It's been a year since I saw an Amazon Dot and here's what I think about it – The Fool Motley

Amazonof (NASDAQ: AMZN) The echo at $ 49.99, the cheapest speaker, seemed to be the best of both worlds when I bought it at 30% off at a holiday sale last year. The point has a wide range of functions, but does not break the bank.

At the end of September 2018, Amazon announced the third generation of Echo Dot, its most popular Echo speaker. The Dot had been last updated in the fall of 2016. This new version introduces a new design with a cloth cover and offers better audio quality.

But while the point is affordable, some people may not get enough for their money. So, if you are thinking of buying a point this holiday season, here is my honest answer as to whether I think this portable speaker is worth being purchased.

What I like at Amazon Dot

One of the best things about Dot is that the only configuration required is to plug it in and download the corresponding Alexa application. If you're new to Amazon devices, Alexa is her digital voice assistant.

The first thing I did after completing the quick setup process was sending a message to my friend Carl with the help of the Dot. You can use the dot to send a message to people only if they have an Echo device or at least the Alexa app. My choices were therefore limited. When I sent a message to my friend, I asked him how many times he was using his Dot, and he replied, "Never haha." This gave me a pinch of heart in the buyer 's remorse, but I dismissed it, thinking that he might not know how to use it properly.

I immediately loved the ease and friendliness of the music in my room. When I was working, I asked Alexa to play instrumental music. When I was getting ready, I asked Alexa to play pop music. I've definitely listened to more music with the Dot, and that has helped me discover new songs to add to my playlists. The point currently works with Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, TuneIn and SiriusXM. Since I'm a premium member, I use Amazon Music.

I also quickly realized how useful the point was for setting timers and alarms. I used the timer for cooking and for coaching. And at night, it became a habit to just say, "Alexa, raise an alarm for 6:30." When I manually set an alarm on my iPhone, I check it three times because I do not trust myself. But with Alexa, I only had to say the command once, and I did not need to use my tired eyes to look at a brilliant screen while doing it.

Finally, I have often used my point to keep up with the weather and news. It was a great way to do several chores in the morning. While makeup and getting ready, I asked Alexa to read the main news of the day. So, by the time I started writing, I already had a brief overview of the best events of the day.

What I do not like about the Amazon Dot

Now, if you read carefully, you probably noticed that I was talking about my point in the past. This is because, unfortunately, I have completely stopped using the Dot just like my friend.

The fall of the point at home began when I let my Prime subscription expire. Once I was not a primary member, I had no longer Amazon Prime Music, and the Dot became much less useful to me. But even then, I was still using the Dot for the weather and updates for a few months, until this feature lost its enthusiasm.

Six months after the purchase of the device, I had completely stopped using the Dot. And even now, when I became the first member again, I do not feel the urgent need to dig it from the bottom of my closet.

The point has more than 50,000 skills, so it's definitely worth it. But it would be difficult for average shoppers to ever learn everything for which they could use Dot in their daily lives. And while it's fun and convenient to use voice commands to control simple tasks such as setting an alarm or playing music, the excitement fades quickly and you realize that it does not make you feel comfortable. save a lot of time.

Conclusion: Would I buy it again?

As you can probably see, I personally would not buy the Dot anymore. It's a handy device, especially considering its relatively low price. However, I just do not find it useful in my daily life. I really did not notice when I stopped using it, so it did not really add value to my life.

I will note that I have not made an extra effort to use its smart home capabilities to control compatible lights, thermostats and other compatible devices. So it could tip the balance for some people who own multiple smart devices. But for me, I will stick to my old alarm and phone weather app.

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an affiliate of Amazon, is a board member of The Motley Fool. Natalie Walters has no position in the mentioned actions. The Motley Fool owns shares and recommends Amazon. Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.