The Dot has a whole host of ‘skills’ which you can think of as separate apps and things it can do for you, from playing games to controlling other tech to waking you up in the morning. You’d just need to say “Alexa, turn off the bulb.” So let’s say you have a Philips Hue lightbulb, for example, the Dot can control that too. Thanks to smart home tech all connecting up, you can also use your Dot to control other devices that you might have in your home. So you can ask the Dot’s voice assistant, Alexa, to answer questions about the time, general knowledge, traffic, what the weather is going to be like and everything else that might help your day run a bit smoother. We’re not at the stage where our tech can physically help us run our homes, but it can do everything else. Think of the Amazon Echo Dot as your own personal assistant. Amazon Echo Dot (2nd Generation) FAQ: quick questions answered What is an Echo Dot used for? Amazon has taken one of the most-requested Alexa commands ('Alexa, what time is it?') and visualized it, a clock in an Echo Dot is a great idea and makes it even more invaluable in your smart home. UPDATE: Amazon has refreshed the Dot with the all-new Amazon Echo Dot with Clock.

While the smaller Echo Dot does compromise on sound quality to match its tiny size and price tag, it's just as smart as its stablemates and, arguably more impressive than many of its non-Alexa rivals. But how does its predecessor measure up against the new arrival, and other Alexa-powered options like the Amazon Echo Spot and Amazon Echo Show? Amazon lifted the lid on a brand new next-generation Echo Dot in 2018, which sounds and looks better.

Alexa echo dot