Amazon Echo (4th Gen) vs Echo Dot: Which is best for you?

Amazon Echo (4th Gen) vs Echo Dot: Design and dimensions

For the first time in the Echo's history, the smaller and larger models are visually identical. We really like Amazon's spherical design and think it really suits a smart speaker, with the rounded edges and fabric cover helping them to blend into any household environment.

The larger Echo is 5.7 inches wide and 5.2 inches tall, while weighing a fairly considerable 34.2 oz. It is available in charcoal, white, blue and these are joined for a limited time by a (Product) Red edition.

Meanwhile, the more compact Echo Dot is 3.9 inches wide and 3.5 inches tall. It weighs 12 oz and is also available in charcoal, white and blue, but there is currently no red example. Both have a 3.5mm audio jack on the back for connecting to another speaker, and both require their own wall plug, as neither can be powered by USB.

Both also have a light ring at their base for indicating when Alexa is active and when it is muted. A mute button for the microphone, along with volume controls and a button to summon Alexa without saying the assistant's name are on the top of both speakers.

Only the larger Echo has a screw hole on its base for connecting to a speaker stand. This is because a pair of Echoes can be used as a stereo pair and connected to an Amazon Fire streaming TV, replacing your TV's audio. The Echo Dot cannot do this, and so misses out on the screw hole.

Amazon Echo (4th Gen) vs Echo Dot: Sound quality

Naturally, this is where you will find the greatest differences between the Echo and Echo Dot. The smaller of the two has just a single, 1.6-inch speaker, while the larger has a 3.0-inch woofer and a pair of 0.8-inch tweeters. This means significantly more bass and a much wider dynamic range than the Dot. It also means more volume and less distortion at louder levels.

The Echo can certainly be used to fill a room with music, while the Dot struggles to keep its composure when the volume level is pushed beyond about 70 percent. But, once you know its limitations, the Dot is still surprisingly good for its size and price.

As I explained in my recent review of the Dot, I have it sat on my desk, just a few inches away from my keyboard, where at low volumes it does a perfect job of playing the radio and turning Alexa into a convenient desk assistant.

The Dot is designed to fill the gaps in your smart home, rather than be the main event. It is designed for the bedroom, the office and the study, not the lounge or the kitchen.

Meanwhile, the full-size Echo is really rather impressive for a $100 speaker. It is loud, with more bass than ever before, and has a power that was lacking from previous models. It is also capable of Dolby Audio, whereas the Dot is not.

Amazon Echo (4th Gen) vs Echo Dot: Features and Alexa

Both speakers work with Alexa in an identical way. The intelligence of Amazon's voice assistant is exactly the same on both speakers, and they connect to the Alexa app – then onwards to a huge number of smart home devices – in the same way.

However, a key difference is how the larger Echo supports Zigbee and Amazon's new Sidewalk system, whereas the Dot doesn't. This might not matter to your smart home, especially if every device you own connects to Alexa via the app. But if you own certain Zigbee devices or want to connect them directly to the Echo instead of via their own hub or bridge, then the larger speaker is the one you need.

Otherwise, they are the same. And being Echo speakers, they have a set of features missing from some third-party Alexa speakers. They can act as a home intercom system using Drop In, and you can make calls with them to phones and other Echo devices anywhere in the world. They will also alert you when Amazon packages are on the way, and they will announce when someone is at the door if you connect them to a Ring doorbell. They also form a home security system using Amazon's Guard and the new Guard Plus function.