Amazon Echo Spot (2024)

The 2024 Amazon Echo Spot reimagines the smart alarm clock. With its compact round display and surprisingly powerful speaker, it's the ideal bedside smart device.

**Display**: The customisable screen shows time, weather, album art, and smart home controls at a glance. Multiple clock face designs let you match it to your bedroom aesthetic. The display brightness auto-adjusts for comfortable nighttime viewing.

**Sound Quality**: Significantly better audio than the Echo Dot, with clear vocals and room-filling sound. The directional speaker projects sound forward, making it great for music while you're falling asleep or waking up.

**Alexa Features**: All the Alexa capabilities you'd expect — set alarms with your favourite music, check tomorrow's weather, control your smart home, listen to audiobooks, and more. The screen adds visual feedback that makes interactions more intuitive.

**Smart Alarm Clock**: The standout use case. Set sunrise alarms that gradually brighten the display, wake to your favourite Spotify playlist, and see your morning schedule at a glance. It replaces both your alarm clock and bedside speaker.

**Smart Home Control**: Tap the screen to quickly control lights, view camera feeds, and manage routines. The visual interface makes it faster than voice-only control for some tasks.

**Design**: Available in Ocean Blue, Black, and Glacier White. The compact footprint takes up minimal nightstand space while looking premium.

**Verdict**: At $149, the Echo Spot fills a unique niche as a smart alarm clock/speaker hybrid. If you want Alexa on your nightstand with a screen that's actually useful (not overwhelming like a Show), this is the one.