See what Alexa can do
The new Echo 4th Gen is a big change in aesthetics and design for the Echo line. The new spherical shape is wider and shorter than previous Echo versions, and now focus sound in one primary direction instead of 360 degrees. It adds an extra tweeter, and seems to produce more sound than previous versions. Here are my early thoughts so far, after using it for about 24 hours:
THE GOOD:
Setup was incredibly simple. I just powered the device on, and the Echo announced that it was ready for setup. I opened the Alexa app on my phone, and the new Echo was automatically detected and set up instantly. I didn't have to enter any information at all. It can't get any easier than this.
BETTER SOUND. This new Echo has an extra tweeter, for a total of two 0.8 inch tweeters, and the same 3.0 inch Sub from the Gen 3 Echo. This new Echo is designed with the tweeters pointed forward, and the speaker placement seems to generate more bass also somehow, even with the same Sub as the Gen 3. All in all I think it sounds much better than Gen 3, with a little more bass and louder max volume. This could also be do to the sound-mapping feature that allows Echo to maximize the sound by detecting the acoustics and shape of the room. You can also pair two of these in stereo; and you are supposed to be able to use it as a speaker for your FireTV device, though I haven't tested that out yet.
Temperature sensor included. Yes, you can ask Alexa what the temperature is, and it seems very accurate so far. This is a nice touch, and I look forward to doing more testing, to see if I can set up routines based on temperature.
AZ1 Processor. This new Amazon processor promises better voice recognition and faster Alexa responses. In my testing so far, I have barely noticed a slight speed improvement (for example turning on certain room lights) but there are supposed to be upcoming updates that will make an even bigger difference in speed.
Zigbee + Sidewalk Bridge. This comes with a Zigbee hub, just like previous versions of the Echo Plus. It also contains the new Sidewalk Bridge, which allows the Echo to use bluetooth and radio connections to connect to some smart devices at long range, and push data to the internet.
THE BAD:
No 360 degree speakers. While I personally prefer the sound of this new version, some people might miss the 360 degree speaker setup of previous Echo generations. It certainly might lead to a situation where the ideal placement of the Echo in your room could be different.
White power cord. This is minor, but a strange choice. No matter what color Echo you get, the power cord is white. Some people might find that annoying.
Voice detection is not great while loud music is playing. This surprised me, as previous generations haven;t really struggled with this in my experience. I'm not sure if it is because this speaker is much louder, but Alexa hasn't heard me a few times when I talked while the music was playing at max volume. This could be annoying if you often listen to very loud music.
NEUTRAL:
-Aesthetics. I think I preferred the look of the cylinder design, instead of this new sphere shape. This is totally personal preference of course. I also wish the entire sphere was fabric, instead of being plastic on the back side. Some people might prefer the ball shape though, so that is up to you.
All in all, I'm keeping this new Echo because of the better sound and faster responsiveness, but it is not really a massive upgrade. Pretty decent so far, I'll update this review and try to answer any questions in the future!
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More music in more rooms
Use your voice to play a song, artist, or genre through Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, and others. With multi-room music, you can fill your whole home with music, radio stations, podcasts, and Audible using compatible Echo devices in different rooms. You can even pair your Echo with compatible Fire TV devices to feel scenes come to life with home theater audio.
Designed to protect your privacy
Alexa and Echo devices are built with multiple layers of privacy protection. Echo smart speakers have a microphone off button that electronically disconnects the microphones. You also have control over your voice recordings and can view, hear, or delete them at any time. Learn more about Alexa privacy.
Simple to set up and use
1. Plug in Echo and connect to the internet with the Alexa app.
2. Just ask Alexa for music, weather, news, and more.
3. For simple setup with compatible smart home devices, say, “Alexa, discover my devices.”
Every day is an earth day
You don’t have to be an environmental scientist to make sustainable choices. We considered sustainability in the design of this device. Here’s how:
Materials
50% post-consumer recycled plastics
100% post-consumer recycled fabric
100% recycled die-cast aluminum
Device, cable and adapter included
Clean Energy
Amazon is building new wind and solar farms to produce clean energy equivalent to the electricity used by this device.
