With the Echo Pop, Amazon has a new smart speaker on offer. It’s about the size of the Echo Dot, but in the shape of a half sphere. The Echo Pop and Dot are also close in price. So what is the better speaker and which one should you choose? TECHBOOK makes the comparison.
Amazon now offers a fairly wide range of Echo speakers. With display, studio sound, big or small. Since June 2023 there has been even more choice in the ranks of compact Echos. Here Amazon no longer only offers the Echo Dot, but also the Echo Pop. The latter is not only available in new colors, it also looks almost like a dot that has been halved in the middle. But what differentiates the new Echo Pop in detail from the well-known Dot? TECHBOOK tried both.
Echo Pop as a cheaper alternative to the Dot?
With an RRP of 54.99 euros, the Echo Pop is exactly 10 euros cheaper than the current fifth generation of the Dot, which Amazon sells for 64.99 euros. Customers can also choose from more colors for the Pop. In addition to the classic anthracite and white, the small speaker is also available in lavender and blue-green. Amazon, on the other hand, offers the Echo Dot in a dark deep sea blue in addition to anthracite and white.
Both speakers are amazingly compact; the main difference is mainly in the shape. While the Echo Dot is spherical and measures 100 x 100 x 89 millimeters, the Echo Pop seems to be the counterpart that is divided in the middle. The flat, fabric-covered part is at the front and bulges out at the back. Since the base is designed a little differently as a result, the glowing LED ring is not found at the bottom of the base like on the Echo Dot. Rather, on the Pop, there is a 2-inch strip at the top bend of the speaker. Behind it are the buttons for volume up and volume down as well as turning off the microphone in a row. The action button that the Echo Dot offers is missing from the pop.
It’s a bit of a shame that Amazon relies on a proprietary power plug for both models. At 1.50 meters, the cable is not only quite short, but the fixed connection to the mains plug can cause problems when setting up the Echo Dot or Pop, since the cable cannot be threaded through narrow spaces so easily.
Unfortunately, both the fifth generation Echo Dot and the Echo Pop no longer offer a jack connection. Amazon already deleted it when switching from the fourth to the fifth Dot generation. External speakers can no longer be connected, so the devices are limited to their own internal speakers.
The setup of the Echo Pop is identical to that of the Dot and other Echo speakers. Users are largely guided through the process step-by-step via the Amazon app. For reference, we have explained the setup of the Amazon Echo as an example in the video:
Sound quality on the Echo Dot and Pop
Amazon writes with the Echo Pop that it is intended for small rooms or the bedroom. This limitation does not exist with the Echo Dot and was initially surprising, since the Pop even has the larger speaker. The difference between 49.5 and 44 millimeters is very small, but it is there. So why is Amazon itself positioning the Dot as a better speaker than the Pop?
I’ve been using the Echo Dot almost every day for months. It offers an amazingly rich and powerful sound for such a small speaker, is sufficiently loud and has a solid and audible bass. Despite its spherical shape, don’t be fooled – the internal speaker is front-facing like the new Pop. So the Dot doesn’t mind standing in the corner, as the sound doesn’t radiate all around like the big Echo or Studio.
The loudspeaker of the Pop uses the same forward-facing principle. Since this is even 5.5 millimeters larger than the Dot, my expectations of the sound were high. And the sound that comes from the small device is actually quite good, especially in the mids and highs. Tones seem balanced, but they lack some power. The bass doesn’t come out as well as the 5th Gen Dot either. Here Amazon had only added to the previous models, which is now evident. The Echo Pop does not overtake the Dot in terms of sound – on the contrary. The tone of the Dot appears fuller and more voluminous overall.
So the caveat that the Pop is meant for smaller spaces makes sense. The powerful, radiating sound is not really needed here, and the speaker shouldn’t roar at full power in the bedroom either.
Also read: For better sound – switch several Amazon Echos in groups
Technology of the Echo Pop and Dot in comparison
Amazon Echos can do more than just play music and audio. Among other things, they serve as a smart home center that can be used to control other devices such as smart lamps and sockets. Both the Echo Pop and Dot support Bluetooth Low Energy Mesh, WiFi ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and are compatible with the new Matter standard for smart home devices. Zigbee support, such as that offered by the large Echo, is missing on both speakers. Both are equipped with the current Amazon chip AZ2 Neural Edge.
Despite the new chip, the Echo Pop and Dot must be connected to the internet to be able to process voice commands. Neither of them can process requests locally, although the Amazon AZ2 Neural Edge would actually allow this and what Amazon advertises with the Echo Show 15, for example. For this purpose, the devices are equipped with noise sensors that start preset routines on request. For example, if the Echo registers snoring noises, it can turn off the light and thus switch the home to sleep mode or something similar.
The Echo Dot is also equipped with a temperature sensor and a motion sensor using ultrasound, but the Pop lacks both of these. Starting the air conditioning when the temperature is too high or turning on a lamp when someone enters a room is therefore not possible with the Pop, and other scenarios of this type cannot be implemented with it either. As with the sound quality, the Echo Dot (5th Gen.) is also ahead in the Smart Home area. The Echo Pop can do the basics just as well, but users have to accept the mentioned compromises in the sensors for the lower price.
| Echo Dot (5th Gen) | echo pop | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 64.99 euros | 54.99 euros |
| sound | 44mm front-facing speakers, rich bass, sonorous in highs and lows | 49.5 front-firing speakers, well controlled center, bass not quite as strong |
| Intended for | regular spaces, as an extension for echo pairs | small rooms or bedrooms |
| Technical Equipment | Amazon chip AZ2 Neural Edge, bluetooth low energy mesh, WiFi ac (2.4 + 5 GHz) | Amazon chip AZ2 Neural Edge, bluetooth low energy mesh, WiFi ac (2.4 + 5 GHz) |
| smart home | matter, noise sensor, temperature sensor, motion sensor | matter, noise sensor |
| measurements and weight | 100x100x89mm, 349 grams | 99x83x91mm, 196 grams |
| Colors | Anthracite, white, deep sea blue | Anthracite, white, lavender, teal |
| ports and buttons | power cord, volume up and volume down, microphone off, action button | power cord, louder and quieter, microphone off |
Conclusion: Which Echo is suitable for whom?
TECHBOOK means
“I have to admit that I don’t quite understand why Amazon launched an Echo Pop. You could describe it as a cheap alternative to the Dot, but the price difference of 10 euros is a bit small. Because the slightly more expensive Dot offers a significantly better sound as well as advantages in the Smart Home area with the additional sensors. Both points would personally persuade me to spend 10 euros more and grab the dot. Sure, the Echo Pop is all in all a good device that also comes in great colors. In the end, however, I think it lacks the unique selling proposition that sets it apart from the Dot.” – Rita Deutschbein, Editor-in-Chief