Amazon has released a new smart speaker called the Echo Pop, bringing new colors, better sound, and the iconic Alexa experience at a more affordable price. It adds to the Echo lineup of smart speakers that are popular among buyers around the world. Amazon announced the speaker with other devices, including a new Echo Show (3rd Gen), Echo Show Kids, and Echo Buds.
The Echo speaker series currently starts at $39.99, with the Echo Dot (3rd Gen, 2018) variant often available at a lower price during sales. It is one of the most popular Echo devices ever and has more than a million ratings on Amazon. Then there's the Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2022), which comes in two models. The one with an LED clock built-in and the speaker mesh costs $59.99, while the one without the clock is available for $49.99. The new Echo Pop sits right in the middle of these devices.
7 Size Compared To Other Echo Devices
Echo Pop is unlike any other Echo device. It has a semi-sphere design with a speaker that fires sound in one direction. In terms of size, the Echo Pop (196 g) measures 3.3 x 3.3 x 3.6 inches, making it smaller than the 3.9 x 3.9 x 3.5 inches Echo Dot (5th Gen, 304 g) and the 6.8 x 6.8 x 8.1 inches Echo Studio (3.5 kg). However, the Echo Pop is larger than the popular Echo Dot (3rd Gen, 300 g), which only occupies 3.9 x 3.9 x 1.7 inches on a desk. The smaller form factor makes Echo Pop more portable. The rear panel contains the volume up/down and the mute buttons.
6 Sound Quality
The Echo Pop undercuts the popular Echo Dot (5th Gen) with a larger 1.95-inch front-firing speaker. The official press release mentions that the speaker delivers "full sound that's great for bedrooms, dorm rooms, apartments, or any small space in the home." Since the driver supports Lossless High Definition sound, it should deliver a decent audio experience. Additionally, it features Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) for streaming music to/from the device.
5 Smart Home Integration With Alexa
Like other Echo devices, Pop comes with Alexa built-in, which means that it can perform a host of tasks like playing music tracks, fetching news updates, setting up timers/reminders, handling hands-free calls, and controlling other smart home devices like light bulbs, plugs, and locks among others. All users need to do is connect these devices via the Alexa app, and they're good to go. Regarding connectivity, the smart speaker supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy Mesh, and Matter. Echo Pop also supports Amazon Sidewalk, a shared network of devices that stays connected even when the Wi-Fi is lost.
4 Light Bar That Indicates When It's Listening
For those concerned about privacy, the speaker has a light bar on the top to indicate when the microphone is active and Alexa is listening. Whenever users use the hotword to wake the voice assistant, the light bar turns blue, much like other Amazon Echo devices. Further, there's a dedicated mute switch that kills the microphone and turns the light red.
3 Built-In eero Wi-Fi Extender
Amazon's Echo Pop doubles as an eero Wi-Fi extender that provides up to 1,000 sq. ft. of additional coverage area, where users could get speeds up to 100 Mbps. Users must have an eero compatible router and put the Pop in its range. Further, they would need to link their eero and Amazon accounts. But the extended Wi-Fi coverage could be beneficial once the initial setup is complete.
2 Four Colors To Choose From
Unlike most Echo speakers, Pop is available in four unique colors: Charcoal, Glacier White, Midnight Teal, and Lavender Bloom. While the Charcoal variant has a dark-gray finish, Glacier White is more like white with a hint of gray. The remaining two colors are pretty interesting. Lavender Bloom, as the name suggests, has a lavender shade speaker mesh and rear housing, while the Midnight Teal color has a bluish-green look. Since the previous Amazon Echo devices came in rather dull colors, Echo Pop stands out and should appeal to more buyers than ever.
1 Price
The Echo Pop is set to release on May 31, 2023. However, interested buyers can pre-order the device on Amazon for an introductory price of $39.99. This makes the Echo Pop more affordable than the $49.99 Echo Dot (5th Gen). However, the listing page on Amazon mentions that its price could change once the product is released. Hence, those planning to get a smart speaker that can control other devices in their house and supports Alexa should pre-order the Echo Pop and avail of the initial discount.