Amazon Echo Dot - UK Release Date, Price, Pre-Orders, Differences With Echo
AMAZON'S redesigned Echo Dot launches in the UK this week. Here's everything you need to know – including the UK price, release date, and some of the differences between the smaller Dot and the £149.99 Amazon Echo.
Amazon unveiled its cloud-powered Echo and Echo Dot at a launch event, back in September.
Both Echo devices, which ship in black and white variations, are powered by the US retailer's hands-free voice assistant, Alexa.
Although both devices include the cloud-based brains of assistant Alexa, the Amazon Echo is the only one that boasts its own in-built 360-degree speaker.
If you want to play music through an Echo Dot, you'll have to pair it with a separate Bluetooth speaker, or connect it via a 3.5mm audio jack.
Introducing the all-new Amazon Echo Dot.mp4
Echo Dot does include an in-built speaker, but this is only used for voice feedback when not connected to external speakers.
You cannot play music or radio stations via Echo Dot without hooking it up to another speaker.
Connecting to another speaker is handled over Bluetooth or 3.5mm stereo audio output.
Although, it's worth noting that Amazon does not bundle the required audio cable in the box with the Echo Dot.
Amazon Echo doesn't have that problem, since it includes its own 360-degree omni-directional speaker.
Unlike the Echo Dot, the Echo can double-up as a standard Bluetooth speaker.
That means you're able to pair your smartphone and stream any music from services not yet natively supported by the Echo (it has Prime Music and Spotify built-in).
Amazon Echo is the larger of the two, standing at 235mm tall. Echo Dot is much smaller at 83.5 x 83.5 x 32mm.
Echo is available now, priced at £149.99. Express.co.uk reviewed the A.I powered speaker earlier this month.
We concluded: "The voice recognition is breathtakingly accurate and as soon as you are used to requesting songs, skipping tracks, or switching between radio stations with your voice – every other Bluetooth speaker feels positively antiquated."
Meanwhile, the Echo Dot is a more affordable option, priced at £49.99. However the Echo Dot does not ship until Thursday October 20th.
Unbelievebly, Amazon is also selling the Echo Dot in a six-pack (buy 5, get one free) or a 12-pack (buy 10, get 2 free) to make sure you get a voice assistant in every room of your house.
Echo and Echo Dot are available online from Amazon and will also be available at Argos, Currys, John Lewis, PC World, and Tesco.