Amazon recently launched the all-new Echo Spot, its new compact and customizable smart alarm clock.

This latest addition from Amazon to the Echo lineup boasts improved visuals, better audio quality and a range of new features that make it a versatile and stylish choice for users seeking a blend of smart speakers and smart display functionalities.

Amazon Echo Spot: setting new standards in smart devices?

The Echo Spot retains the semi-spherical shape of its predecessor but introduces a split front face combining a hemispherical display and speaker.

Its sleek aesthetic with its outer shell, available in black, glacier white, and ocean blue, offers a sophisticated design suited to any bedroom setup.

Furthermore, you can customize the display with six colour options: magenta, violet, orange, lime, teal, and blue. You can also mix and match with various clock faces to suit your bedroom decor.

Meanwhile, the 2.83-inch touchscreen display provides enough information to be useful without being intrusive. It shows the current time, upcoming alarms, weather updates, and music playback visuals.

The display includes small, intuitive controls for snoozing and stopping alarms, though users can also rely on voice commands or tap the device to snooze. Meanwhile, the screen’s limited size ensures it doesn’t dominate your nightstand, keeping distractions to a minimum.

Big tech competitors like Google and Apple currently don’t have a compact smart speaker with a display, nor do competitors like Sonos. Products these companies offer at present can’t compete with the Echo Spot if customers are looking for a display.

I’m wondering how long it’ll take for Google to release their answer to such a product.

How good is the Amazon Echo Spot’s audio and functionality?

The Echo Spot delivers vibrant sound via its 1.73-inch front-firing directional speaker, offering clear vocal reproduction and deep bass. It’s well-suited to enjoying music, audiobooks and even sleep sounds.

The Echo Spot offers seamless voice control for various tasks with Alexa, meaning you can set alarms, request weather updates, control smart home devices and more.

Of course, the device also supports Alexa Routines meaning you can automate daily tasks. For example, you can set a morning routine that turns on your bedroom lights, starts the news and brews coffee – providing you have a smart coffee machine.

Conversely, you can set up an evening routine that dims the lights and plays relaxing music while you get cosy.

The Echo Spot ditches the camera found in the original model, addressing privacy concerns for those wary of having a camera in their bedroom, instead focusing on providing a robust smart alarm clock experience without unnecessary features.

Finally, the Echo Spot offers a mic-off button and the ability to delete voice recordings. The smart alarm clock supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity and integrates smoothly with other Alexa-enabled devices and compatible smart home products.