Amazon Echo Dot 5th Generation Review: Features, Audio, Design
By Naila Syifa
Updated September 2023
Released in 2022, the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) is currently the best-selling Amazon smart speaker on the market. It boasts a sleek and modern design, improved audio performance, and a range of smart features that make it a must-have for any smart homeowner.
If you're considering purchasing the Echo Dot, let's examine more closely the design, audio performance, and features of this device to help you determine whether it truly meets your needs and expectations.
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
Small Size, Big Possibilities
✓ Available in 3 colors
✓ Lossless High Definition
✓ Motion detection and temperature sensor
✓ Supports Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and more.
#1 Design
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
With a dimension of 3.9 inches width and 3.5 inches tall, the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) has a compact design that can easily fit into anywhere in your house. It features a sleek and modern spherical shape that is available in three different colors: Charcoal, Glacier White, and Deep Sea Blue.
On top of the device, you will find the volume up, volume down, and an action button that you can tap to pause music, end a call, stop a timer, or snooze your alarm. A microphone off button is also available to disconnect the microphone, ensuring privacy when you don't want Alexa to listen.
Towards the bottom of the device, there is a power port and LED light ring that shows certain color patterns to indicate certain functions, such as blue when Alexa is listening or processing your request, red when the microphone on/off button is being pressed, green when you're receiving a call, yellow when Alexa has a message or notification, white to show volume levels when you adjust the device volume, and so on.
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) also comes with a version that displays the time, weather, song title, and more on the front of the device.
#2 Audio Performance
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) provides an improved audio experience compared to the previous generation, with clearer vocals, deeper bass, and vibrant sound. The 1.73" front-firing speaker disperses sound outward, delivering clear and crisp sound to create an excellent listening experience for music. As a result, the smart speaker can deliver Lossless High Definition audio, making it ideal for homeowners who want to enjoy their music in the highest quality possible.
#3 Features
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) comes with all the features that you love about Alexa. You can get weather updates, create timers, get answers to your questions, hear jokes, make calls, and so on.
It supports integration with Amazon Music, Audible, and various third-party services including Spotify, Apple Music, SiriusXM, and Pandora. You can connect to these services to enjoy music, audiobooks, and podcasts, or by Bluetooth to play audio from your mobile devices. With Kindle Read Aloud, Alexa can also read your favorite books aloud, providing accessibility to visually impaired individuals or to children who are learning to read.
You can also use the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) to control Alexa-compatible smart home devices, allowing you to turn on/off lights, adjust your thermostat, lock your doors, or even start your coffee maker with just your voice. Additionally, the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) provides support for Matter, making it future-proof and compatible with an even wider range of smart home devices.
Perhaps, the most defining feature that makes the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) stand out from its competitors is the built-in temperature sensor and ultrasonic motion detection, which allows the device to sense the temperature and movement in the room it's placed in. You can leverage these features to trigger certain routines, such as turning on the air conditioner when the indoor temperature gets too high or turning off the lights when no occupancy is detected in the room. However, take note that ultrasonic motion detection can only detect major motions such as walking around the room, not minor motions such as waving your hand or sitting still to read.
If you have an Eero WiFi router, you can also use the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) as a WiFi extender. The built-in Eero feature adds up to 1,000 sq ft of wifi coverage and supports for speeds up to 100 Mbps, providing a more stable and reliable WiFi connection throughout your home.
You can also pair multiple Amazon Echo devices together to create a multi-room audio experience, or pair with Fire TV to create a home theatre system.
Final Thoughts
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) offers a stylish design with improved audio performance. It is compatible with major audio-streaming services and smart home devices, while providing extra features of temperature sensor and motion detection that make it a great addition to any smart home.
If you like to read more about Smart Home Speakers, check out our other relevant guides here:
The Best Smart Home Speakers 2023
Apple HomePod Mini Review
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen) vs HomePod Mini
Amazon Echo Dot vs Echo Pop
Apple Homepod Mini vs Sonos One (Gen 2)
Sonos One (Gen 2) vs Sonos One SL
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) vs Google Nest Mini
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) vs Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
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