It has been exactly 1 week since the Amazon Tap and the Echo Dot were announced and made available for pre-order. As is often the case with new Amazon hardware, the release day stock of both devices are now sold out. Placing an order today for the Amazon Tap will net you a delivery date that’s about 1 month after the device’s release date of March 31st. The Echo Dot’s expected delivery date for new orders is pushed even further. Pre-orders placed today for that device are receiving delivery dates in June.
Despite only being available for pre-order through an Alexa enabled device like the Amazon Echo or Fire TV, the Echo Dot seems to be the far more popular product between the two new devices. A post about the Echo Dot on popular deal forum Slickdeals currently has over 300 thumbs ups and nearly 1,000 comments. Compare that to the post about the Amazon Tap which, while still respectable, only has 17 thumbs ups and 40 comments. If you’re considering either of the two new devices, you should place your order now and decide later if you really want the device, since you’ll have at least 2 months to decide before it actually ships and can cancel your pre-order anytime.
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So they suggest the Dot as a bedroom alarm clock replacement. Hopefully this will lead to new alarm features. I would love to have a daily alarm setting as well as the option to alarm with music.
I agree. Music alarms would be a huge update in my book.
That’s why I ordered the Dot and am also hoping they’ll allow music options for the alarm. Surely they will do so eventually.
The Tap is kind of cool but can’t imagine why anyone would want a Dot?
I have an Echo and like it but for the all in one package in the kitchen. Otherwise i use my phone and battery powered Bluetooth speaker for what I would use a dot for. Drop price by $60 and maybe but even then somewhat useless.
Maybe it’s just me.
I think they’re marketing it as your 2nd Echo to complement the original. Assuming that you use the original Echo in the living room or in your case, the kitchen, the Dot would bring the Alexa abilities to the bedroom, bathroom, or other places where you wouldn’t necessarily need a large bluetooth speaker. The way they want you order the Dot is through your existing Echo! I think that’s proof that my theory is right.
Thanks Thomas.
I disagree; the bathroom is exactly the right place for a big bluetooth speaker. “Alexa, play something to mask the sounds that I’m about to make.”
“the Echo Dot seems to be the far more popular product between the two new devices”
yeah, apparently its just you.
i ordered two Dots, though I only plan on keeping one. the main draw of the Dot is that you can connect it to your home theater system. many, many people asked for this feature specifically. they want to be able to connect it to a big old audio system, not just a little speaker like the Echo.
Owning both the Echo and the Echo Dot, both have tremendous appeal. The Echo is a living room and kitchen must – get news, set timers, play music (albeit not hi-fi) and run home automation including lights, thermostats, Rachio irrigation system, etc. It has become a center piece. The Echo dot is hooked up to my Bose Wave radio in my bedroom – and I absolutely love it here as well. I have bedroom lights linked to it (just tell Alexa to turn the lights on/off) – use it for alarms, news, and damn good hi-fi through my Bose system. It also tunes in most radio channels like 1040 WBZ here in Boston for local news.
These aren’t novelties that where off – they have become integral to our daily lives.
Typos in there – sorry!
Yea man, you’ve got it backwards, the Dot is a mini Echo, just has a smaller speaker BUT can connect to a bigger speaker via Bluetooth making it just as, if not more, good as an Echo. The tap is just a speaker basically. You can do virtually everything with a Dot that you could an Echo.
Which is probably why they discontinued the Dot.
No skin off my nose, since I had already bought a second Echo.
How does the Tap sound compared to the Echo? I was pleasantly surprised by the sound the Echo gets, was eyeing the Tap hoping for similar though probably not as much output.
Tap’s sound is the best I have ever had in a Bluetooth speaker.
Puts my Bose to shame.
Worth the price alone.
I’m sorry they decided not to continue with the Dot.
I was looking forward to trying it out.