Amazon’s new Echo Pop makes sense if you already use Alexa-enabled equipment

The Echo Pop is a single of Amazon’s most recent Alexa products. With a flat speaker on the entrance, it’s designed to sit discreetly in the corner of a space and fill it up with audio. Furthermore, it shares lots of of the exact Alexa characteristics as Amazon’s other Echo units.

At $39.99, the Echo Pop is also the minimum highly-priced way to insert Alexa to your property. As a reward, it will come in a couple of special colors that other Echo gadgets really do not — the magnificent lavender bloom and stylish midnight teal.

Continue to, it does not seriously stand out from the Echo Dot with regards to sound excellent, and after applying it I was remaining asking yourself if it’s truly distinct adequate from the Dot to be it’s personal “thing.”

How it measures up as an Alexa machine

If you are common with the Amazon Alexa ecosystem, then you likely know of the Echo Dot devices. These are Alexa-enabled good products without the need of a exhibit. You can established timers, make reminders, insert notes to the Alexa application, and check with them thoughts. 

The Echo Pop is, primarily, a additional compact Echo Dot. It is 50 % the measurement, but it has just about all of the exact same functionality — producing it specially useful in the kitchen, for me at minimum. “Alexa, remind me to examine the rice in 20 minutes.” Also: “Alexa, how quite a few tablespoons are in fifty percent a cup?”

The Amazon Echo Dot vs. The Amazon Echo Pop… of course there is a very small spaghetti stain on the Echo Dot, I blame the young children.
Credit history: SaVanna Shoemaker / Mashable

Nevertheless, it’s critical to take note that when the latest gen Echo Dot has a developed-in temperature sensor, the Echo Pop does not.

It can also be employed to command any of your Alexa-enabled clever products, just like other Echo products. Although I do dearly love working with an Echo in the kitchen, my household is blissfully very low-tech in any other case — so I could not test this for myself.

How it steps up as a good speaker

Considering the fact that I previously had Spotify connected to Alexa, I was ready to start out participating in my music pretty significantly as shortly as I plugged in the system and set it up. Even so, it is vital to observe that if you really do not use Amazon Tunes, you’ll need to have to go by means of the Alexa application on your mobile phone to join to your chosen audio application.

Shortly after commencing my songs for the first time, it stopped mid-tune and it appeared like the device froze up for a several minutes. Immediately after that a person concern, it’s labored great though.

In comparison to my Echo Dot, I truthfully feel the sound quality looks specifically the identical. But whole disclosure: I’m not an audiophile, so it could be that my very simple ears just can’t detect any refined variations in sound high quality concerning the two devices. Regardless, as advertised, this minimal system assignments definitely effectively and fills the full place with music. 

The Echo Pop ditches the spherical form of the Echo and Echo Dot.
Credit score: SaVanna Shoemaker / Mashable

One aspect I was specifically interested in was the Echo Pop’s Bluetooth connectivity. Some purchaser reviews refer to it as a Bluetooth speaker, which had me pondering that it may well be able to stream audio immediately from my cellular phone without having Alexa.

Even so, this does not truly seem to be to be the scenario. I attempted to link to it through Bluetooth with my cellular phone (like I would connect to wireless earbuds or a wireless speaker), but I couldn’t come across a way to play audio straight from my telephone to the Echo Pop with no making use of Alexa as an intermediate.

So sure, it connects to the Alexa application through Bluetooth, guaranteed. But would I get in touch with it a Bluetooth speaker? No, not definitely. 

In addition, it ought to be plugged into a wall outlet to function — making it rather stationary compared to what people are normally thinking of when they imagine “Bluetooth speaker.” That is, something which is wi-fi and moveable.

Even now, you can link your Bluetooth speakers to the Echo Pop — creating it attainable for you to lend Alexa voice activation to your entire audio setup.

Is the Echo Pop well worth it?

For persons who like to preserve songs actively playing, and who also use Alexa as a household assistant, the Echo Pop is a excellent addition to any home in the property. 

To be totally straightforward, it looks a little redundant when it’s so related to the Echo Dot. Even now, at $39.99, it is $10 considerably less expensive than the most recent gen Echo Dot, with primarily all the identical performance and characteristics. That tends to make it a great selection if you are seeking to conserve some dough even though building your house a tiny smarter. Or if you previously have a suite of Echo devices and are wanting to increase a minor more Alexa to your house.