


Amazon's Echo Lineup: What's the Difference?

Amazon routinely upgrades its Echo lineup, but if you're looking to buy one on Prime Day and you're not sure which one is best for you, here’s a rundown of what each Echo device offers.

Anyone who's embraced Alexa likely has an Echo product to thank. Since 2014, Amazon's smart speakers and displays have been listening for their wake words, ready to set timers and give you the weather, among other things.

Alexa has expanded her virtual footprint to other interesting products and even software. You can access Alexa in apps like the Amazon shopping app and Amazon Music on iOS or Android. But while Alexa on an app is nice, Amazon has some pretty cool hardware to house its virtual assistant, too. Recently, it updated its touch-screen Echo Show devices and Fire tablets. If you're wondering which one to get, especially with Prime Day deals on the horizon, read on for a rundown of what each device brings to the table.

Amazon Echo (4th Gen)

Excellent (4.5)

The baseline of the Alexa hardware experience is the Echo, the fourth-generation of which takes the power and smart home hub of the Echo Plus and puts it in a round package. The Alexa-equipped Echo orb features three audio drivers, Zigbee, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Amazon Sidewalk, and Amazon's AZ1 processor, all for $99.99.

Amazon Echo Studio

Excellent (4.5)

With surprisingly robust Dolby Atmos-compatible directional audio, Amazon's Echo Studio delivers just as much power as smart speakers that cost twice as much. It's truly impressive for its size and price, enough to earn our Editors' Choice award.

Amazon Echo Show 10 3rd Gen (2020)

Excellent (4.0)

The third-generation Amazon Echo Show 10 smart display features a motorized base that lets it follow you around the room. There's a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera with digital pan and zoom, so it automatically keeps you centered in the picture during video calls. Those video calls are about to get more crowded: a new Alexa Group Calling feature lets you video chat with up to eight others. Echo Show devices also now support Zoom (as well as Amazon's own Chime video conferencing service).

Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen, 2021)

Excellent (4.5)

For those with space constraints and a tighter budget, Amazon's second-generation Echo Show 8 smart display offers just the right balance of price, performance, and size, with an updated camera for an even better video chat and home security experience. It sports an 8-inch, 1,280-by-800-pixel display and a 13MP camera with auto-framing, a jump up from the first Echo Show 8’s 1MP sensor.

Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen, 2021)

Excellent (4.0)

For something even smaller, the second-generation Amazon Echo Show 5 is nearly identical to the previous version, and remains a capable smart display for virtually anywhere in your home, particularly your nightstand. It comes with a 960-by-480-resolution, 5.5-inch display, a 2MP HD camera that includes a shutter, as well as on/off buttons for the microphone and camera.

Echo Show 5 Kids

With the kid-centric Echo Show 5, little ones can personalize their home screen, ask Alexa for homework help, make video calls to pre-approved contacts, and set alarms to wake up to the voice of their favorite characters. The device comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ (starting at $2.99 per month for Prime members after the first year), which offers unlimited access to thousands of books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, games, and skills. There is also a two-year "worry-free guarantee" (free replacement for broken displays).

Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen (2020)

Excellent (4.0)

The Echo Dot has long been a space-conscious, affordable way to bring Alexa into your home. And Amazon's formerly puck-shaped smart speaker now has a more orb-like form and a glowing blue LED. In our review, we found that it doesn't offer particularly impressive sound quality, but for $50, it's still the best basic gateway to Amazon's Alexa voice assistant.

Amazon Echo Dot with Clock 4th Gen (2020)

Excellent (4.0)

The Echo Dot with clock features the same spherical look as the latest Echo Dot, but it's small enough to fit on a bedside table. In our review, we found it to be an ideal smart speaker for your desk or nightstand, with a small LED that makes a big difference in usability.

Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition 4th Gen (2020)

The Echo Dot Kids Edition is shaped like the Echo Dot, but comes in a tiger or panda print. It packs some kid-friendly features, like one free year of Amazon Kids (formerly FreeTime Unlimited) for thousands of hours of kid-friendly Audible books, interactive games, and educational skills. (After a year, Amazon Kids is $2.99/month.) This Echo Dot also comes with a two-year, worry-free guarantee, so if it breaks, Amazon will replace it for free.

