What is there to say about an Amazon Echo that hasn’t been said a million times already? You know what it is. (It’s a speaker with microphones that lets you do Alexa things.) You know what it does. (See previous sentence.) And you probably have a good idea of what it’s going to be like given how much, or how little, it costs. That brings us to the Echo Pop. It’s a $40 Amazon Echo speaker that looks like someone cut a full Echo or Echo Dot — both, as a reminder, are spherical — in half. And maybe that’s really where the story is. Because it’s not a full Echo or Dot, something had to go to get it down to that retail price. As the Echo was sliced in two, some features fell by the wayside. And there’s a good chance you’ll actually be OK with that. The first line in Amazon’s description for the Echo Pop reads thusly: “This compact smart speaker with Alexa features full sound that’s great for bedrooms and small spaces. Small enough to blend in and mighty enough to stand out.” In a world in w...

The price is right; Decent sound; Mostly all the features; Bonus Eero extender;

No aux input;

What is there to say about an Amazon Echo that hasn’t been said a million times already? You know what it is. (It’s a speaker with microphones that lets you do Alexa things.) You know what it does. (See previous sentence.) And you probably have a good idea of what it’s going to be like given how much, or how little, it costs. That brings us to the Echo Pop. It’s a $40 Amazon Echo speaker that looks like someone cut a full Echo or Echo Dot — both, as a reminder, are spherical — in half. And maybe that’s really where the story is. Because it’s not a full Echo or Dot, something had to go to get it down to that retail price. As the Echo was sliced in two, some features fell by the wayside. And there’s a good chance you’ll actually be OK with that. The first line in Amazon’s description for the Echo Pop reads thusly: “This compact smart speaker with Alexa features full sound that’s great for bedrooms and small spaces. Small enough to blend in and mighty enough to stand out.” In a world in w...

The price is right; Decent sound; Mostly all the features; Bonus Eero extender;

No aux input;

What is there to say about an Amazon Echo that hasn’t been said a million times already? You know what it is. (It’s a speaker with microphones that lets you do Alexa things.) You know what it does. (See previous sentence.) And you probably have a good idea of what it’s going to be like given how much, or how little, it costs. That brings us to the Echo Pop. It’s a $40 Amazon Echo speaker that looks like someone cut a full Echo or Echo Dot — both, as a reminder, are spherical — in half. And maybe that’s really where the story is. Because it’s not a full Echo or Dot, something had to go to get it down to that retail price. As the Echo was sliced in two, some features fell by the wayside. And there’s a good chance you’ll actually be OK with that. The first line in Amazon’s description for the Echo Pop reads thusly: “This compact smart speaker with Alexa features full sound that’s great for bedrooms and small spaces. Small enough to blend in and mighty enough to stand out.” In a world in w...

The price is right; Decent sound; Mostly all the features; Bonus Eero extender;

No aux input;

Compact design; Supports Matter and Sidewalk; On-board Alexa; Acts as an Eero extender;

Only slightly smaller than the Echo Dot; No motion or temperature sensors; Iffy sound quality; Feels cheap;

Conception compacte; Prise en charge de Matter et Sidewalk; Alexa intégrée; Agit comme un prolongateur Eero;

Légèrement plus petit que l’Echo Dot; Pas de capteurs de mouvement ou de température; Qualité sonore médiocre; Une impression de bas de gamme;

Diseño compacto; Compatible con Matter y Sidewalk; Alexa incluida; Actúa como un extensor Eero;

Solo un poco más pequeño que el Echo Dot; Sin sensores de movimiento o temperatura; Calidad de sonido insípida; Aspecto barato;

The $39.99 Amazon Echo Pop is one of the least expensive ways to buy into the Alexa ecosystem, particularly if you want something with a small footprint. It includes nearly all of the same features as the larger Echo Dot ($49.99) and Echo Dot With Clock ($59.99), and it can put out reasonably balanced sound for the price. It's a good way to save $10 to $20 if you're looking to put Alexa in every room of your home, but the Echo Dot With Clock remains our Editors' Choice winner for affordable smart speakers thanks to its slightly better sound quality, built-in clockface, and sensors for touch and temperature.Half a Dot The Echo Pop looks exactly as though Amazon lopped an Echo Dot in half. It’s a 3.9-inch half-globe with a flat base. The circular, fabric-covered grille sits on the front and is angled slightly upward. The speaker is available in four colors: the same black and white versions as the Echo Dot, and new lavender and teal models. The navy blue color and animal-themed opti...

The Amazon Echo Pop is an affordable little smart speaker that lets you put Alexa in any room.

Inexpensive; Balanced sound for most music; Alexa voice assistant; Doubles as an Eero Wi-Fi node

Not as loud as the Echo Dot; Weak bass; No touch or temperature sensors