After roughly two years, Amazon released the fifth-generation Echo Dot speaker in India a few weeks ago. The device, which has improved functionalities but a mostly similar form factor to the 4th Gen Alexa-powered speaker, is its replacement. It is asserted that the entry-level smart speaker sounds better. Additionally, it has motion detection, ultrasound sensors, and temperature sensors. Our edition of the Echo Dot 5 costs Rs 5,499; can it live up to the expectations? Read our Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen review to find out.
Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen Review: Design
Hey, that looks exactly like the previous generation model, we thought when we first saw the Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen speaker. To distinguish between the two generations, there is a small difference, though. The 3.5mm audio jack, which was a not needed addition in our opinion, has been eliminated by the business from the fifth generation.
Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen features a spherical design, which looks neat and has four physical buttons on the top. There is an action button to turn on/off the Accelerometer, a mute mic button and two to control the volume. We have the blue colour variant, however, it is available in two more colours – white and black. Since it lacks a battery, it cannot be used on the go; instead, it must be constantly plugged in to function.
The dedicated light on the speaker’s bottom illuminates in various colours to show whether Alexa is listening, on mute, trying to connect to WiFi, or in setting mode. The bottom of the speaker is flat and covered with rubber for a better grip. The power socket is still there, despite the absence of the 3.5mm headphone jack, as we have mentioned.
Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen Review: Performance
The device has an accelerometer that allows you to snooze the alarm, play/pause music, and even stop the timer by tapping on the top of the device. Actually, it’s quite good. More often than we anticipated, we found ourselves unintentionally stopping the music. Therefore, the action button saves the day. When the button is pressed, the accelerometer is not activated. Alexa can be asked to play or pause music instead, which is more effective.
In the App settings, you can also disable the play and pause music tap gesture, but you can still keep it on to stop alarms and timers. However, the tap gesture many times failed during our testing, which was a bit odd.
Most of the time the tap gesture never worked to resume the music if it accidentally gets paused. We had to tap it multiple times.
Let’s discuss ultrasound motion detection, another improvement over the 4th generation Echo Dot. Yes, the Echo Dot 5 has motion detection. The built-in microphones capture background noise that can be tweaked to meet your needs. For instance, you can programme it to automatically turn off the lights in the room when no one is present and turn them on when it senses someone is around. All you need to do is visit the Alexa App to personalise this. An option for ultrasonic motion detection is available in the settings. You may adjust the sensitivity range here and many other things if you turn that on.
Additionally, it has a built-in temperature sensor, and just like ultrasound motion detection, you can programme a routine for this as well. The air conditioner will automatically turn on if the room temperature exceeds your preset level. You can also set a threshold to switch off the air conditioning. If your AC is a Smart AC, you must manually switch it off.
The Echo Dot 5 has a 1.73-inch audio driver. The smart speaker has excellent bass quality. You can easily use it to operate your Smart home equipment in addition to listening to music.
Wi-Fi connections at 2.4GHz and 5GHz are available for connectivity. It takes several minutes to connect initially to the Wifi but the connectivity is stable and has a good range. It works with Alexa App, which is available on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store. We only used the App while setting up the device and to link appliances and music streaming services. Also, the Echo Dot supports music streaming services like Amazon Prime Music, Jiosaavan, Spotify, Hungama and more.
In terms of cost, the Amazon Echo Dot 5 is available for Rs 5,499. which is more expensive than the previous generation, which costs only Rs 4,499 today.
Verdict
The real question is whether you would spend an extra Rs 1,000 to get the tap feature, ultrasound motion detection, and temperature sensor built-in. If you ask us, we will say “Maybe.” The tap functionality did not impress us because it frequently failed and because our listening pleasure was ruined by unintended touches.
The temperature sensor, however, is a welcome addition, but again, if you have a Smart AC at home or at work, this feature is not much of use. The Echo Dot 5’s audio quality has become much better, and there’s no denying that the bass on this model is excellent. At just Rs 4,499, the 4th generation is, in our opinion, is a great investment. The Echo Dot 5 is a superb option if you want to replace your 4th generation or older device and want new-age sensors.
Price: Rs 5,499
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Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen Pros
- Compact
- Motion detection works well
- Temperature sensor
- Decent Bass
Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen Cons
- Tap gestures don’t function well
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