Echo Dot 5th Gen: Compact Alexa Speaker

Waking up to a chilly room and fumbling for a switch? Or scrambling for the remote mid-movie? Small annoyances like these disrupt everyday routines. Imagine a smart speaker that not only plays music but senses room temperature, obeys smart routines, and saves space.

Meet the Echo Dot (5th Gen) — a compact Alexa device that streamlines daily tasks, blends seamlessly into home décor, and fits tight spaces effortlessly.

Overview: What the Echo Dot (5th Gen) Is & Who It’s For

The Echo Dot (5th Gen) is Amazon's latest compact smart speaker, offering 1080p-quality audio, built-in temperature and motion sensors, voice control via Alexa, and seamless integration with smart home systems. It's ideal for renters, bedroom setups, home offices, or those new to the Alexa ecosystem.

Product Analysis

🔧 Key Features

• Improved 1.73″ speaker with richer bass

• Built-in motion & temperature sensors for context-aware routines

• Tap controls for snooze/play/pause without voice

• Eero Wi‑Fi extender support (US only) expands home coverage

• Compact spherical design in Charcoal, Glacier White, and Deep Sea Blue

💡 Benefits

• Space-saving size fits any shelf or nightstand

• Better sound than previous Dots—more dynamic audio

• Smart routines triggered by temperature or motion

• Hands-free control via voice, tap, or app

✅ Pros / ⚠️ Cons

Pros:

• Major acoustic upgrade at affordable price

• Smart sensing for automated routines

• Tap controls add convenience

• Potential Wi‑Fi extension with Eero

Cons:

• No 3.5 mm output—Bluetooth only

• Bass still limited for audiophiles

• Lacks built-in visual display (unless upgraded to "With Clock" model)

Real User Reviews

REVIEW-MASTER1, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“For more than nine years running, I have had Amazon Echo devices on every level of my home. An Amazon Echo lived in the kitchen, the family room, the office, and four bedrooms. All were Generation 1 devices, you know....the tall tower-like devices that if they fell would severely damage your foot!!!😫 Then one day, all of my Generation 1 devices went off-line and ceased to function!!😮 I contacted Amazon for help, and was told the Generation 1 devices were no longer supported by Amazon and could not receive any updates. I can't comprehend how 7 separate devices just stopped working all at the same time. My entire family has come to depend on Alexa to play music, news, weather, podcasts, and many other apps we added to the mix. I ordered a new 5th-generation Echo Dot, and it was delivered overnight. Set-up was easy-peasy using my Alexa app on my phone. It was connected to my internet, and the settings were selected in just a few minutes. The sound from my old Echo was dynamic, but this new Echo Dot produces great-sounding music with the right blend of bass, mid-range tones, and highs brilliantly!!😃 This Echo Dot is small in its dimensions but VERY BIG IN PERFORMANCE!!!
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Wade Manns, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“My previous Echo Dot, purchased back in 2018, was a third-generation. It was a white shuffleboard stone covered in cloth and it is amazing. I'll never say it's not; in fact it's so amazing that I passed it on to my mom and she enjoys it a great deal.

So, my main motivation for purchasing this, the fifth generation issued in 2022 – aside from familiarity with the brand – was I needed a Matter hub so my then-incoming Nanoleaf smart lightbulbs could work with my voice. But of course it is so much more.

First thing I see is that the Echo Dot is no longer a white shuffleboard stone but is a smaller, navy blue sphere. Aside from being my favorite color, and thus very pleasing to look at, I find it that it is not practical any longer to mount on my wall because of its increased focus on the forward firing speaker; if I had mounted it, it would not be effective in spreading out to my entire room – the top of the speaker is reserved for the buttons which were present on the third-generation: volume up, volume down, action/wake and mute microphone, which leave no room for a speaker in that area. So it sits pretty on my side table facing the rest of my room, and does fine.

First thing I hear is the sound quality is so much better than the third-generation Dot. The third-generation was okay in that regard, but it tended to sound a little overexposed when the volume was up high. Now, I don't find myself connecting via Bluetooth to my sound bar nearly as much because the speaker quality is just that good. The quiet parts of music are quiet and calming the way they should be, but the bass thumps quite effectively, surprisingly for such a small and lightweight speaker.

So after I'd established the smart speaker in my room for about a month, I felt the time was right to go ahead and get my Nanoleaf Essentials bulbs, to upgrade the ones that I had no longer been able to use for a year since they had stopped working with any voices assistants, to facilitate compatibility with the then upcoming network standard: Matter. I am very happy to say that Matter compatibility is there and it is wonderful.

I can't speak for the internal workings because I'm not an engineer; I will say – though I may be wrong about this – that I believe it would be more rocky if I did not have a Thread Border Router already in the form of my Nanoleaf shapes controller; I have the shapes arrangement atop my desk called Dragon, and it has worked wonderfully for me since around last September, and only – at this point anyway – required regular firmware updates to be compatible with ongoing technology.

Now, I'll tell you the procedure for adding the Nanoleaf Essentials bulbs to Alexa via Matter – I would assume by extension any Matter device, providing you have a thread border router like I mentioned before. After adding the bulbs to the iOS Nanoleaf app as normal – also updating the firmware for each bulb via said app! I have a feeling that was very important – add them also to Alexa via the Add Device flow, one at a time. There was a menu item that showed itself at the top telling me that it had detected each new bulb on my network and I only had to select that item to add it, scan the QR code on the sticker that came with the bulbs (I applied the sticker to a sheet of paper and labeled it according to the positions of the bulbs) and wait just a bit for it to be connected and it just works!

Another new feature which the third-generation did not have is a temperature sensor! After a short period of calibration after plugging the device in, Alexa will be able to tell you the temperature of the room that it is situated in! I ask her for this often when I'm trying to determine how best to cool my room during these hot summer months. When my door's closed during the day, my room can get up to mid 80s, which is horrible, but with the door open to allow a draft and breeze, the temperature's equalized with the rest of the house and I get mid to upper 70s which is much better.

There is an ultrasound presence sensor, which sounds not unlike sonar, which I have not had a use for yet, but I imagine routines can be enabled or suppressed with its use.
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Sig Al, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I stumbled across this deal and couldn't pass it up. I was shopping for the smart bulbs and saw this bundle deal. The Echo Dot is great and sounds really good and couldn't be happier with the smart bulbs. I upgraded my old Echo Dot with this one and I'm happy I did. I like the upgraded style and sound quality. Like all Echo products, set up was a breeze. Long live Echo and Alexa!”

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Frequently asked questions

Can I use it as a bedroom clock?

Yes, the “With Clock” version includes a dot‑matrix display for time and timers

Does it support smart routines?

Yes—use motion or temperature sensors to trigger routines via Alexa

Is Bluetooth audio available?

Yes—but there’s no 3.5 mm audio jack

Can it extend Wi‑Fi?

In the US, it can act as an Eero extender to improve coverage

Does it require subscriptions?

No subscription is required for voice control or routines; cloud or music services may vary.

As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small commission if you purchase through this link — at no extra cost to you.

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