Amazon’s ecosystem (Echo-system?) never stops growing. Its newest player has arrived: the Echo Pop, a $40 smart speaker with a half-circle body instead of the fully rounded forms of Amazon’s other Echo speakers.
I’ve been enjoying the Echo Pop as a small desk companion. Its sound is fine enough for its price—though other, similarly priced Amazon speakers will be a better music experience—but the biggest appeal of the Echo Pop is easily the fun colors and interesting form factor it has.
Small Footprint
Photograph: Amazon
When it’s next to the Echo Dot (5th Gen), the Echo Pop looks to be the same size—that is, if you’re looking head-on at the Pop’s flat, circular face. But when you take a look at the Echo Pop from the side, you can see it’s only about two-thirds as deep. Where you really can see the size difference is on the bottom. The Echo Pop’s base is nearly a full inch thinner than the Echo Dot, giving it a slim oval base instead of a large rounded one.
That smaller size and base helps make it easier to place into various spots around your home. With its half-moon form and single flat face rather than an entire rounded speaker, it’s a good fit for desk corners and small shelves or side tables.
The Pop also has slightly larger front-firing speaker than the fifth-generation Dot—1.95 inches versus 1.73—letting it sound plenty loud from whichever space you’ve squeezed it into. I placed mine on the corner of my desk and added it to my Alexa app in what felt like seconds. I already had Spotify connected, so I was jamming to Dua Lipa’s new song in moments.
The Echo Pop sounded great with pop music (ha!) and electronic lo-fi. But when I turned on sounds with lower bass notes, I found those got lost on this little speaker. When it comes to sound quality, the Echo Dot is a little better and only costs slightly more. You’ll get slightly more robust sound thanks to better bass, though neither will compare to a bigger smart speaker like the fourth-generation Echo (8/10, WIRED Recommends).
Sweet Style
Photograph: Amazon
If you’re less worried about fantastic sound and more interested a stylish speaker, this is Amazon’s best offering, and maybe the best style choice out of the world of cheaper smart speakers. I have three different smart speakers on my desk, and out of any of the pint-sized offerings from Amazon, Google, and Apple, I’d rather look at the Echo Pop than any of the others.
