The 5 Best Amazon Echo Devices of 2018
The Amazon Echo devices are much more than wireless speakers. They allow you to stream music (from Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and more), listen to audiobooks, podcasts, radio stations, news briefs, and more. The Amazon Echo devices also allow you to control - with your voice, the handheld remote, or buttons and dials on the units - how you listen by starting and stopping the playback of content, setting the volume, and changing the content being played.
You can also control various devices and systems in your home using the Amazon Echo devices. For example, they can be used to control content played on your TV via your streaming media player, set or change the temperature in your home via your smart thermostat, control lights, and control other smart home devices such as door locks. And as the number of smart home devices increases, the control offered by the Amazon Echo devices is also going to increase.
The Amazon Echo devices also provide hands-free calling and messaging capabilities. Calls can be made to the US, Mexico, and Canada at no cost.
The Echo Spot and Echo Show include display screens offering further functionality. For example, you can make video calls, view lyrics, and see video feeds from baby monitors and other cameras in your home.
Before moving on to the important specifications of the 5 best Amazon Echo devices of 2018, we will explain some key features of Amazon Echo devices.
Screen Size - the size of the screen of the Amazon Echo device measured diagonally
Touch Screen - allows the ability to interact with the display of the Amazon Echo device similar to a smartphone or tablet using touch
Number of Speakers - the number of speakers included in the Amazon Echo device
Speaker Size - the size and type of speakers included in the Amazon Echo device
Camera - the number of cameras in the Amazon Echo device and the maximum image resolution of each camera; the maximum image resolution is the maximum number of pixels in an image taken with the Amazon Echo device camera
Music Streaming - the ability to play music streamed from an online music service
3.5mm Line Out - allows you to connect the Amazon Echo device to an external sound system such as a home theater receiver, amplifier, or powered speaker
Bluetooth - allows your Amazon Echo device to function as a wireless speaker by connecting to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; also allows connection of accessories such as wireless speakers and wireless headphones to your Amazon Echo device
Free Audio Calls to US, Mexico, and Canada - allows hands-free calling to the US, Mexico, and Canada at no cost
Control Smart Home Devices - the Amazon Echo devices can be used to control smart home devices such as streaming media players, thermostats, lights, door locks, and more
Smartphone Remote Control - the ability to control the Amazon Echo device using a smartphone
Weight - the weight of the Amazon Echo device itself (not the shipping weight including the box and packaging material as some sites use)
Specifications
| Manufacturer and Model | Screen Size | Touch Screen | Number of Speakers | Speaker Size | Camera | Music Streaming | 3.5mm Line Out | Bluetooth | Free Audio Calls to US, Mexico, and Canada | Control Smart Home Devices | Smartphone Remote Control | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Echo Dot | N/A | N/A | 1 | 0.6 inches | N/A | Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, and More | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 5.7 ounces |
| Amazon Echo | N/A | N/A | 2 | 2.5 inches (woofer) 0.6 inches (tweeter) | N/A | Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, and More | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 29 ounces |
| Amazon Echo Plus | N/A | N/A | 2 | 2.5 inches (woofer) 0.8 inches (tweeter) | N/A | Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, and More | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 33.6 ounces |
| Amazon Echo Spot | 2.5 inches | Yes | 1 | 1.4 inches | VGA | Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, and More | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 14.8 ounces |
| Amazon Echo Show | 7 inches | Yes | 2 | 2 inches | 5 MP | Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, and More | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 41 ounces |
| Manufacturer and Model | Screen Size | Touch Screen | Number of Speakers | Speaker Size | Camera | Music Streaming | 3.5mm Line Out | Bluetooth | Free Audio Calls to US, Mexico, and Canada | Control Smart Home Devices | Smartphone Remote Control | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Echo Dot | N/A | N/A | 1 | 0.6 inches | N/A | Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, and More | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 5.7 ounces |
| Amazon Echo | N/A | N/A | 2 | 2.5 inches (woofer) 0.6 inches (tweeter) | N/A | Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, and More | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 29 ounces |
| Amazon Echo Plus | N/A | N/A | 2 | 2.5 inches (woofer) 0.8 inches (tweeter) | N/A | Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, and More | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 33.6 ounces |
| Amazon Echo Spot | 2.5 inches | Yes | 1 | 1.4 inches | VGA | Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, and More | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 14.8 ounces |
| Amazon Echo Show | 7 inches | Yes | 2 | 2 inches | 5 MP | Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, and More | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 41 ounces |
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