Amazon Echo Glow

Good (3.5)

This colorful smart light orb is intended for kids. Ask Alexa to change the Glow's colors; tap to make it flicker like a campfire or flash while an Echo Dot plays music for a dance party. The Echo Glow doesn't work with any Alexa skills and can't be set to flash or give any indication of you getting a message or alert. But for $30 it seems like a fine smart light for your kids' rooms.

Amazon Echo Flex

Excellent (4.0)

This little white box looks like an air freshener, but it's really an Echo device with a far-field microphone and a speaker. Pop the Echo Flex into an electrical outlet for quick access to Alexa. It takes up a power outlet, but it also has a USB port so you can charge your phone. Add-on accessories like a motion sensor and night light make it even more useful. In our review, we found the Flex to be wonderfully affordable and functional—just don't expect much in the way of audio power.

Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Generation)

Excellent (4.0)

The second-generation Echo Buds, which offer hands-free Alexa voice control, improve upon Amazon's original true wireless earphones with a smaller, lighter design and active noise cancellation. While there's not much reason to upgrade if you already own a pair of the originals, the second-generation Echo Buds are smaller, lighter, and offer genuine active noise cancellation for $119.99 (or $139.99 if you opt for the model with a wireless charging case).

Amazon Echo Wall Clock

Excellent (4.0)

The Amazon Echo Wall Clock is part of a line of products called Alexa Gadgets, which need to be connected to other Echo smart speakers. For people who want to make their Alexa-enabled homes even livelier, this clock lets you visually monitor countdowns.

Amazon Smart Plug

Good (3.5)

Another Alexa Gadget, the Smart Plug connects to Echo devices like the Dot to turn compatible devices with mechanical on and off switches into smart ones. You can then say things like "Alexa, turn on the coffee pot."

Amazon All-new Echo Frames Smart glasses

Echo Frames were initially an invite-only Day 1 Edition device, but the second-gen version is now available to everyone for $250 (if you bought the first-gen version, get the new ones for $70). The new Echo Frames promise to last about 40 percent longer than the previous model when it comes to continuous audio playback, but battery life is still only at 2 hours of talk time, Alexa interactions, and media playback over a 14-hour day at 80 percent volume. But Amazon does promise improved audio quality and a more premium feel. Stay tuned for our full review.

Amazon Echo Sub

Good (3.0)

The Amazon Echo Sub provides much-needed sub-bass to your Echo smart speaker as long as you're willing to overlook some frustrating limitations. In our review, we found that it can't shake the walls like home theater subwoofers, and it's held back by a bizarre incompatibility with Bluetooth streaming.

Amazon Echo Link

Echo Link connects to your existing stereo equipment, letting you control music playback and volume via Echo devices or the Alexa app.

Amazon Echo Link Amp

The Echo Link Amp adds a built-in 60W, 2-channel amplifier and a left-right speaker binding post outputs for wiring directly to passive and non-powered speakers.

AmazonBasics Microwave

Excellent (4.0)

Meanwhile, the AmazonBasics Microwave is a small, simple microwave oven that responds to Alexa voice commands without costing more than a traditional model. You need a separate Echo device in order to use the voice functionality, but it's priced similarly to models that don't do nearly as much, making it a great buy and earning it our Editors' Choice award.

Amazon Smart Oven

The Amazon Smart Oven is bigger, more expensive, and more powerful than the AmazonBasics Microwave—the 1,000-watt microwave features around 1.5 cubic feet of space to the microwave's 700 watts and 0.7 cubic feet. It's also a convection oven and air fryer, which puts it alongside more expensive multi-use smart ovens like the Brava, June, and Tovala ovens. Like the microwave, you need an Echo device to talk to Alexa.

Amazon Echo Auto

Good (3.5)

Google has Android Auto and Apple has CarPlay, so it was inevitable that Amazon would also get into the automotive space. The Echo Auto is a small device that attaches to the dashboard and responds questions just like it would at home. It connects via your existing smartphone plan and the Alexa app. In our review, we found that Echo Auto is an affordable way to add Alexa smarts to your car, but it doesn't offer native voice-guided driving directions, and occasionally lost connection in our tests.

About Chloe Albanesius