Why You Can Trust CNET You Should Buy the 4th-Gen Echo Dot This Prime Day, Not the New One. Here's Why
Echo Dot fourth-gen devices sport a design similar to that of the fifth-gen Echo Dots, and will also be able to act as Eero mesh Wi-Fi extenders. And they're on sale for half price.
Prime Day is a great time to buy a fourth-gen Echo Dot.
I'll admit, shiny new toys are nice. But paying full retail price for one may not always be worth the premium price when you can get a slightly older, nearly as capable model for half the cost. At least, that's basically what we said when the smart, spherical Amazon Echo Dot fourth-gen arrived to replace the puck-shaped third-generation model: "Wait for a sale."
Now the same could be said regarding the new Amazon Echo Dot fifth-gen devices versus the previous collection. If the fifth-gen is a must-have, wait for a sale, because paying full price may not be the best deal when you can get the slightly older model for half off right now.
Select Echo Dot fourth-gen devices -- which largely sport a design and functionality similar to that of the newer, full-priced models -- are now on sale for $25 to $40 off during the Amazon Prime Early Access event. Standard models are available for half off, or $25, while the Echo Dot Kids Panda design, normally $60, is also just $25 for a limited time. The related Amazon Echo Dot With Clock is also on sale for $35 (normally $60), as is the sleek Glacier White model, currently available for $60 compared to the regular price of $100.
Even better: Fourth-gen Echo Dots can be Eero mesh Wi-Fi extenders
One of the more impressive features of the next-gen Echo Dot devices is that they can serve dual duty as Eero mesh Wi-Fi extenders. According to Amazon, "Eero will automatically detect compatible Echo devices on your network and use them to extend your Wi-Fi." That's pretty nifty, but it's not exclusive to the shiny new Echo Dots.
The feature comes standard on fifth-gen Echo Dots, but the previous (and currently on sale) generation of Echo Dots will also support built-in Eero functionality via an over-the-air update in coming months. So if you're eyeing the new, full-price Echo Dot or Echo Dot With Clock for the Eero Wi-Fi compatibility, save yourself some money and go with the similarly designed, somewhat equally as capable fourth-gen devices.