Amazon Echo Dot 5th Generation Review

Amazon Echo Dot 5th Generation Review

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On the very first look, it will be difficult to tell apart an Amazon Echo Dot 4th gen from its successor Amazon Echo Dot 5th generation. The looks are almost the same. Do the specifications differ? Are there special features that will compel users to choose Amazon’s latest released Echo Dot 5th generation (2022)?

Well, if you already have an Echo Dot 4th gen, we don’t see much reason why such a user would like to switch to Echo Dot 5th gen, except you are finding an Eero build-in product.

If you are looking forward to adding another Amazon Echo device to your existing collection, here is the full review of the Amazon Echo Dot 5th gen.

You may also like: Echo Dot 4th Generation Review And Echo Dot 4th Gen Vs. 3rd Gen

What’s new?

Cut through the chase, let’s first know what’s new and special about the Amazon Echo Dot 5th generation that its predecessors lack. Amazon Echo Dot 5th generation has to be smarter than its previous versions. That’s a given. Let’s see how smart it is:

Improved sound quality

Amazin claims the Echo Dot 5th generation to be the best sounding amongst all Echo Dot. It has a 1.73-inch front-firing speaker which lossless high-definition audio support. Lossless audio support does not guarantee high-quality sound but ensures that the audio is played in its original form without any data loss.

Users don’t find any appreciable difference in the sound quality of the Amazon Echo Dot 5th gen compared to its previous variants.

Starts routines with motion

The Echo Dot 5th generation has to be smarter in order to create its space in the market. For this, the company has features like motion, voice, and temperature sensors to control your smart home devices. This is to say, with the Echo Dot 5th generation, you will be able to control your smart home devices like the thermostat, smart light bulbs, and doorbells, not only through voice but also through motion and temperature sensors.

This means Echo Dot 5th gen will sense your presence in the room and automatically turn your lights on or play music. This can be taken to the next level by setting Routines in the Alexa app. If you follow a proper schedule, you can feed your activities in the Routine section of the Alexa app, and the Echo Dot 5th gen will start them with motion sensors.

For instance, you can set your night routine, which includes dimming your light bulbs, playing audiobooks through audible, setting the room temperature, playing music, turning on alarms, and so on. Echo Dot 5th gen will start all these routines on sensing your motion.

Furthermore, it can also maintain a stabilized indoor temperature if it senses too much warmth or coldness.

Works on tap

Another special feature of the Echo Dot 5th generation is that it works on tap. Unlike in the Echo Dot 4th gen and lowercase, if you do not want to pause a song through your voice, you used the physical buttons on the control panel to control the device. However, you can do so now by tapping on the device.

Do you want to pause a song, stop a timer, end a call, or snooze the alarm? Just tap on the Echo Dot 5th gen head to complete single-touch tasks.

Compatible with the Eero network

Echo Dot 5th gen also takes pairing devices to the next level. It’s normal for any echo device to work in conjunction with another echo device. Furthermore, you can also pair your Echo device with Fire Tv. What is new with the Echo Dot 5th gen is its compatibility with the Eero Wi-Fi router.

Got a multiple-floor home and have your Wi-Fi router installed on the ground floor? If you want to use your echo device on the first floor, the Wi-Fi coverage may be too poor to make it work. Switch to Eero whole home mesh Wi-Fi. To increase your Wi-Fi coverage, use Eero’s built-in Wi-Fi extender. This will not only allow Echo Dot 5th gen to work as a built-in Eero extender, but it will also help other devices to work by extending the network’s reach.

To make the most of Echo Dot 5th generation Eero built-in feature, all you got to do is:

  • Buy a compatible Eero router
  • Download the Eero app on your mobile device
  • Now, set your compatible eco dot 5th gen in the Alexa app (skip if already done)
  • Open the Eero app and link your amazon account. This will enable your Eero built-in Echo Dot 5th gen with an Eero router.
  • Once linked, you can use your Echo Dot 5th gen as a Wi-Fi extender and extend your home’s Wi-Fi coverage.

