Echo Pop vs Echo Dot: Which Alexa speaker should you choose this Black Friday?

Amazon Echo speakers are the best way to introduce the Amazon Alexa ecosystem into your smart home. The Echo Pop and Echo Dot, Amazon's two most compact smart speakers, are the most popular and affordable Echo devices available, at $18 and $23, respectively, during Black Friday. 

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The Echo Pop is newer than the Echo Dot and is marketed as the company's most compact speaker. At about two-thirds of the size of the already-compact Echo Dot, the Echo Pop is best suited for small rooms and can be tucked away in the corner of a desk. The slightly larger Echo Dot is about the size of an Apple HomePod mini and delivers more potent sound.

Read on to learn more about how the Echo Pop and Echo Dot compare and which is best suited for which sort of user.

You should buy the Echo Pop if...

1. You need a compact speaker

The Echo Pop is Amazon's smallest and most affordable smart speaker, perfect for a small room -- such as a dorm or kid's room. Because it doesn't feature a screen and can go unnoticed, it's a simple way to introduce yourself to the Alexa ecosystem or give someone access to Amazon's voice assistant in a simple, unintimidating way.

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The Echo Pop is a perfect option if you're looking for a compact speaker for your kid's desk, a guest room, or an area you don't use often. It can be unreliable in larger rooms or when tasked with bigger assignments, which brings me to my next point.

2. You plan on everyday music streaming, podcasts, or audiobooks

The Echo Pop is surprisingly loud, but the sound quality decreases greatly when the volume increases. This is why the Echo Pop is meant for smaller rooms and much cheaper than other Echo devices. 

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The Echo Pop won't be the life of the party at a backyard barbecue. Still, it's excellent for listening to music informally when hanging out in your room, catching up on your favorite podcasts, and listening to audiobooks. Having Alexa built-in makes it more enticing, as you can use the AI-powered voice assistant to control smart devices around your home.  

You should buy the Echo Dot if...

1. You need Alexa to be more reliable

Because the Echo Pop is a smaller, more affordable smart speaker than the Echo Dot, it's also less reliable. The Echo Dot is more responsive and can easily hear me from across the room, whether it's playing music or not. 

The Echo Pop, in turn, appears to have a simpler microphone array that is easily overpowered by high volumes. I've often found Alexa unable to hear me on the Echo Pop when the volume is too high, which can be frustrating, especially because it doesn't have an action button.

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The Echo Dot features a volume up button, a volume down button, a mute button, and an action button. The last one is a great way to wake Alexa without talking to it, which would be nice in the Echo Pop when it can't hear me. I've resorted to unplugging the Echo Pop when it can't hear me, so it stops blasting "The wheels on the bus."

2. You want room-filling sound

The Echo Dot isn't a high-end speaker, but it is great for most users. It can deliver room-filling sound from a small package, as the audio doesn't deteriorate as much as the Echo Pop's when the volume goes up. For example, you can pair two Echo Dots to function as external speakers for a TV and get stereo sound better than audio from most inexpensive TVs.

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As a device often discounted during Prime Day and holiday sales events, I'd recommend the Echo Dot to most users looking for a reliable smart speaker with Alexa built-in that can deliver sound from all directions.

Alternatives to consider