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Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 Review

Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 Review

True Score

86
Award Icon
Absolutely Fresh
85
16

Experts

94
586.66k

Consumers

Expert Rankings

  • rtings logo
  • 0SmT2dfPSnhBnLzDPxSeIBuX3F09F4t3eUnY 7nA3M
  • 0SmT2dfPSnhBnLzDPxSeIBuX3F09F4t3eUnY 7nA3M

Critics were quite pleased with how well the Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 was easy to set up through its companion app. They also liked its room-filling sound and extra features such as motion sensing and low power mode. However, its lack of a battery contributed to its poor portability, and it is not designed to be used outdoors.

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What the brand doesn’t always tell you…

our Verdict

The Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 received praise from critics for its spherical shape and easy-to-use voice assistant. Expert testers from What HiFi liked how…

The Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 received praise from critics for its spherical shape and easy-to-use voice assistant. Expert testers from What HiFi liked how easy it was to set up since, during testing, all they had to do was download the Alexa app onto their smartphones and follow easy prompts. Reviewers from Tom’s Guide were satisfied with how well the speaker could fill a room with sound and also liked that it had a low power mode to reduce power consumption when idle. Also commended was its motion sensing feature, which, they established, could detect when people enter or exit a room.

However, testers were slightly disappointed that the Echo Dot Gen 4 had no battery and had to be plugged into work. This makes it unfit for outdoor use and is a discredit it has in common with the Amazon Echo Gen 4 (which we’ve covered in our Amazon Echo Gen 4 review). If you’re looking for a reliable outdoor speaker, check out our Alpine Solar Bluetooth Rock Speaker review.

True Score

86

Reasons to Buy

  • Exceptional Bluetooth range
  • Room filling sound
  • Support for Alexa Assistant
  • Easy to set up
  • Motion detection

Reasons to Avoid

  • No battery
  • Not built for outdoor use

Specifications

  • Battery Life
    4 hours
  • Bose Connect
  • Built In Microphone
    Yes
  • Charge Time
    1 hours 45 minutes
  • Smart App
    Amazon Alexa app
  • Speaker Pairing
    na
  • Water Resistant
    na
  • Wattage
    15 watts
  • Wireless Range
    1000 sq ft

Overview

The Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 is an entry-level smart speaker that was first released in mid-2020. Weighing only 0.7 pounds, the speaker is pretty light in weight, and like some of the top-rated speakers in the market, it also has a set of four microphones that make it possible to use its voice assistant functionality. The Alexa voice assistant will only work through WiFi, but owners can stream music and videos from their devices through WiFi and Bluetooth or link their smartphones to use it as a speakerphone. Speaking of which, it has a Bluetooth range of 214 ft, making it a lot more convenient to use than some of the most popular Bluetooth speakers and a good number of the best WiFi speakers in the industry. If you’re looking for a speaker that’s a lot better for streaming content, we have a few ideas on the best soundbar for Roku TV (or any other popular streaming platform).

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Product Comparison

All Stores

  • Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2022 release) | With bigger vibrant sound, helpful routines and Alexa | Charcoal
    $49.99

    Availability

    In Stock

    Free Shipping

    Yes

Score Card

E

Expert Score

85

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

94

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

86

Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh

Expert Score Breakdown

  • Rtings
    A

    Trust Score

    62
    The Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen is middling for music. Its balanced mid-range reproduces vocals… read more
  • Trusted Reviews
    D

    Trust Score

    90
    With its new spherical design, the Amazon Echo Dot (4th Generation) is a far more… read more
  • Trusted Reviews
    D

    Trust Score

    90
    A funky overhaul to the Echo Dot, the Amazon Echo Dot (4th Generation) Kids Panda… read more
  • PC Mag
    D

    Trust Score

    80
    The fourth-generation Echo Dot speaker doesn’t offer particularly impressive sound quality, but for $50, it’s… read more
  • Digital Trends
    D

    Trust Score

    90
    The Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) makes some bold changes, but it delivers a resounding… read more
  • Tom’s Guide
    D

    Trust Score

    80
    With the 4th generation Echo Dot, Amazon has once again delivered an inexpensive smart speaker… read more

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