Amazon Echo Pop (1st, Gen)

A bargain at $40 Nice design — it comes in purple! Good sound for its size Speedy responses

Fewer hardware features than the Dot Doesn’t hear voice commands as well as the Dot No Alexa Action button

If you are already deep into an Alexa-powered smart home, the Pop makes sense for the one or two rooms where you can’t justify spending $50 on another speaker (or couldn’t wait for one of Amazon’s frequent sales). It’s also a good upgrade for any aging...

Fun and stylish design ; Responsive with good microphone pickup ; More affordable list price

Trimmed-back features ; Pricing makes no sense ; High volumes cause distortion

A fun new form factor, a great selection of colorways, and a decently rounded sound for its size – the Amazon Echo Pop is a fun addition to any room. However, although it’s positioned as the most basic, bottom-of-the-line speaker, it’s a little too...