Eero Wi-Fi coverage with Echo Dot 5th gen as an extender can provide Wi-Fi coverage up to 1000 sq. ft. and supports up to 100mbps speed. There will be no drops offs or buffering when connecting through an HD video call.

The Echo Dot 4th gen will also be Eero built-in compatible in the coming months with the next update. If you already have an Echo Dot 4th gen and are looking forward to purchasing an Echo Dot 5th gen to take advantage of Eero built-in compatibility, we will suggest waiting for a while and getting the same feature on your existing Echo Dot 4th gen.

A quick glance at Amazon Echo Dot 5th gen specifications

A quick glance at Amazon Echo Dot 5th gen specifications

Design and looks  

The design and look of the Echo Dot 5th gen are much similar to the Echo Dot 4th gen. Unlike other Echo speakers, the light ring in the Echo Dot 5th gen is placed at the bottom, just like the dot 4th gen. Since it’s spherical in shape, it makes a lot of sense. It lights the same blue when Alexa listens and turns yellow if there are notifications.

In dimensions, the Echo Dot 5th gen is slightly smaller than the Echo Dot 4th gen. The dimensions are 3.9inch W x 3.9inch D x 3.5inch H, whereas Echo Dot 4th gen dimensions are 5.7inch W x 5.7inch D x 5.2inch H.

The Echo Dot 5th gen with clock has a led display for the clock, which the Echo Dot 4th gen does not have. The device is available in Glacier White, Charcoal, and Deep Sea Blue color.

Environment friendly

Amazon has manufactured the Echo Dot 5th gen keeping in mind the sustainability of the device. For these reasons, they claim it’s made from 55% post-consumer recycled plastics and 100% post-consumer polyester yarn. This includes not only the device but its cable and its adapter. This we found is the best part of using Echo Dot 5th gen.

When buying the Echo Dot 5th gen, you are making an environmentally conscious choice. Not only this, but it also enters into a low-power mode when not in use to reduce its carbon footprint. Its packaging is also done from 100% recyclable material. Moreover, you can also track your device’s energy usage in the Alexa app.

It’s a newly added feature in the Alexa app. to track your Alexa device energy usage. You can click on the Devices> Energy dashboard icon and track the energy usage of your Alexa device.

Control Panel

Echo Dot 5th gen has a control panel on the top of the device. On the control panel, you will find a microphone button, volume up and down button, and action button.

All the buttons on the control panel are physical buttons and not touch buttons, just like any of the other Echo devices.

Lack of 3.5mm audio jack

What’s most shocking about the Echo Dot 5th gen is the absence of any 3.5mm auxiliary jack. This means you cannot connect any external device to it. For connecting any third device, you use wireless or Bluetooth.

Any external device, like a speaker, can be connected to it through Bluetooth pairing. However, for this, the other device should be Bluetooth-compatible as well. For instance, most Sonos speakers are not Bluetooth enabled (except Sonos move and Sonos roam), so you may not enjoy multi-room functionality with other brand speakers.

If you have other echo products, pairing them with Bluetooth should not be an issue.

Improved privacy

After multiple speculations against Alexa hearing and recording conversations, Amazon is focusing more on the privacy protection of its users. For this, it suggests users press the microphone to stop Alexa from listening. Furthermore, you can now also review your voice history, the history of detected sounds, and your smart home device history. With this, users can now delete their voice history by using commands like Alexa, delete what I just said or Alexa, delete everything I said today.

Echo Dot 5th Gen Vs 4th Gen – Should You Upgrade?

Echo Dot 5-gen vs Echo Dot 4-gen

Build and design

  • Echo Dot 5-gen: 100 x 100 x 89mm, 340g
  • Echo Dot 4-gen: 100 x 100 x 89mm, 328g

These speakers have essentially the same dimensions and a similar look, but you’ll note that the Echo Dot 5-gen is heavier, probably because it has more technology within. It won’t matter how much it weighs because it will merely be stored on a shelf in your house.

