Amazon Echo (The Taller) Vs. Echo Dot (The Smaller)

Amazon's Echo Dot is just as smart as other members of the Echo family and a third of the cost of the original, taller Echo.

Both Amazon Echo and the Echo Dot contain the same seven omni-directional microphones to pick up your voice from anywhere in your living space, but there are some key differences between the devices.

So, which Amazon Echo should you buy? We've compared both devices below:

Cost - Amazon Echo $179.99 Vs Echo Dot $49.99

The Dot is three times cheaper than the original Echo, but it has all the same assistant capabilities.

Both devices, which can be prompted with either "Alexa" or "Amazon," can understand and respond to a long list of voice-activated commands, including answering questions, telling you the time or weather, playing music, and reading an audio book.

Portability – Amazon Echo (3.3”w x 9.3”h, 2.3lbs) Vs. Echo Dot (3.3”w x 1.5”h, 0.55lbs)

The Echo Dot weighs 795 grams (1.8 pounds) less than the older Echo and is around 8 inches shorter. So you could easily pop it in your bag for parties or keep it on a small shelf.

Speaker size — Echo (360 degree speaker) Vs. Echo Dot (a smaller speaker)

Both devices have a built-in speaker but the Echo's 360-degree speaker dwarfs the Dot's tiny, lower quality one.

However, the Dot was not designed to blast out good quality sound — just enough to hear an alarm, for example.

Audio Output – Amazon Echo (no audio output jack) Vs. Echo Dot (with audio output jack)

The full-size Echo is a standalone device that cannot be connected to larger systems. The Amazon Echo Dot has a 3.5 mm audio output jack that you can use connect to an external speaker, though an audio cable isn't included with the product.