What Echo Dot Is the Newest? [2022]

After much anticipation, the newest Echo Dot is finally here. Released in 2020, it’s the fourth generation of the Amazon Echo product series. From what we can tell, Amazon has delivered once again.

This iteration of the Echo Dot has many great improvements – there’s even a version with a clock. People like checking the time with this device, so Amazon decided to include this great new feature.

Read on for more details about the new improved Echo Dot, and learn all about its superiority over the older version.

Essential Information About the Newest Echo Dot

The newest Echo Dot is named simply Echo Dot 4th gen. Thankfully, Amazon has kept things simple, which is a good thing. By continuing with the same naming pattern of their products, it reduces the risk of confusion.

There are, after all, many other Echo devices from Amazon (Echo Glow, Echo Flex, Echo Show, Echo Plus, and Echo Studio). If the Echo Dot always stood out as the most cost-effective device of the bunch.

Therefore, you’ll be pleased to hear that the Echo Dot 4th gen is very affordable. There are some great discounts, which are still available (at the time of writing) if you buy the product directly from Amazon.

The version with a clock is only slightly more expensive, and it seems well worth the extra investment. But we’ll get to that later. For now, let’s learn about the changes and the new features on the newest Echo Dot.

New Features

This particular device has the same speakers featured on the Echo Plus. In other words, the speakers are improved compared to the older Echo Dot, and the sound quality is much better.

Approximately 50% better, which is excellent. The voice recognition is also exceptional. Wake-word recognition is improved, too. In addition, Alexa will only activate when you address it from now on.

Alexa functionality with the version of Echo Dot is unchanged. Put simply, Alexa can still do all it could do before. And as always, the Echo Dot works well with other Alexa devices, giving you a more complete smart home experience.

Regarding software changes, there’s now a Guest Connect option. This will allow for “borrowing” an Amazon account from a friend with an Echo and vice-versa. For example, you can listen to music from your friend’s Amazon account while traveling.

There are some new privacy options too. You can now tell Alexa to playback what it recorded a moment ago, and you can also make the recordings auto-delete after a set period.

The Newest Echo Dot with a Clock

The clock itself is actually an LED display at the front of the device, which can show other things, like room temperature as well as time.

Just ask Alexa for the temperature and it will briefly replace the clock on the display. When you set a timer, when you’re cooking, for example, you’ll see the countdown on the clock display. The only letdown is that you can’t mount this handy smart speaker with a clock on a wall very easily.

Having a clock on your Echo Dot may seem a little underwhelming, but it’s much more than just a clock. It’s also a dynamic speaker. For a very small price increase, the version with a clock looks like a much better investment.

This LED display can be customized to your liking, using Alexa voice commands, or the Alexa app for Android or iOS devices. You can change the brightness with a built-in ambient sensor that will detect the lighting in a room and adjust accordingly. In simple terms, the display won’t ever be too bright or too dim.

Final Thoughts on the Newest Echo Dot

Overall, the Echo Dot 4 looks impressive. It features some great new software and hardware updates. The clock version offers even better value for money, but the regular version is just as good. They even sell a kid’s version designed to look like a tiger or panda.

Before you had to get an Echo Show to have a display on your Echo–now you don’t have to. You can get the Echo Dot with a clock, and save some money in the process. As always, you can get multiple Echo Dots to have a better smart home experience and connect each room in your household.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.