![]() ![]() Where you land on the Spot versus other Echo devices will largely come down to how much you want a speaker and a camera. I could cover it in tape, I guess, but I'd rather just have a Spot without a camera. It's nice that you can say, "Alexa, turn off the camera," and it will mechanically disconnect, but there's still a lens there. But for some reason, even though I'm perfectly comfortable with an always-on microphone eight inches away from my sleeping face, having a camera there makes me anxious. I get why it's there: to enable the Drop In feature that lets you video-chat with other Echo users, or act as an ersatz security camera. ![]() The Spot's camera, on the other hand, makes me nervous. There's really no downside, especially in a device that looks as nice as the Spot. ![]() And the Spot does a nice job of dimming its screen at night, and will turn all the way off at your request. I like that I can change settings on the Spot itself rather than on my phone, too. Even when I use it for setting timers and alarms, or asking questions about the weather, it's nice to see the answer as well as hear it. In general, I've found a screen adds to the Alexa experience. It was fine for re-watching the Last Jedi trailer while I looked up showtimes, but not for anything longer than that. You have to get up close to see anything, and since the screen is round, you're either watching with awkward letterboxes or filling the screen but not seeing the whole video. But while the Show exists for video, it's not really the point of the Spot. (It can't show YouTube, of course, because Amazon and Google have beef.) Everything works just as it should. The Flash Briefings can be video-enabled too, which I like. Since the Spot has a screen, it can do all the things the Show can, like display recipes or play movie trailers. It's become a crucial part of the first hour of my day. You can wake up to an alarm tone or to music, then say "Alexa, good morning," to get the weather forecast and your daily news briefing. The Spot is a terrific alarm clock, by the way. If you want more, it also has a 3.5mm jack, and can Bluetooth out to other speakers. (I wanted some music!) It even produces decent audio quality, far better than the Echo Dot and almost as good as the standard Echo. The Spot heard me as well as any other device, including through the wall inside the bathroom. Most of the time, Alexa speaks its responses aloud as usual, but it can also display relevant information on the screen. It can access the same skills, answer the same questions, and offer the same information. Once it's up and running, the Spot works like any other Alexa device. (Two setup tips, by the way: call it "Computer," not Alexa, and turn on the sound that lets you know the device heard you.) I got the Spot up and running in five minutes, tapping my Amazon credentials and the Sheraton Wi-Fi password onto the small keyboard on the screen. One great thing about an Echo with a screen: It's much easier to set up. But it raises some complicated questions: Am I comfortable having this thing next to my bed with its camera and microphones always armed? Do I trust it not to monitor me when I'm sleeping, or even to not accidentally turn on and wake me up in the process? I don't know. All the things you'd expect it to do, it does. In most ways it's no better or worse than any other Alexa device, because Alexa is Alexa no matter where it lives. At $130 it's also one of the more expensive Alexa-capable devices.Īfter spending lots of time lying on my freshly made hotel bed and talking to the Spot, I'm impressed with the device. With the Spot, Amazon tried to build an Echo you might keep by your bed, or on your desk. In these early days of smart speakers and virtual assistants, Amazon's trying to figure out what works. What Amazon's doing with Alexa is fascinating: It's building devices of different shapes, sizes, and prices, with slightly different strengths and weaknesses. The Spot is a similar thing, only a lot smaller and a lot better-looking. It's also the second Echo with a screen and a camera, after the Echo Show. ![]() This is the company's newest Echo device, yet another way to bring Alexa inside your house. My only company came from Alexa, in the form of Amazon's new Echo Spot. Last week, I spent two days holed up in a drab Sheraton hotel just outside of downtown San Diego. ![]()
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