Amazon announced a new Echo Dot that looks just about the same as previous models — except it’s got a clock.
The company announced the new Echo Dot with Clock at Wednesday’s Amazon Devices event in Seattle, joining a slew of other new products and features compatible with their existing Alexa assistant.
The new Echo Dot with Clock has the same look and function as previous models with one major exception: it now boasts a large, bright LED clock on the side. The numbers are displayed “underneath” the mesh of the speaker, but are large and clear enough that users can see them from anywhere in the room.
The addition of the clock gives the Echo Dot more functionality than before. Rather than taking up space on the shelf until called on, the Echo Dot can act as a clock, alarm, or timer. The clock doesn’t always have to show the time – you can configure it to display the temperature, alarm times, and more.
Rather than reaching for your phone or squinting at the LED on the coffee maker, just glance at your Echo Dot to check the time. If you keep an Echo Dot beside your bed and decide to use it as a wake-up alarm, you can snooze it with a simple tap to get a few more precious minutes of shut-eye — nine minutes, to be exact. Just make sure your wakeup alarm isn’t too jarring.
All of the old features of the Echo Dot are still in place — the clock is just something extra. That said, it’s a simple addition that actually does make a dramatic difference to the Echo Dot. The device now seems perfectly at home on a nightstand or beside the couch. Anyone interested in purchasing the new Echo Dot with Clock can pre-order it starting today for just $59.99 on Amazon.com. There’s no word yet on when Amazon expects to ship the new Echo Dot, however.
Amazon announced a lot of new products and devices today. If you’d like to find out more about any given item or see a full list of what was announced, check out our roundup post.
