Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Amazon revives the Echo Spot with a new look ahead of Prime Day

The Echo Spot on a nightstand.
Amazon

Prime Day is just around the corner on July 16-17, but Amazon is kicking off the summer festivities with the launch of the Echo Spot — an updated version of the old smart alarm clock that’s packed with new functionality. Featuring a customizable display, support for Alexa, and a built-in speaker, it’s the ideal companion for a nightstand. The smart alarm clock is now available for $80, though Prime members can snag it for just $45 through July 17.

The Echo Spot uses an attractive circular design that’s split into two parts. The top half is the customizable display, which supports multiple different colors and lets you quickly set alarms, check the weather, or access its many other apps. The bottom half houses the 1.73-inch speaker, allowing it to play music or respond to your voice commands.

Alexa is a big part of the Echo Spot, as you can issue voice commands to set alarms or play unique response animations on its display. For example, saying things like “Alexa, thank you,” or “Alexa, good evening,” will change the appearance of your Echo Spot. All together, there are 10 unique response animations for you to discover.

The Echo Spot playing music.
Amazon

The Echo Spot is essentially a smart alarm version of the Echo Pop. It features a similar, semi-circle footprint, support for Alexa, and physical buttons to turn off its microphone or adjust volume levels. Beyond its built-in display, many of the same features you’d find on other Amazon devices are here, including the ability to make audio calls, use Drop In with connected devices, get alerts from synced smart home products, and create Alexa Routines to automate tasks.

Of course, it also has a few alarm-specific features, such as the ability to tap its screen to snooze for a few more minutes.

Considering the Echo Pop costs $40, the Echo Spot seems like a great value at $45 for Prime members. Not only can it do pretty much everything available on the Pop but you’re also getting a built-in display for just an extra $5. Be sure to give it a look if you’re looking for an alternative to the other best smart alarm clocks on the market.

Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
Blink Mini 2 vs. Blink Mini: Is Amazon’s new security camera a worthy upgrade?
The Blink Mini 2 installed outside.

Amazon recently introduced the Blink Mini 2, the successor to the wildly popular Blink Mini indoor security camera. The smart home device adds a few new tricks, including support for outdoor use and Person Detection, making it a nice improvement over the aging Blink Mini. But what exactly is the difference between the Blink Mini 2 and Blink Mini? And, more importantly, is it worth rushing out to replace your Blink Mini with the newer security camera?

From resolution and pricing to Person Detection and more, here's a look at everything you need to know about the Blink Mini and Blink Mini 2.
Pricing and monthly fees

Read more
Echo Hub vs. Echo Show 15: Which is the best smart home gadget?
Amazon Fire TV on Echo Show 15.

The Echo Hub might look like a smart display, but it actually falls into a category of smart home products known as smart control panels. Unlike smart displays, which are jack-of-all-trades entertainment hubs, control panels are designed to give you enhanced control over the rest of your smart home. That's an important distinction, and it's one of the main differences between the Echo Hub and Echo Show 15.

But is the Echo Hub or Echo Show 15 better for your smart home? Here's everything you need to know before making a purchase.
Pricing and design

Read more
The 6 best Echo Hub tips and tricks
The Echo Hub on a stand.

Amazon's first smart control panel, the Echo Hub, is officially here. It's not without a few quirks, but it offers a great way to access all your smart home gadgets in one unified location. Thousands of products can be connected to the panel, and with full Matter support, it's a relatively future-proofed device. If you're looking to get the most out of your new control panel, here's a look at the six best Echo Hub tips and tricks to optimize its performance.
Customize your Echo Hub home screen before you do anything else

There are tons of ways to modify your Echo Hub home screen. After syncing all your smart home devices, you can create a variety of tiles for the home screen that give you quick access to all your features. Take some time to create widgets, shortcuts, and other tiles for your most-used devices and actions, as it'll streamline your smart home and save you the hassle of digging through menus.
Check out all the privacy settings
Like all things Alexa, there are plenty of privacy settings for you to tinker with on the Echo Hub. While the control panel benefits from a microphone button and the option to delete voice recordings, you can also dig into other Alexa settings to ensure your privacy is respected.
Launch Routines directly from the Echo Hub

Read more