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Something for everyone in 2020

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5 years ago

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Amazon has a device for everyone and every home, but which device is the best pick for you and your needs?

By Joseph Green

We’re not sure whether you’re familiar with Amazon, but it’s this online marketplace that sells a bunch of different products. It’s not a big deal, but it has a hand in e-commerce, logistics, hardware, media, and a few other things. 

You’ve probably never come across the site before, but it’s worth checking out. Amazon is one of the most popular online retailers used by individuals and businesses, and the site is available in loads of countries and languages. Does any of this sound familiar?

Maybe we’re starting to ring a few bells. Amazon is that site that distributes video, music, and audiobooks through its Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, and Audible subsidiaries. It also has a publishing division, a film and television studio, and a cloud computing subsidiary. We guess it is sort of a big deal after all.

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Amazon also produces a wide range of consumer electronics including Echo smart speakers, Fire tablets, Kindle e-readers, and Ring security cameras. Surely you’ve come across some of these devices in the past? We would be surprised if there is a home left in the western world that doesn’t have something from Amazon lurking in the corner like some sort of malevolent beast (yikes).

These devices are pretty hard to ignore, and if you can’t beat them, you might as well join them. That’s why we’ve rounded up the very best devices that Amazon has to offer, so you can kit out your home with video doorbells, streaming sticks, and everything else you can imagine. Amazon has got it all.

We could have produced a massive list of everything on offer, but frankly that would have taken up far too much of everyone’s time. Nobody wants to spend all day reading up on how one model of smart speaker is very slightly different to another, so instead we’ve lined up eight devices that you should consider. There is something for everyone in this list, even you.

Timing is the last thing to consider before you jump in and spend big on everything Amazon has ever produced. It’s natural to be pumped for all these products, but it is generally best to wait for the biggest shopping events before investing. Amazon’s devices always drop in price on Prime Day and around Black Friday, so it’s generally cheaper to remain patient. This isn’t to say you won’t find a good deal at any other time in the year, but this is how it usually plays out. The most important thing is to move quickly when the opportunity presents itself: Timing is everything.

So that’s Amazon, and these are the best Amazon devices in 2020.


Lightweight and durable • Connect to other Echo devices • Thousands of skills • Voice control your smart home

Sound is not as powerful as Echo • Can struggle with thick accents

A great budget speaker that comes with all the bells and whistles you need to control your smart home.

Echo Dot

Smaller and ligher than the Echo but with most of the same features that users love.

  • Alexa-compatible:
    Yes
  • Colours:
    Charcoal, Heather, Plum, and Sandstone
The Echo Dot is one of Amazon’s most popular smart speakers, and that’s because the list of things you can do with this little guy is seriously long.
You can stream songs from Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify. You can listen to audiobooks from Audible. You can read the news, check the weather, set alarms, and control compatible smart home devices. The list goes on and on.
The best thing about the Echo Dot is that it’s Alexa-compatible, meaning all of the above is accessible through voice controls. You can even control your smart home through this little speaker. Just ask Alexa to turn on lights, adjust thermostats, lock doors, and more.
All of this would mean nothing if the sound quality was poor, and whilst the Echo Dot can’t compete with the Echo in this department, it does still deliver rich and powerful results.

Crisp vocals and dynamic bass • Adjustable equaliser settings • Tens of thousands of skills • Voice control your smart home

Can be a struggle for beginners to get to grips with

Popular smart speaker with literally thousands of skills that should keep everyone entertained.

Echo

The Echo boasts a larger, higher-quality, 360-degree speaker that trumps the Echo Dot.

  • Alexa-compatible:
    Yes
  • Colours:
    Charcoal, Heather, Sandstone, and Twilight Blue
The Echo smart speaker is the big brother of the Echo Dot, and delivers 360-degree audio with crisp vocals and dynamic bass response. It does cost significantly more than the Echo Dot, but it’s worth it for the audiophiles out there.
Most of the features and skills are exactly the same as the Echo Dot, and you can still use Alexa to do all of the work. Use your voice to play a song, artist, or genre through the service of your choice, or set timers, add items to lists, and create calendar events and reminders.  
The key difference between the two devices is sound quality. This larger premium speaker comes with equaliser controls and is easily set up with multiple compatible devices for stereo sound or multi-room music. It can be a little difficult to fully understand how everything works at first, but it’s a really impressive device once you’re up and running.

Smart display • Voice or video call friends and family • Personalise by choosing a favourite clock face or photo • Create routines and alarms

The audio could be better

The Echo Show 5 makes light work of organising your life.

Echo Show 5

The Echo Show 5 lets you manage your calendar, make to-do lists, cook recipes, and much more.

  • Alexa-compatible:
    Yes
  • Colours:
    Black and White
The Echo Show is a relatively new addition to Amazon’s line-up of devices, and the Echo Show 5 was released as recently as 2019.
The Echo Show 5 connects to Alexa to give you impressive visuals on a compact 5.5-inch screen. You can see on-screen lyrics with Amazon Music, set alarms and timers, catch up on news highlights and film trailers, and even check for weather and traffic updates before you head out into the world. 
This list of features is great, but doesn’t differ greatly from what you get with an Echo or Echo Dot, besides the screen. What sets the Echo Show apart is the fact that you can video call friends and family hands-free. It’s also enabled for room-to-room calling, meaning you can quickly connect with other Echo devices in your home to let your family know when something is going down, without needing to scream and shout.

Control compatible soundbar • Change satellite channels • Powerful processor • Support for Dolby Atmos

Pricey compared to streaming sticks

The fastest and most powerful Fire TV delivers a fluid experience for your favourite films and TV programmes.

