The design hasn’t changed, but there are some notable improvements. In all three models you get a new high-excursion speaker which means better sound quality.
There’s also now a built-in temperature sensor (as found already in the Echo 4) which means Alexa can tell you the temperature of your room. More usefully you can use the temperature as part of a routine to, for example, get Alexa to turn on a fan when a certain temperature is reached.
The third new feature is an accelerometer which enables tap gestures. They include pausing and resuming music, dismissing timers, or ending a call.
The Echo Dot 5 with clock gets a brighter, higher-resolution display which allows it to show more information such as the name of a song title or artist, a snooze timer countdown, the weather, a calculation or unit of measurement, and more.
Another benefit is that all Echo Dot 5 models can work as Eero mesh Wi-Fi extenders.
When is the Echo Dot 5 release date?
The full range of fifth-generation Echo Dots goes on sale on 20 October.
How much does the Echo Dot 5 cost?
The regular model, available in a new Deep-Sea Blue colour, as well as the original Charcoal and Glacier White, costs $49.99, and £54.99 in the UK.
The Echo Dot 5 with Clock is $59.99 in the US, and £64.99 in the UK.
It’s the same price for the Echo Dot Kids.
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.
