Echo Spot (2017) vs Echo Spot (2024): how do the old and new Amazon Alexa smart speakers compare?

Amazon has rebooted its smaller smart display

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Amazonhas brought the Echo Spot back from the grave; having launched in 2017, the originalEcho Spotwas discontinued in 2019. Five years later, out of nowhere, it made a return with several upgrades attached – which we’re going to outline here.

The new and improved Echo Spot has a good claim to be one of thebest smart speakersin the business. It does have a screen, but it’s a pretty small one, and you can’t watch videos on it – so we’re not sure whether or not that makes it one of thebest smart displaystoo.

Whatever category you want to put it in, this is your comprehensive guide to all the features and upgrades on the 2024 version of theAmazon EchoSpot, and how it compares to its predecessor in terms of size, features, price, and everything else that matters. You can also check out our fullEcho Spot (2024) review.

Echo Spot (2017) vs Echo Spot (2024): price and availability

You can pick up the brand new Amazon Echo Spot for an official price of $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$149. Like a lot of Amazon Echo speakers though, you can expect it to be regularly discounted – and indeedit’s been already cheaperas part of the Amazon Prime Day sales just days after its release.

We’d expect to be able to get it for less when the other big sales days roll around too, from Black Friday to the holiday season. In short, this is an affordable smart speaker (the standardAmazon Echoretails for $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$149).

You can no longer buy the older Echo Spot, so it’s not available at all. When it was in stock at Amazon, the asking price was $160 / £119.99 / AU$210 – that’s significantly more than the new edition, though again it was often sold at a discounted price.

Echo Spot (2017) vs Echo Spot (2024): design and screen

The Echo Spot (2017) and Echo Spot (2024) share the same sort of design language in that they both look like orbs cut in half,  with a display on the front and plastic around the back. There’s also definitely a passing resemblance to theEcho Poplaunched in 2023.

In terms of dimensions, the original Echo Spot measured 10.4 x 9.7 x 9.1 cm (w x h x d) front to back. The circular display size measured 2.5 inches, with a resolution of 480 x 480 pixels, and weighed in at 420 grams.

That compares with dimensions of 11.3 cm x 11.1 cm x 10.3 cm, so the newer model is a little bigger all around. It also has a large 2.8-inch rectangular display, which runs at a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. The new Echo Spot weighs 405 grams.

Undoubtedly, the 2024 version of the Echo Spot is more modern-looking, as you would expect seven years later. The chunky bezels are gone, and half of the front panel is given over to the speaker grille. You can also get it in Black, Glacier White, or Ocean Blue, whereas the first-generation model was available in black or white.

Echo Spot (2017) vs Echo Spot (2024): specs

Echo Spot (2017) vs Echo Spot (2024): features and performance

Amazon is branding this device as a “customizable smart alarm clock”, which gives you some indication of what you can do with the display: it works for widgets and notifications (like an alarm clock timer), but you can’t watch movies on it.

There are several built-in clock faces to choose from, and the visuals can change to show the details of the audio currently being played, or to indicate the current weather forecast. There are several color themes available too: orange, violet, magenta, lime, teal, and blue.

The original 2017 Echo Spot was able to show videos, albeit at a very small size, so in that respect some of the functionality has been lost. Of course, if you need video, you can go for one of the Echo Show, like theAmazon Echo Show 8.

Speaking of video, the older Echo Spot could do video calling, whereas the newer Echo Spot can’t – in part because it no longer has a built-in camera. Audio calls via Alexa are still supported, and the three physical buttons on the back are the same too, enabling you to raise the volume, lower the volume, and disable the mic.

There’s just one connection on the back of the Echo Spot (2024), for the power cable – the Echo Spot (2017) had a 3.5 mm audio output socket as well, but this has been dropped. You can still connect a bigger speaker to the new Echo Spot via Bluetooth, as you could on the old Echo Spot.

The audio performance is noticeably better than it was on the old model, based on our testing. The screen looks much better too, even if it is technically running at a lower resolution – the seven-year difference is noticeable here.

As far as Alexa features go, the speakers are evenly matched: Amazon’s digital assistant hasn’t changed all that much over the years, though it’s a little faster and more accurate these days. You can use voice commands to check the weather, look up facts, control your connected smart home devices, get sports scores, and everything else.

We’ve previously put together a round-up of the bestAlexa Skills and commands, and you can alsocreate custom routineson any Echo, including both versions of the Spot. All of this can be managed through the Alexa app for Android or iOS too, and that hasn’t changed between the two versions of the Echo Spot.

Echo Spot (2017) vs Echo Spot (2024): should you buy?

With the original Echo Spot from 2017 well and truly off the shelves for good, you don’t have to choose between it and the new Echo Spot 2024 when it comes to your next smart speaker upgrade: it’s more a question of choosing between the latest Echo Spot and any other Amazon model, or any other smart speaker.

The Echo Spot (2024) will suit anyone looking for a compact, affordable smart speaker – it’s perfect for the kitchen or a bedside table. While the screen can’t do video, it does give you something extra over the speakers that are audio-only. If you need something to watch thebest Prime Video movieson, choose an Echo Show. Overall, it’s a comprehensive upgrade to the previous model.

In terms of other smart speakers, there’s no real equivalent available fromGoogle,Apple, or anyone else. It’s particularly appealing if you’re already invested in the Amazon ecosystem – maybe you’ve already got an Echo or two at home, or maybe you’re kitted out with a video camera from Ring (which is owned by Amazon).

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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