Low Power Mode
To reduce its energy consumption, this device will enter Low Power Mode when it is idle. Low Power Mode is not available for certain user configurations. To learn more, see Low Power Mode Restrictions.
Alexa
Track and manage the energy usage of your Alexa-connected devices with a new energy dashboard, coming soon to the Alexa app.
Device Packaging
99% of this device’s packaging is made of wood fiber-based materials from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources.
Compare Echo devices
| Price | From: - | From: $39.99 | From: $49.99 | From: $99.99 | From: $199.99 |
| Ratings | (86,122) | (1,062,884) | (212,002) | (45,959) | (23,344) |
| Alexa built in |
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| Speakers | 0.6" mini speaker | 1.6" speaker | 1.6" front-firing speaker | 3.0" woofer and dual front-firing 0.8" tweeters | 1.0" tweeter, three 2.0" mid-range speakers, and 5.3" woofer |
| Line in/out | 3.5 mm line out | 3.5 mm line out | 3.5 mm line out | 3.5 mm line in/out | 3.5 mm or mini-optical Toslink line in |
| Dolby technology | Dolby audio | Dolby Atmos | |||
| Built-in Zigbee smart home hub |
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| LED clock display | Featured on Echo Dot with clock | Featured on Echo Dot with clock |
Technical details
Echo 4th Gen
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Size |
5.7” x 5.7” x 5.2” (144 x 144 x 133 mm) |
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Weight |
34.2 oz (970 g) Actual size and weight may vary by manufacturing process. |
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Wifi connectivity |
Dual-band wifi supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz) networks. Does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) wifi networks. |
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Smart home hub |
Zigbee + Sidewalk |
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Bluetooth connectivity |
Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) support for audio streaming from your mobile device to Echo or from Echo to your Bluetooth speaker. Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) for voice control of connected mobile devices. Hands-free voice control is not supported for Mac OS X devices. Direct control of BLE Mesh. Bluetooth speakers requiring PIN codes are not supported. |
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Audio |
3.0” (76.2 mm) neodymium woofer and two 0.8” (20 mm) tweeters. |
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Alexa app |
The Alexa app is compatible with Fire OS, Android, and iOS devices. Supported operating systems. |
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Accessibility features |
The Alexa app and Alexa-enabled products include several features for customers with accessibility needs related to vision, hearing, mobility, and speech. Learn more about Alexa accessibility. |
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Warranty and service |
1-year limited warranty and service included. Optional 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year extended warranty available for U.S. customers sold separately. Use of Echo is subject to these terms. |
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Setup technology |
Amazon wifi simple setup enables customers to connect smart devices to their wifi network in a few easy steps. Wifi simple setup is another way Alexa is always getting smarter. Learn more about wifi simple setup. |
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Included in the box |
Echo (4th Gen), glacier white power adapter (30W), and Quick Start Guide. |
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Generation |
Echo (4th Gen) - 2020 release |
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Privacy features |
Wake word technology, streaming indicators, microphone off button, the ability to view and delete your voice recordings, and more. Visit the Alexa Privacy Hub to explore how Alexa and Echo devices are designed to protect your privacy. |
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Language |
Alexa speaks English and Spanish |
Climate Pledge Friendly
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PRODUCT CERTIFICATION (1)
Reducing CO2
products reduce their carbon footprint year after year. Certified by the Carbon Trust.
The Reducing CO2 label applies to products certified by the Carbon Trust, that are lowering their carbon emissions year after year for the full lifecycle of the product. The Carbon Trust was formed in 2001 and introduced the world’s first carbon label in 2007. It produces its certifications to global leading and independently verified standards. The Carbon Trust has a mission to accelerate the move to a sustainable, low carbon economy.
Customer Questions & Answers
Customer reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2020
Color: CharcoalConfiguration: EchoVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2020
Updating - over time, it has gotten worse. I talk directly to it, but it never responds. All of the devices in the other rooms much further away answer. Even with an update, the microphone doesn’t work well.
