Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (4th Gen) review

When I reviewed the first $60 Amazon Echo Dot with Clock, I swooned over the simple ingenuity of its added LED display. For $10 more than the traditional third-generation Echo Dot, I could see the time without asking, as well as timers and the temperature. I handed over that Hamilton more than once while shopping for holiday gifts, naive to the possibility Amazon would replace this adored Echo model of mine within a year.

In Amazon’s defense, it morphed its entire cylinder-shaped Echo lineup into spheres, revolving around the notion that smart speakers should be both seen and heard. But the Echo Dot with Clock already had a visual perk going for it, no? Instead of doing what it did well at the outset — make something that’s practically perfect more useful — the Echo Dot with Clock simply took something great and made it more... round.

Current Echo Dot with Clock owners will find no reason to upgrade, but if you’re an Alexa newbie or want to update an older Echo, this Echo Dot with Clock (4th Gen) review explains why it was the best smart speaker and best smart home device you could buy. It's since been replaced by the Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (5th Gen), which features better sound, added display functionality and other upgrades.

Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (4th Gen) review: Price and availability

The Amazon Echo Dot with Clock costs $59.99 and is available as of November 5. It replaces the puck-shaped Echo Dot with Clock on the e-commerce giant’s virtual shelves. However, the classic third-generation Echo Dot is still being sold for $29.99 while supplies last. 

Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (4th Gen) review: Time is on its side

When Amazon wondered how to make one of the best smart home devices even better, the answer proved as simple as putting time on its side. Literally, it added a LED clock beneath the fabric-swathed side of the third-generation Echo Dot. It gave Alexa a familiar face — that of an unsophisticated nightstand alarm clock.

Whether it’s for checking the time in the early mornings or setting a timer for culinary endeavors, I no longer need to ask Alexa for information I want to see at a glance. I still appreciate these features on the new Echo Dot with Clock, but I’m used to saving my breath now. Maybe I’d feel more inspired if an additional display tool arrived, like a second LED line to see both the time and temperature at once, similar to the $50 Lenovo Smart Clock Essential’s layout. Or perhaps a face that shows the date, or the humidity.

That said, I’m spoiled now and wouldn’t want an Echo without the LED display. Part of me even hoped Amazon would include a clock in the fourth-generation Echo, but that $99 speaker is probably too large for most bedsides.

Amazon Echo Dot vs. Echo Dot with Clock: Which should you buy?

In terms of audio quality and smart home performance, the Echo Dot with Clock is identical to the standard, displayless Echo Dot. Our Amazon Echo Dot (4th gen) review provides an overview on the improvements over previous models, but I’ll go ahead and tell you there’s not many changes beyond aesthetics.

While the puck-shaped Echo Dot sounds a little hollow now compared to the spherical Echo Dot, the internals are more or less the same. The newer models have a larger chamber that helps the bass carry, so that could be what gave Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” richer depth in side-by-side testing. 

Still, the Echo Dot is not the smart speaker to get if you’re looking to flood your home with high-quality sound. Yes, it’s good for the price, but the Sonos One, or even the Amazon Echo Studio, are better choices for a larger space. When it comes to a bedroom, or maybe a small kitchen, the Echo Dot’s audio satisfies.

If you have the $10 to spare, the ‘with Clock’ variety is worth the premium. You’re better off spending $30 for the third-generation Echo Dot than $50 for the non-clock fourth-generation one, in my opinion. You’ll get access to all the best Alexa skills no matter which version you choose, but there’s something endearing about having an alarm clock alongside all those AI-assistant abilities. 

Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (4th Gen) review: Alexa

The Amazon Echo Dot with Clock is for more than just seeing the time. Alexa is a smart digital assistant that lays a cooperative foundation for all the best Alexa compatible devices. And when you know how to create an Alexa Routine, you can automate your smart home even further.

Amazon has also made improvements to Alexa Guard, a home security feature that relies on the Echo Dot’s (or any Echo speaker’s) mics to identify when a smoke alarm goes off or glass breaks in your home. If your Echo recognizes something that sounds unusual, it will send you an alert, as well as trigger routines with some of the best DIY home security systems and best smart light bulbs.

This Echo model can be used to set up and control a handful of Bluetooth-equipped smart home gadgets. If you have a larger range of connected devices, the $99 new Amazon Echo with Zigbee built-in might be better for you. 

It's also one of the few devices capable of using the Echo's new 'motion sensing' feature. That works similarly to motion sensing on the Echo Show, but utilizes ultrasound instead of a camera lens.

 That way the Echo knows where you are, and can activate any proximity-based skills you've set up. A bit like using a motion tracker, but without the extra device in the middle

To set it up simply head into the Alexa app and find your device's settings menu. Then toggle on Motion Sensing.

Amazon Echo Dot with Clock (4th Gen) review : Verdict

I can’t help but think it would’ve made more sense for Amazon to offer every Echo Dot with a clock this time around, considering you can turn the display on or off whenever you want. Of course, part of the Echo Dot’s appeal is that sub-$50 price tag. Another $10 is worthwhile if you’re sick of asking Alexa for the status of your timers, but if you’re keeping your smart speaker mostly out of sight, you can skip the fabric-swathed LEDs and pick up the 3rd-generation Echo Dot, which now costs $30 while supplies last.

While this second iteration of the Echo Dot with Clock isn’t much different from the first, the simple addition of a display makes the speaker a better device, not a more complicated one. If only all IoT companies sought to solve problems using the “with Clock” approach, people might be more convinced to raise their home’s IQ. The goal of a connected home is making day-to-day life simpler, and the Echo Dot with Clock’s effortless enhancements to a familiar product — the lackluster bedside alarm clock — continues to do just that.  

• More: Find out How to reset Echo Dot for when things go wrong