Fire TV Cube

The Fire TV Cube delivers a fluid experience for your favourite films and TV shows.

  • Alexa-compatible:
    Yes
  • Colours:
    Black
According to Amazon, the Fire TV Cube is the fastest and most powerful Fire TV ever produced, and we’re not going to argue with that.
The Fire TV Cube lets you dive straight into your favourite films and TV programmes with just the sound of your voice. Yes, that means you can finally put down the remote. Just say, “Alexa, play Love Island” and Alexa will respond by playing another repeat of your obsession. An Alexa Voice Remote is included for the times when you don’t want to make a sound. 
The Fire TV Cube also has a built-in speaker that lets you control compatible smart home devices, check the weather, and much more. You can do all of this with the TV switched off. It’s pricier than some of Amazon’s streaming sticks, but it has a lot more tricks.

Colour options • HD display • Up to 10 hours of battery life • 16 or 32GB of internal storage

Not the most durable without case • Not as powerful as some other tablets

One of the best cheap tablets for films, TV programmes, songs, apps, and games.

Fire HD 8 Tablet

Enjoy millions of films, songs, apps, and games with this stylish tablet.

  • Alexa-compatible:
    Yes
  • Colours:
    Black, Yellow, Blue, and Red
There are more powerful and more stylish tablets out there, but the Fire HD 8 Tablet is tough to beat on value.
It comes with a fast 1.3 GHz quad-core processor, 50% more RAM than the Fire 7, and a high-definition display with over a million pixels producing a vivid picture. It’s difficult to find anything else at this price point that can compare with this popular device, and we have tried.
The Fire HD 8 comes with 16 GB of storage as standard, but you can expand this by up to 512 GB using a microSD card. You also get free and unlimited cloud storage for all your content and photos taken with your Fire tablet, meaning you can keep all your photos, films, and compatible games with you wherever you go.
It can feel a little vulnerable without a case, but this is the situation with pretty much every tablet on the market. Fortunately, there are loads of cheap and trendy options available to keep your device safe from slippery fingers.

Optimised for 4K Ultra HD streaming • Cheaper than Fire TV Cube • Power, volume, and mute buttons • Access to thousands of apps

Can be frustrating to set up

Launch and control your favourite films and TV shows with this lightweight streaming stick.

Fire TV Stick 4K

Powerful streaming media stick optimised for 4K Ultra HD streaming.

  • Alexa-compatible:
    Yes
  • Colours:
    Black
The Fire TV Stick 4K lets you enjoy a more complete 4K Ultra HD streaming experience, thanks to a powerful processor, new antenna design, and support for Dolby Vision, HDR 10, HLG, and HDR10+.
You can control your compatible TV, soundbar, and receiver with the power, volume, and mute buttons, and simply ask Alexa to find, launch, and control films and TV shows. It’s an awful lot of power from such a little stick.
It is a bit more expensive that the standard Fire TV Stick, but it does make it much easier to find 4K Ultra HD content. The Fire TV Stick 4K has more storage for apps and games than any other 4K streaming media player at this price, and lets you instantly stream live news, sports, and must-see shows, plus thousands of films or TV episodes in stunning clarity and colour.

Waterproof • Pair with Bluetooth headphones or speakers for Audible • Battery charge lasts weeks • Built-in adjustable light • Over 5.5 million books to consider

There are cheaper Kindles • Safer with a case

The e-reader of choice for anyone hoping to invest in a stylish and portable device.

Kindle Paperwhite

E-reader provides instant access to over 5 million books including latest bestsellers and Kindle exclusives.

  • Alexa-compatible:
    No
  • Colours:
    Black and Twilight Blue
The Kindle Paperwhite is just like a regular Kindle except it’s a lot better. Yes, it’s more expensive than the standard model, but it’s also waterproof, lightweight, and packed full of useful features.
The Kindle Paperwhite comes with a glare-free display that produces printed-quality text, twice the storage of the previous generation, and a battery charge that lasts for weeks. It’s also IPX8 rated to protect against accidental immersion in up to two metres of fresh water for up to 60 minutes. Basically, you don’t need to worry if you’re reading by the pool or in the tub.
You can switch seamlessly between reading and listening via Bluetooth-enabled speakers or headphones, and pick from over 5.5 million books including latest bestsellers, Kindle exclusives, and more. You probably should invest in a case to keep your Kindle safe, but we’ll let you make that call.

Recommended for homes with or without existing doorbell • Works with phone, tablet, and PC • Rechargeable battery pack • 1080p HD video • Infrared night vision

Expensive • Motion detection can be temperamental

Keep a close eye on all the comings and goings with this premium video doorbell.

Ring Video Doorbell 2

Ring Video Doorbell 2 lets you see, hear, and speak to visitors from multiple devices.

  • Alexa-compatible:
    Yes
  • Colours:
    Satin Nickel and Venetian Bronze
The Ring Video Doorbell 2 is the most expensive product on this list, but that’s because it improves the security of your home, and safety is not something that comes cheap.
This video doorbell lets you watch over your home and answer the door from your phone, tablet, and PC. It sends you alerts when anyone comes to the door, so you can see, hear, and speak to visitors from anywhere in the world. It provides valuable peace of mind for those times when you can’t be present.
It connects with select Echo devices and Alexa-enabled devices so you get security at the sound of your voice, and charges with ease thanks to the quick-release battery pack. Some reviewers have commented that the motion detection is not always completely reliable, but most of the comments are very positive.

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