Amazon’s Echo Spot is back in a new shell, here’s how it compares to the Echo Pop
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Amazon has announced a new Echo Spot to its Echo speaker line up, replacing the previous model from 2017. The older model was quietly discontinued in 2019 so a new version of it is somewhat a surprise, but a welcome one too.
With so many options in the Echo line-up, picking the right Echo speaker isn’t the easiest of tasks. We’ve compared the new Echo Spot to the Echo Dot in a separate feature, but here we are focusing on how the Echo Spot compares to the cheap, cheerful and colorful, Echo Pop.
You can also read our comparison between the Echo Pop and Echo Dot if you’re really interested in Amazon’s small speaker line up.
Echo Spot vs Echo Pop: Price
The Amazon Echo Spot was first made available on July 8, 2024. It cost $44.99 / £49.99 when it first launches in celebration of Prime Day, but the regular price is $79.99 / £79.99.
The Echo Pop meanwhile, was released in 2023 and it costs $39.99 / £44.99 so there isn’t a huge difference in price between these two devices – at least not initially. Following Prime Day, the Echo Spot will be double the price of the Echo Pop.
As you would expect, you can find both on Amazon and in a selection of countries, including the US and UK.
The Echo Pop is also likely to be reduced during Prime Day so if either of these devices sound appealing, waiting for Prime Day or another holiday period like Black Friday is a good idea.
Echo Spot vs Echo Pop: Design
The Echo Spot takes some design tips from the Echo Pop with an angled front and domed back. It also seems to have the same plastic finish on the rear, while the front of the Spot opts for half a display at the top and half speaker at the bottom compared to all speaker on the Echo Pop.
The Echo Spot is slightly higher off its base than the Echo Pop too, and the color options are different. The Echo Spot comes in Black, Glacier White, or Ocean Blue. The Echo Pop meanwhile, comes in Lavender Bloom, Glacier White, Charcoal and Midnight Teal.
Where the Echo Spot shines a little brighter on the color front though is the customised 2.83-inch touchscreen (240 x 320) display. You can choose from six different color themes comprising orange, violet, magenta, lime, teal, and blue, or mix and match colors with a variety of clock faces.
There doesn’t appear to be a camera built into the Echo Spot, and the Echo Pop doesn’t have this either. Both have volume controls and the mute button on the rear allowing for physical controls if you don’t want to use your voice.
Echo Spot vs Echo Pop: Sound quality
The Echo Spot has a 1.73-inch front-firing directional speaker on board, which is the same size driver as you will find in the Echo Dot.
The Echo Pop’s speaker is slightly larger at 1.95-inch, though it’s possible there won’t be a huge amount of difference in the sound quality between the Spot and Pop given both are designed for small spaces and forward-facing sound.
Both the Echo Pop and Echo Spot will respond to Alexa, and play tracks from a range of music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, alongside podcasts and audiobooks.
Echo Spot vs Echo Pop: Alexa and smart home features
The Echo Spot and Echo Pop have similar features when it comes to Alexa and the smart home, though the Echo Spot of course offers a small display so it is more visual. In the first instance, that means the Echo Spot displays a clock, making it prime for a bedside table.
The Echo Spot also has a variety of custom-designed clock faces, along with new visual animations, and the colors we mentioned that makes it easy to see the responses to requests like setting an alarm clock, reminder or finding out the weather at a glance.
When you ask for the weather, the Echo Spot shows illustrations like a sun, rain cloud, or snowflake on the screen, and there are new custom alarm tones too including Aurora, Daybreak, Endeavor, and Flutter.
Elsewhere, the features across these two devices are pretty much the same. Both allow you to call other Alexa-enabled devices, get alerts from an Alexa-enabled doorbell or use Alexa Routines with compatible smart home products. You can also ask Alexa to add to a shopping list, find out a fact or get it to tell you a joke, alongside the usual stuff like playing music from compatible services.
Echo Spot v Echo Pop: Connectivity
The Echo Pop actually trumps the newer Spot, slightly, on the connectivity front as it is able to extend your home Wi-Fi using Eero built-in.
Aside from that extra option on the Pop though, they are much of a muchness for connectivity.
Both operate over dual band, 2.4 and 5GHz Wi-Fi and both can act as Matter controllers.
Echo Spot vs Echo Pop: Which one is right for you?
The Amazon Echo Spot and the Echo Pop aren’t a million miles apart. They have similar designs to some degree and a number of the same features – certainly in the case of standard Alexa features anyway.
We still need to review the Echo Spot to see how its sound quality compares to the Pop, but you do get some extra features with the Echo Spot’s display. It might be small but there are customisable colors and having a clock on show is useful in some instances.
The Echo Pop will be cheaper usually so if you want a cheap Echo, it’s a great option. At the time of writing though, the Echo Spot is almost the same price so that’s the one we would pick out of these two for now.
FAQs
No. The old Echo Spot had a camera but the new one does not.
Yes, the new Echo Spot has volume controls and a mute button, like the Echo Pop.
