their iPhone or Android handset, so you should always be able to get through to them.
Of course, one of the biggest reasons to get an Echo Dot is so you can call upon Alexa to help you with any burning questions you'll have throughout the day. And in addition to the infinite knowledge that Alexa has, you'll also be able to take advantage of tens of thousands of Alexa skills that can personalise your smart speaker experience.
Skills are like apps, and there is a dizzying number available, including Skills that let you play games with Alexa, help track your fitness, deliver news to you, help with getting to sleep after a busy day and more.
best echo dot deals 2022
The fourth-generation Echo Dot has a unique spherical design that boosts its audio performance (Image: AMAZON)
Amazon Echo vs Echo Dot – What's The Difference?
Are you torn between choosing an Echo Dot and the fully-fledged Amazon Echo?
If you're looking to access hands-free AI assistant Alexa ...then it doesn't really matter which device you pick. Since Alexa is powered by a dizzying number of servers in the cloud, there's no difference in the experience between the cheapest Amazon Echo and the priciest, top-of-the-line option. All of these smart speakers arrive with a far-field microphone array, so you'll be able to call upon the digital secretary from across the room (or in the middle of blasting your favourite song) and still be heard.
Size is a big differentiator between these two models. If you've only got a limited amount of room for your new smart home assistant, you might be better suited with the Echo Dot. In terms of the size of the devices, the Echo Dot stands at 3.5inches tall with a 3.9inch waist. While the Echo has a 5.7inch diameter and a height of 5.2inches.
Both the fourth-generation Echo and fourth-generation Echo Dot boast the new spherical design. This really stands out and improves sound quality compared to earlier iterations. However, it's worth noting that it does expand the overall footprint of the Echo.
So, the older third-generation Echo Dot might be a better choice for those looking for the smallest device to tuck away at home.
Ultimately, if the difference in price and size hasn't helped you make a decision between the Echo and the Echo Dot, then it'll all likely boil down to sound quality.
And on that front, there's one clear winner – the Amazon Echo. While both fourth-generation (the latest iteration from Amazon's R&D labs) arrive with dramatically improved sound quality over previous versions, but if audio is the main thing you're concerned about you'll want the full-sized Echo. This smart speaker is able to play lossless audio (a first for the smart speakers series) but this is further enhanced by the Echo's Dolby audio technology.
While the 4th gen Echo Dot has a 1.6inch front-firing speaker, the Echo's set-up is much more impressive – with a 3.0inch woofer and dual 0.8inch tweeters.