Updating my review to one less star. I have an Alexa in my kitchen, my living room (this one) , and my bedroom. Both are dots. You can be standing in the living room talking to the device over it, and the other Alexas respond to you. The microphone is awful. Thinking about returning. I stopped delivery on the 3 to order the 4 when it came out. Now, I wish I didn’t.
My black device came with a horrible looking white aftermarket cord that is not Amazon original ; at least match the color. It sounds ok; I have Alexa devices all around my house and compared to the dot, I think it’s honestly just ok. Not amazing.
Color: CharcoalConfiguration: EchoVerified Purchase
Ehhh
By Stephanie M Matamoros on October 22, 2020
Updating - now pretty much unusable. Doesn’t pick up our voice at allBy Stephanie M Matamoros on October 22, 2020
Updating - over time, it has gotten worse. I talk directly to it, but it never responds. All of the devices in the other rooms much further away answer. Even with an update, the microphone doesn’t work well.
Updating my review to one less star. I have an Alexa in my kitchen, my living room (this one) , and my bedroom. Both are dots. You can be standing in the living room talking to the device over it, and the other Alexas respond to you. The microphone is awful. Thinking about returning. I stopped delivery on the 3 to order the 4 when it came out. Now, I wish I didn’t.
My black device came with a horrible looking white aftermarket cord that is not Amazon original ; at least match the color. It sounds ok; I have Alexa devices all around my house and compared to the dot, I think it’s honestly just ok. Not amazing.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
peter cawthorne
Stylist and Sounds Very Good.
Reviewed in Canada on December 12, 2020Verified Purchase
Stylist and Sounds Very Good.
Reviewed in Canada on December 12, 2020
The Echo 4 is actually beyond my expectations. It is physically fairly heavy, the quality of manufacture and finish is good. There is a standard screw thread tripod socket on the bottom of the Echo 4 and the power cable is about 2 metres long. I have two Echo 4’s which I easily paired using the Alexa app on my iPhone into a stereo group with left and right channels. I was also able to choose several streaming programs, including Amazon Music (default) and Apple Music. You can also use TuneIn, Spotify and Deezer. The amount of bass is very impressive and a bit heavy out of the box but you can adjust the bass, treble and midrange using the app or by asking Alexa. The communication ring light on the base of each unit is easily visible, it’s very ‘Gort’ in operation, especially in a darkened room. I had seen in some influencer reviews complaints about putting the ring on the bottom but it works well in this location. Alexa, hears my voice even over fairly loud music about 90% of the time and when the music is playing at low levels all of the time.
Reviewed in Canada on December 12, 2020
Images in this review
Gera
Buen dispositivo
Reviewed in Mexico on December 28, 2020Verified Purchase
Buen dispositivo
Reviewed in Mexico on December 28, 2020
Es un buen dispositivo y el sonido es muy bueno para una habitación, solo que siento que los micrófonos no son tan buenos como los de la tercera generación, en ocasiones hay que repetir varias veces la palabra Alexa para que te haga caso aún estando muy cerca. El color rojo es muy bonito, el hub zigbee y el sensor de temperatura son bastante útiles para el tema de la domotica.
Reviewed in Mexico on December 28, 2020
Images in this review
FRANCISCO BELLO
Un robo, una burla, un producto NO listo para Latinoamérica.
Reviewed in Mexico on January 6, 2021Verified Purchase
Un robo, una burla, un producto NO listo para Latinoamérica.
Reviewed in Mexico on January 6, 2021
Sumamente limitado en idioma español. no desperdicies tu dinero. Amazon no debería promocionar este producto en Latinoamérica. La variedad de instrucciones que alexa entiende en español es una burla, la disponibilidad de contenido en español es un mal chiste. No gastes tu dinero, mejor espera algunos años a que mejoren el producto para México y Latinoamérica.
Reviewed in Mexico on January 6, 2021
Images in this review
Serge Boucher
Très bonne qualité de son
Reviewed in Canada on November 29, 2020Verified Purchase
CannabisHighway
I expected better. Get screen Echos
Reviewed in Canada on January 6, 2021Verified Purchase