There is a difference around the back of the gadget, despite the fact that both are fabric-covered spheres with the Alexa light ring around the base and four control buttons on top. These speakers do indeed have a back and a front, with the plastic base’s raised back portion. The 4-gen contains a 3.5mm audio output as well, however the new model simply has a power connector.

Other than that, the Charcoal and Glacier White colors of all speakers are available, while the Echo Dot 5-gen introduces a new Deep Sea Blue option. Both are also offered as the Echo Dot with Clock, with the most recent model having a display with more detail.

Therefore, there isn’t much of a difference visually.

Sound quality

  • Echo Dot 5-gen: 1.73in speaker
  • Echo Dot 4-gen: 1.6in speaker

The audio output will alter significantly in terms of quality. The 5-generation Echo Dot really has a new speaker inside with a slightly bigger driver. With its 1.6-inch driver, this single-speaker system has always had superb sound quality, but Amazon is now offering much more.

The new, larger driver is said to offer twice as much bass, resulting in a more robust sound, but there is also a significant decrease in distortion, which can occur at higher volumes. The newest Echo Dot should simply sound better than the older device as a result.

Hardware and features

  • Echo Dot 5-gen: Alexa, temp sensor, accelerometer
  • Echo Dot 4-gen: Alexa

These two gadgets are connected to Alexa, Amazon’s digital assistant. You can access the same information and services through that service or have it communicate with your smart home in the same manner because it is universal. This is managed by the Alexa app on your phone in both situations.

However, the fifth-generation Echo Dot includes more sensors. A temperature sensor is part of this, and like some of the larger Echo devices, the Echo Dot can use it to tell you the temperature of the room it’s in. However, that temperature sensor may also be connected to Alexa Routines so it can act independently, such as turning on the fan or shutting off the heating, for example, if the room reaches a specified temperature.

The accelerometer is the other addition. This enables tap interactions outside of those possible with the top-mounted buttons. For instance, you will be able to tap to pause music or snooze an alarm.

These extra sensors are absent from the Echo Dot 4-gen, which means those features are absent. Both support stereo pairing, group membership, and all other Alexa capabilities, including Alexa Calling.

The fifth-generation Echo Dot has an additional feature that extends the Eero network for greater connectivity. If you have one in your house, the Echo Dot will join it. The Echo Dot 4-gen will also get this in the future, although it is currently only available for the Echo Dot 5-gen.

What is the price of the Echo Dot 5?

The best way to check the current place is just going to Amazon – there might be some sales and the price might vary depending on the color, availability etc.

According to Amazon, the gadgets have the Climate Pledge Friendly badge and are Carbon Trust certified. This indicates that 95% of the fabric used to make the gadgets is post-consumer recycled, and 99% of the packaging is made from resources derived from managed forests or recycled materials. They have a Low Power mode that “intelligently conserves energy during periods of inactivity,” according to their design.

Amazon Echo Dot 5th Generation

FAQs:

Can the fifth-generation Amazon Echo Dot be used as a Bluetooth speaker?

Yes, it can, and it can also use Bluetooth to stream audio to a speaker outside.

What distinguishes the Echo Dot (5th Generation) from the original Echo Dot? (4th Generation)

The 3.5mm audio output is lost in favor of a larger speaker and better tap controls on the new model.

Conclusion

In short, the Amazon Echo Dot 5th gen enjoys no major changeover. The only additions include using it as an Eero built-in Wi-Fi extender and using it for detecting your routines through motions.

Besides these, the sound quality has not improved majorly. However, comparatively small in size, it’s capable of a resounding loud voice. It’s quite compact and smaller than the Echo Dot 4th gen, making it perfect as a portable bedside speaker. Not to forget, it’s manufactured completely out of recycled polyester and yarn, which is a huge plus if you are environmentally conscious and pledge against climate change.