The cheapest Echo smart speaker put to the test
The Amazon Echo Pop offers an affordable way to bring Alexa into your home. It sacrifices some features found in the (not-that-pricier) Dot - most notably the temperature and motion sensing - but it does the job of providing a cost-effective solution for voice commands, smart home control, and basic radio or podcast playback. If you're looking for a compact and budget-friendly smart speaker, that will essentially be used for smart home voice commands, the Echo Pop is well worth considering.
Pros
- Cheapest Echo smart speaker
- Fast Alexa responses
- Matter controller
- Eero extender
Cons
- No temp or ultrasound sensors
- No tap gestures
- Audio quality not great
- Only $10 less than Dot
Key features
- Connectivity: 2.4 and 5GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Ecosystems: Matter, Alexa
Earlier this year, Amazon delivered a substantial refresh of the Echo speaker lineup, introducing an all-new Echo Pop, the first new smart speaker we’ve seen from the company since the Echo Studio first debuted in 2019.
The semi-spherical kind of looks like Amazon has taken a knife to the latest edition of the Echo Dot, with it featuring the same AZ2 Neural Edge processor on board and also carrying over the ability to pair with Eero mesh routers.
If you’re not sure where this fits in alongside the Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock, given that it’s only $10 – $20 cheaper, have a read of our full Amazon Echo Pop review to find out.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
Design and build
- Smaller than Echo Dot at 99 x 83 x 91 mm
- Eco-friendly materials
The Echo Pop is a funny looking little thing. As mentioned up top, it looks like regular Dot or Echo speaker but with a straight edge chunk removed.
It is, I think, slightly better looking than the Dot but there’s no Clock option available so that fabric front does feel a bit wasted.
Measuring in at 99 x 83 x 91mm, the Echo Pop is available in four colors: charcoal, white, lavender, and teal and, as you can see from some of the images in this review, you can also add a silcone cover to the mix to jazz things up.
There are seven different colors to choose from with the ‘Made For Amazon Sleeve for Echo Pop’ and they cost $16.99 / £19.99.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
Amazon informs us that the Pop’s fabric is made from 100% post-consumer recycled yarn and it also features 80% recycled aluminium.
The Echo Pop keeps things simple with three physical buttons on top: mute, volume up, and volume down. These tactile buttons are easy to navigate once you’ve familiarized yourself with their layout.
The Echo Pop lacks the Action button found on other models, that activates Alexa, so if you’re a frequent user of this feature, you might want to consider other options.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
It’s powered by a 15W brick that uses a DC adapter; it’s a shame there’s no USB-C power option as this would undoubtedly add to the eco credentials to the Pop as there would be no need to ship a power brick in every box.
There’s also no 3.5mm port on the back either. Like the latest Dot, the lack of an audio jack means that anybody looking to link the Pop to larger and more impressive speakers is now limited to connecting via Bluetooth.
It’s neater, obviously, but it does mean you’ll have to look at getting an older Dot if you’re looking for a way to make your dumb hi-fi system smart.
Features
- Powered by AZ2 Neural Edge processor
- Matter controller
- Eero extender
Powered by Amazon’s voice assistant, Alexa, the Echo Pop offers a wide range of capabilities, which I don’t really need to get into here.
If you’re looking for specific information as to what Alexa offers you check out some of our many, many Alexa guides:
- How to use Alexa: our complete guide
- Brilliant Alexa Easter eggs: best things to ask your Amazon Echo
- Best Amazon Alexa voice commands: unlock smart home control, music and more
The Echo Pop includes Amazon’s AZ2 Neural Edge processor, as found on the latest Dot and inside the new Show 5 and Show 15.
The AZ2 allows for faster processing of certain commands directly on the device and the Pop is definitely snappy when it comes to answering queries of actioning commands.
The Pop is equipped with three farfield microphones and it excels at picking up voice commands. While it may be slightly less sensitive than the Echo Dot in noisy environments, it generally handled my voice requests with ease.
(Image credit: The Ambient)
Aside from a straight-edge chunk, there’s also a bit of tech missing from the Pop compared to the Dot.
There’s no sign of either the temperature or ultrasound motion sensors that allow the Dot to act as a trigger for Alexa Routines, and there are also no tap gestures for snoozing alarms.
At $10 / £10 less than the Dot, it’s up to you what price you put on having these features to hand with your gateway Echo smart speaker.
What you will get is the ability to extend an Eero mesh network with the Pop and it can also act asMatter controller, as well as an Amazon Sidewalk Bridge.
With Matter, there’s no Thread border router skills (that’s limited to the 4th-gen Echo for Amazon, at present) but I had no problems adding a Matter Wi-Fi bulb to the mix using the Pop.
Audio quality
The Echo Pop features a 1.95-inch front-firing speaker, which is slightly larger than the Echo Dot’s 1.78-inch one.
However, while it’s capable of delivering clear voice responses, it falls short in terms of music quality.
Let’s face it, you’re not (hopefully) looking at getting the Pop for its audio clout but you’d expect it to handle the music in a kitchen when listening to the radio, or on a bedside cabinet as a morning music burst.
And it can, kind of… although the sound is less bassy than the Dot’s, despite that bigger tweeter up front.
However, if you primarily need a smart speaker for voice commands and casual listening, the Echo Pop is a decent budget-friendly option.
Final thoughts
There’s nothing wrong with the Echo Pop. The funky design and quick Alexa responses make it a decent smart home voice controller and the fact that it can boost your Eero network and control (some) of your Matter smart home devices is a bonus.
However, while the lack of ultrasound and temperature sensors may not be a big deal for most people, the fact that you can get these included for just $10 / £10 with the 5th-gen Dot means their omission is a bit annoying.
The Pop is cheap… it perhaps needed to be a little bit cheaper to be highly recommended.
How we test
When we publish our reviews, you can rest assured that they are the result of “living with” long term tests.
Smart speaker usually live within, or even control, a smart home ecosystem, or a range of products that – supposedly – all work in harmony. Therefore, it’s impossible to use a connected speaker for a week and deliver a verdict.
Because we’re testing smart home kit all day, everyday, we know what matters and how a particular smart speaker compares to alternatives that you might also be considering.
Our reviews are comprehensive, objective and fair and, of course, we are never paid directly to review a device.
Read our review process for smart speakers to learn more.
FAQS
Is the Echo Pop a Matter controller with Thread?
Yes it’s a Matter controller but there are no Thread border router features with the Echo Pop.
How is the Echo Pop different from the Echo Dot?
Different design and it lacks the ultrasound and temperature sensors of the Dot. The speaker is slightly bigger though.
Does the Echo Pop have Alexa?
Yes, the Amazon Echo Pop is a smart speaker with Amazon Alexa built in.
Amazon Echo Pop: Specs
| Type | Type and colors | |
| UK RRP | £44.99 | |
| US RRP | $34.99 | |
| Size | 99 x 83 x 91mm | |
| Weight | 196g | |
| Release date | 2023 | |
| Ecosystems | Amazon Alexa, Matter | |
| Connectivity | Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
