Amazon Echo Spot on sale for $90 for Black Friday — here’s our review

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Amazon’s Echo Spot is in an unusual position in the Echo family. 

It has a screen, but not one big enough for serious video-watching. It’s small, but not as small as the Echo Dot. It can play music, but it doesn’t sound as good as the Echo or Echo Show. 

So, what is it for?

After I tested the Spot for several weeks, I’m still not really sure. At launch, the Echo Spot’s primary purpose seemed to be acting as a smart alarm clock for your bedside table or nightstand. It can certainly do that, but it also seems a bit overqualified for the position. 

The Echo Spot has Alexa. It can make video calls, play music videos, make visual lists and reminders, and play music. And — of course — it can display the time. 

It does all the things a regular Echo can do, but it does them with a 2.5-inch touchscreen. 

Here’s what it’s like to use the Echo Spot. 

But then I enabled full-screen mode, and here was Beyoncé in all her glory, albeit miniaturized. Sure, the full width of the video gets cut off on the round screen, but feeling like I was on a video call with Bey was worth it.

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The Echo Spot may be a mysterious little device, but it can do all the things a regular Echo or Echo Dot can do, with the sometimes added bonus of being able to use a screen.

The Spot is also a great deal for Black Friday. While it usually costs $130, it’s on sale for $89.99, or a savings of $40.

And if you’re thinking of getting one for yourself and one as a gift, Amazon is offering two Echo Spots for $159.98, or a savings of $100. 

You can learn more about the Spot or buy one for yourself on Amazon.