The Amazon Echo Pop: An Ultra-Low-Density and Affordable Smart Speaker for the Cost of Low-Generation Home Appliances
The pop sound of the Echo Pop was great. and electronic lo-fi. When I switched on the sounds with lower bass notes, I couldn’t locate them. The Echo Dot is slightly cheaper than the other one when it comes to sound quality. You’ll get slightly more robust sound thanks to better bass, though neither will compare to a bigger smart speaker like the fourth-generation Echo (8/10, WIRED Recommends).
The Pop is slightly larger than the fifth-generation Dot, which makes it sound much louder from whichever space you’ve squeezed it into. I placed mine on the corner of my desk and added it to my Alexa app in what felt like seconds. I was able to listen to Dua Lipa’s new song on my mobile device.
That smaller size and base helps make it easier to place into various spots around your home. The half moon form and single flat face make it a good fit for desk corners, small shelves or side tables.
If you’re less worried about fantastic sound and more interested a stylish speaker, this is Amazon’s best offering, and maybe the best style choice out of the world of cheaper smart speakers. I have three different smart speakers, and out of all of the small ones from Amazon, Apple, and others, I prefer the Echo Pop than any of them.
It’s also a good upgrade for any aging early-gen Echos you still have, anything older than the third-gen that came out in 2018. It’s worth upgrading from the third-gen, too, if you don’t need that 3.5mm jack, as the Pop is faster, sounds better, and looks way nicer. I wouldn’t replace a fourth- or fifth-gen Dot with a Pop, though, as you lose features.
Amazon Protects Your Voice Recordings: A Comparison of Pop and Dot with the Echo Dot and the Fourth Generation Dot With Alexa in the Smart Home
Voice interactions are ciphered and sent to the cloud during the verification process. Amazon stores voice recordings and transcripts in its cloud. You can review the information and choose to remove it at any time through the app or the Privacy Hub. You can also opt out of allowing Amazon to use your recordings to improve Alexa.
The Pop isn’t useful as a smart home controller because it lacks some sensors. With the fifth-gen echo dot, it is possible to adjust your thermostat, or have it turn on when you walk in, with the help of its temperature sensor. The Pop and the Dot can play music based on audible noises such as a snore or a dog barking.
Concerns are raised about how the data they collect is safeguarded with connected devices in your home. The Verge asks each company whose smart home products we review about safeguards it has in place for your data.
The Pop has no option for a clock display. There’s a dot matrix display to show the time and a few other things in the Echo Dot with Clock. That’s not an option here, although Amazon did relocate the Alexa LED light from the bottom, where it is in the Dot, to the top, where it appears as a small strip (you can adjust its brightness in the Alexa app).
Size and shape: As mentioned, I prefer the Pop’s look to the Dot’s. It is better suited for a desk or table than it is for a smaller one, since it is only slightly smaller. I am a fan of the new purple color, but I have always had a penchant for purple products. The teal is more camouflaged than all of the other Dot colors and is a bit muddy.
While the Pop has all the same smart home radios as the Dot — it’s an extender for an Eero mesh Wi-Fi system, a Matter Controller, and a Sidewalk bridge, it lacks some of the Dot’s more advanced sensors. There’s no temperature sensor or ultrasound motion detector, and the accelerometer that powers the tap-to-snooze feature only works for alarms, not for pausing and resuming music as the Dot can. I accidentally discovered that if the internet is down you can not use a voice or tap to snooze or dismiss an alarm.
It has the ability to control smart home devices, play silly games, and tell jokes thanks to the baked in voice assistant from Amazon. It also works as a home intercom and telephone.