All About Amazon Echo Dot: Technical Details & Features
Echo Dot is Amazon's personal assistant able to control the smart devices of the house, make calls, call an Uber, ask for pizza, among other options. All thanks to Alexa, who gets the voice command of the owner and is programmed to understand the context. The device has been available in some countries since March 2016 and is priced at $40.
Below you will find the main features and features of the second generation Amazon Echo Dot.
Specifications
- Speaker: 0.6 inches
- Compatible system: Android, iOS and Fire TV
- Size: 32mm x 84mm x 84mm
- Weight: 163 grams
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 3.5 mm connector
Design
The Amazon Echo Dot has a minimalist design, but at the same time, it brings sophisticated looks. The gadget is small, is 84 mm tall and weighs only 163 grams, with the promise of discretion in any environment. It is sold in the United States in two color options: black or white.
At the top of the device, four control buttons are available, two volume buttons, one action button, and one button to turn off the microphone. Around the top, a circle of LED light indicates when Alexa has understood the voice command and is responding to the user.
Resources
Although small, the Amazon Echo Dot features the same basic functions of any device in the family, such as Echo and Echo Plus. The wizard, for example, can control the smart devices in the house, when available. Thus, the user can turn the ambient light on or off with just the voice, close the shutters and control the temperature, for example. The wizard has seven microphones scattered below the luminous ring, which pick up sounds within a 360-degree radius.
By having an integrated speaker, the small device can also play music from software such as Spotify, Deezer, Pandora, and other sound streaming services available in the United States. It does this through the Wi-Fi connection with another gadget that has the necessary apps.
Alexa
With Alexa software installed, Amazon Echo Dot should be able to call a car through Uber, place a pizza order, control the TV, or check its schedule online. According to the official page, all this is possible because the virtual assistant has been programmed to adapt to the different speech patterns and has a vast vocabulary inserted. In order for the wizard to perform these tasks, you must install the Alexa App, available for Android or iPhone (iOS).
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The Amazon Echo Dot features only a 0.6-inch speaker, unlike the Echo and Echo Plus models, which have an integrated 2.5-inch woofer. Thus, the device's audio may be loud enough to listen to the Alexa and the connections, but it tends to have less power than the larger models.
Like any small box, it can be connected to a mobile phone, tablet and devices like the Fire TV via Bluetooth or cable with a 3.5 mm plug when available. Thus, Dot can be used to listen to music, podcasts and answer calls.
English
According to a response given by Amazon's press office, Alexa is only available in English, Japanese and German.
Price and availability
The Amazon Echo Dot is offered on the official US brand website for the suggested retail price of $40 with delivery available only in the United States and Canada.
