Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Generation
Computer Shopper|August 2019

VERDICT Better, louder audio with the same great design – the latest version of Amazon’s dinky speaker is another winner.

Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Generation

AMAZON HAS LONG been cheerfully ignoring the old maxim of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. The original Kindle still works perfectly well, but Amazon has honed the e-reader format into both the first and last words in the industry. And that’s what it’s doing now with the compact smart speaker, one device at a time.

Equally, the Echo Dot didn’t really need fixing, but Amazon did it anyway – twice now, in fact. This is the only Echo device to be on its third iteration, and the newest Echo Dot is a masterclass in making everything better without a price hike.

The Echo Dot costs £50 – the same as its predecessor – and that means that in terms of competition, there’s only one game in town: the Google Home Mini. This, however, lacks an audio output jack, unlike the Echo Dot, which has a 3.5mm auxiliary output. As a result, it’s in the peculiar position of being both Amazon’s entry-level smart speaker and a device that can connect to any other sound system, whether it costs £100 or £10,000.

SMALL TIME

This story is from the August 2019 edition of Computer Shopper.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August 2019 edition of Computer Shopper.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM COMPUTER SHOPPERView All
XIAOMI Mi Mix 3 5G
Computer Shopper

XIAOMI Mi Mix 3 5G

VERDICT This is the most affordable of the first 5G smartphones, but even with great hardware, the service isn’t yet worth the expense

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2019
RHA T20 Wireless
Computer Shopper

RHA T20 Wireless

VERDICT They’re not cheap, but these well-designed earphones deliver superb sound quality

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2019
Protect And Preserve
Computer Shopper

Protect And Preserve

Data might be A Valuable Commodity, But It’s Remarkably Easy To Lose Or For Others To Get Their Hands On. Mike Bedford Provides Guidance On How To Preserve, Recover And Destroy Data, And Looks At The Technologies Involved

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2019
NZXT H510i
Computer Shopper

NZXT H510i

VERDICT Some qualities shine through, but this is an underwhelming case from a maker we know can do better

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2019
Kicking Off A New Era Of Football?
Computer Shopper

Kicking Off A New Era Of Football?

With the new football season well and truly under way, David Crookes talks to Jon Hare about reviving the spirit of Sensible Soccer with a new, more sociable offering that he hopes will avoid an own goal

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2019
NAIM Mu-so 2
Computer Shopper

NAIM Mu-so 2

VERDICT A luxurious and fine-sounding slab of metal, but for most homes it won’t be worth the expense

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2019
Motorola One Vision
Computer Shopper

Motorola One Vision

VERDICT The One Vision comes close to being a brilliant mishmash of tech – shame about the camera

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2019
JBL Xtreme 2
Computer Shopper

JBL Xtreme 2

VERDICT With top-quality sound and a versatile design, this is a great – if expensive – rugged Bluetooth speaker

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2019
HUAWEI MateBook 13
Computer Shopper

HUAWEI MateBook 13

VERDICT What the MateBook 13 lacks in flourish, it makes up for in value and performance

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2019
GIGABYTE X570 Aorus Master
Computer Shopper

GIGABYTE X570 Aorus Master

VERDICT A loaded and forward-thinking motherboard, but not one that fully justifies its high price

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2019