Amazon’s Alexa-enabled Echo devices are great ways to smarten up your home without necessarily spending a fortune.
Sure, there are some Echo speakers that are more of an investment than others, but towards the lower end of the spectrum sit two options: the Echo Pop and Echo Dot.
So what really separates the two cheaper smart speakers? Does the budget-friendly Echo Pop miss out on too many of the more premium features found in the Echo Dot, or is it a perfectly solid choice for most households?
To help you understand the difference between the two, we’ve compared the specs and our verdicts of the Echo Pop and Echo Dot below. Once you’re finished here, make sure you visit our list of the best Echo devices and see what’s coming soon after Amazon’s recent hardware launch.
Price
The Echo Pop is the cheaper of the two, with an RRP of £44.99/$39.99, while the Echo Dot (5th Gen) is slightly more expensive with an RRP of £54.99/$49.99.
Having said that, as both the Echo Pop and Echo Dot are older smart speakers, it is perfectly possible to pick either smart speaker up with a hefty price cut, especially during events such as Amazon Big Deal Days or Black Friday. In fact, at the time of writing, the Echo Pop was selling for just £22.99 while the Echo Dot was going for just £29.99.
Design
- Echo Pop is available in more colours
- Echo Dot includes an action button, which allows it to listen to voice commands without users needing to say the Alexa wake word
- The Echo Pop appears smaller, but it takes up the same amount of space as the Dot
We described the Echo Pop as “like a Dot with the front sliced off” in our review, and in a nutshell, that’s basically what it is. While both the Pop and Dot are similar in size, the Echo Dot is a sphere, whereas the Echo Pop is a flat-edged semi-circle.
Regardless, either option will undoubtedly blend in with its respective surroundings, whether it’s placed on a bedside table, bookshelf, or kitchen counter. While both are available in Charcoal or Glacier White shades, the Pop comes in Lavender Bloom or Midnight Teal, whereas the Dot has a Deep Sea Blue option.
Otherwise, the Pop and Dot are both equipped with mute and volume control buttons, although the Dot also includes an action button that enables the speaker to listen to voice commands without needing to say the Alexa wake word. You’ll know when Alexa is listening, as the ring light on the Echo Dot or the top section of the Echo Pop will illuminate blue.
The ring light also illuminates different colours to reflect different notifications. For example, a yellow indicator shows that your Amazon account has a notification, while a red ring light means the microphone has been switched off and isn’t listening for the “Alexa” wake word.
Otherwise, neither smart speaker sports a 3.5mm audio output, and instead, both have just one port for power output.
Features
- Both have Amazon’s voice assistant, Alexa, built-in for hands-free control
- Echo Dot has tap controls for manually controlling the device
- Echo Dot has motion and temperature sensors built-in
As part of Amazon’s Echo range, both the Echo Dot and Echo Pop have Alexa built-in.
In a nutshell, Alexa is Amazon’s voice assistant that can answer your questions, control compatible smart home devices and more. For a more in-depth look, our guide to Amazon Alexa provides a deeper understanding of the AI’s capabilities.
Alexa aside, both smart speakers are equipped with three far-field microphones that constantly listen for that all-important “Alexa” wake word. While we had no real issues with either smart speaker when testing Alexa, we did note the Dot boasted a slightly better ability to pick up requests for Alexa over the Pop.
Unfortunately, that’s more or less where the features end with the Pop. However, the Dot is equipped with heaps of other tools that help make it stand out compared to its cheaper counterpart. Firstly, there are tap controls which allow you to control the Dot when it’s inconvenient to use a voice command.
The Echo Dot also includes a temperature sensor, which can be used to create Alexa Routines that automatically run according to the room temperature, plus a similar Ultrasound Motion Detection sensor too.
Sound quality
- Echo Pop has a slightly larger front-firing speaker
- Echo Dot delivers an overall better audio experience, with a better range
- Echo Pop is better for voice responses than audio
At 1.95 inches, the Echo Pop actually has a larger front-firing speaker compared to the 1.73-inch speaker of the Echo Dot. However, you shouldn’t assume this means the Pop is a better speaker.
In fact, we found the Echo Pop lacked the warmth and bass of the Echo Dot and struggled through many tracks. Having said that, it’s still loud enough to fill a regular-sized room and should suffice for more casual listening. We also noted that the Pop coped better with Alexa’s responses, as the voice could be understood clearly across even large rooms.
While the Echo Dot tends to struggle with very bass-heavy tracks, the smart speaker delivers a “surprisingly good audio experience” with an overall better range than its predecessor too.
Verdict
Generally speaking, we’d recommend spending a bit more and opting for the Echo Dot (5th Gen) over the Echo Pop, thanks to its wider variety of features and better overall audio quality.
Plus, it’s worth remembering that the speaker sees multiple price drops throughout the year, which means you can easily pick the Echo Dot up for even less than the Echo Pop’s RRP.
Having said that, the Echo Pop also benefits from huge price cuts throughout the year. With that in mind, if you want a cost-effective way to interact with Alexa and can snag it for a bargain, then the Echo Pop is a solid choice.
