“Hey Alexa, tell me everything I need to know about the new All New Echo Dot 4th Generation from Amazon.”
“Okay, here’s what I found:
The aptly named All New Echo Dot 4th Generation is a spherical smart speaker with a fabric finish that features an LED clock and the Alexa App. It’s the best Echo Dot speaker to date, and this is why,
- Sleek Design
- Smart Speaker
- Clock
- Alexa App
- Sustainable Materials
Also, here is an article I found explaining each new feature of the All New Echo Dot 4th Gen. Take a look, you don’t want to miss out on this new tech opportunity!”
Design
The all-new Echo Dot is a spherical shape with a fabric finish that stands 3.5 inches tall, 3.9 inches wide, 3.9 inches long and only weighs 12.3 ounces. The front facing speaker is 1.6 inches, with dual firing tweeters and a 3.0 inch woofer that allows for improved vocals and bass.
In the center of the speaker, there is an LED clock display which also allows you to set alarms and timers with the Alexa app. The volume buttons are on the top of the sphere, along with the action button and a button to turn off the microphone. In the back of the sphere, there is the power port and a port for a 3.5 mm line out to plug in extra speakers. On the bottom, there is an LED light ring that kind of makes the device look like it’s floating.
However, the LED light ring is more than just for show. When it’s illuminated, it means that the Alexa App is recording what you say and sending your request to the cloud.
When the microphone is off, this LED light ring will appear red to indicate that the Alexa App cannot record anything.
Smart Speaker
This device connects to 2.5 or 5G wifi networks, which allows you to connect to apps like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, Pandora and Audible. The audio settings are automatic because it can sense the acoustics in the room and adjust accordingly. You can easily control what you want to listen to by simply asking Alexa. If you have multiple devices, you can even ask Alexa to play your music in different rooms as you move about the house.
If you don’t know what song is playing, just ask Alexa, “Hey Alexa, what song is this?”
Alexa App
Other than controlling your music, the Alexa app allows you to do practically anything.
- Set timers
- Ask general questions
- Make notes
- Mark events in your calendar
- Create reminders
- Play the news
- Check the weather
- Check the local traffic
- Kid settings
- Protect your home
You can also control your entire home by speaking to Alexa.
“Hey Alexa, turn off the lights.” “Hey Alexa, turn down the heat.” If you have multiple devices throughout your home you can send reminders and announcements to the rest of the family. “Alexa, announce that dinner is ready.”
Alexa Kids
In the Alexa app, you can select Amazon Kids to set parental controls for your kids’ devices. Alexa immediately adjusts to give “kid friendly responses,” to questions, “filter explicit songs,” “block [online] shopping” and “let kids call approved contacts.” Parents can also set time limits on certain apps and review recent activity.
Alexa Kids + is available for $2.99/month and unlocks access to audible books, interactive games and educational skills.
Alexa Guard
Alexa can even sense unusual sounds like glass breaking or a smoke alarm, and alert you while you’re away with the Alexa Guard feature in the app. To let Alexa know you’ll be out of the house, just say “Alexa, I’m leaving,” to make sure you receive alerts if anything happens.
Features of the Alexa Guard include,
- Smoke and CO alarm sounds
- Glass break sounds
- Auto turn of/on smart lights to pretend you are home
Alexa guard is free with the Alexa app, but you also have the option to upgrade to the Alexa Guard Plus that costs $4.99/month or $49/year. The benefits of upgrading to the Alexa Guard Plus include,
- Hands free calling to emergency helpline from the Echo
- Detection of activity sounds
- Sound dogs barking when there is motion detected outside
- Sound a siren when activity is detected inside
Materials
Amazon claims that The All New Echo Dot 4th Gen is Climate Pledge Friendly by incorporating post consumer recycled materials into their packaging and design.
Design
- 100% post consumer recycled fabric
- 100% recycled die cast aluminium
- Post consumer recycled plastic PLUS
- Low Power Mode
- Clean energy
The face of the All New Echo Dot 4th Gen is made from 100% post consumer recycled fabric. This means that the fabric finish of the speaker comes from landfills after consumer use. Then, they repurpose it to fit the cozy aesthetic of the speaker. 50% post consumer recycled plastics and 100% recycled die cast aluminium make up the rest of the hardware of the All New Echo Dot 4th Gen. This includes the device itself, the power cable and wall adapter.
To save energy, the device automatically enters and exits low power mode. When you are not interacting with your device, it’s automatically going to be in low power mode, except for certain scenarios,
- Spotify is linked to your account
- Active notification
- Connected to an external speaker (aux or headphones)
- Multiple echo devices
- Connected to smart home through wifi or bluetooth
If your device is able to use Low Power Mode, you can simply wake it up by saying Wake Command “Alexa,” pressing the home button or controlling it with the Alexa remote.
To offset the energy used by these devices, Amazon is building several renewable energy sources including wind and solar farms.
Packaging
- Responsibly managed rainforests
- Recycled sources
- Sustainable materials
Amazon claims that 99% of the All New Echo Dot packaging materials are taken from responsibly managed rainforests and recycled materials.
By offsetting energy usage with renewable resources and responsibly sourcing materials, Amazon can successfully reduce their carbon footprint, certified by the Carbon Trust.
Privacy
Since Alexa is a voice activated app, the All New Echo Dot 4th Gen records everything you say once you say the wake command, which is “Alexa.” Therefore, you also have the option to turn off the microphone setting. As mentioned above, you can tell if Alexa is recording because the LED ring will appear blue, and you can tell when the microphone is turned off because the LED ring will appear red.
The Alexa Privacy Settings allow you to go through your voice recordings (or requests) and listen or delete them. You can also ask why Alexa responds in a certain way and Alexa will provide you with a short explanation about the response.
Accessories
There aren’t many accessories that go with a speaker. When you buy the All New Echo Dot 4th Gen, you can expect to find just the device, a charging cable and a starting guide inside of the box.
Other than physical accessories, you can download apps and use them with your speaker.
If you have an app that is compatible with the Alexa and Echo Dot operating system, it is important to make sure that app stays up to date with Amazon’s design guidelines.
If you are not sure how to update your app to make it Amazon, Alexa, and Echo Dot compatible, check out www.Mindcracker.us for help with your custom software development needs.