Echo Dot with clock (5th generation, 2022 release) | Bigger vibrant sound Wi-Fi and Bluetooth smart speaker and Alexa | Cloud Blue

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Putting last year’s model and the clock version side by side, and alternating the same track between the two, I’m pleased to report the two are indistinguishable with surprisingly resonant bass response and a reasonably rich music playback across the frequency spectrum. Adding a clock is a small change but a significant one, especially if you keep the Echo Dot in the bedroom as I do. When using a voice command, you can set the brightness using a numerical value or turn the display off entirely. The clock display will immediately dim to its lowest possible brightness level when you use that command. Months after release, this still hasn’t arrived on any of the other Echos dotted around my house but hopefully they’ll change to match eventually.

Given the iPhone it used to house – a 2009 iPhone 3GS – has long since departed, it only exists to tell the time. If you want to dim your Echo Dot clock display quickly, you can use the Alexa voice command “Alexa, change brightness to minimum.The LED display is extremely welcome offering little “glance details” without detracting from the screen-free charm smart speakers were supposed to offer in the first place. One other peculiarility: these Echo devices with the new voice suddenly stopped working with my Xiaomi smart bulbs. It has the same chunky 99 x 99 x 43mm dimensions of the previous model, and sticks with the fabric wrap, which wraps around the sides.

That’s not ideal if you share a bed with someone, or have thin walls and neighbours who don’t appreciate your 3am Alexa chinwags. The former is handy for cooking, as the clock is replaced with a visual countdown when a timer is set.Then when the sun comes up in the morning, or when you turn on the lights, the brightness will increase. Yes, you could have a digital clock, too, but the new Echo Dot with Clock kills two birds with one stone by displaying the time in bright LEDs across its side. You can also use voice commands like, "Set brightness to one,""Change brightness to maximum," and "Turn display off. If you have an Echo with a screen, like Echo Show, you need to set the brightness with touchscreen controls.

You can adjust the brightness on your Echo Dot clock with voice commands or through the Alexa app on your phone. It’s a look that actually works well – it’s certainly a lot nicer than the plastic puck of the second and first generation Dots, only the former of which was released to the UK. Whether it’s Kindles, Fire Tablets or Echos, each new version brings small improvements that you weren’t aware you needed until they arrived. That suggests that there’s a little more going on here than just the voice changes, but your mileage may vary.This option was first made available in the third-generation Echo Dot, and the spherical fourth-generation Echo Dot also has a version that includes a clock display. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. With other smart speakers, you have to ask how long is left every time you want to know, and obviously being able to see it at a glance is far more convenient. It can turn off the lights, saving me bumped knees trying to navigate the room in the dark, and it can play a series of sleep sounds to lull my unsettled mind to rest.