Echo Spot review (2024): Small and surprisingly useful

Amazon has added on-screen ads to the Echo Show’s slideshow and even to the weather forecast on my Echo Show 8, which are nearly impossible to turn off. The Echo Spot is ad-free for now. It’s possible that Amazon will add ads in the future, but I’m hoping that this screen is too small to be worth it. I know there are no guarantees, though, because I would have said the same about the tiny space on the Show 8’s weather page.

When you talk to it, the Echo Spot will pull up your calendar and scroll through a small list of your four upcoming events while explaining them to you. It’s another easy-to-read companion to a voice assistant without needing a big, cluttered screen. The screen is small enough that you can’t read it from a distance, but I found it useful for reading at your desk or listening while getting dressed.

The only thing missing is smart home controls. Unlike regular smart displays and the new Hub (8/10, WIRED Recommended), the Echo Spot doesn’t have a smart home control area in its menu, and rooms and devices can only be accessed by voice request. When you ask it to control a specific room or device, such as “Turn on the kitchen power,” a little power button appears on the screen that you can tap to turn on or off. But there’s no way to access a device or room without using your voice first.

While I love being able to see widgets and navigate smart home controls on a large smart display, I hate the distraction of using one in my office or living room. Scrolling screens are always in front of me when I don’t want to, and they often don’t show what I want right away. Echo Spot’s well-balanced display of information on screen makes it perfect for placing almost anywhere in the home, without cluttering the screen.

Sound Off

Unfortunately, the only thing the Echo Spot lacks is good sound quality.