Amazon Echo Devices in Canada
Make sure to read to the bottom to find out how to win a BRAND NEW ECHO DOT!
In this 2nd podcast episode, I discuss the different Amazon Echo Devices in Canada, and give my recommendations. Echo, Echo Plus, or Echo Dot – which is best?
First, it’s worth mentioning that right now, the Canadian selection of Amazon Echo devices is more limited that in the US. In the US, there are 6 different Echo devices available: Echo, Echo Plus, Echo Dot, Echo Spot, Echo Show, and Echo Look. If you want access to the latter 3 there are a few ways to get them… at least until they are officially released in Canada.
In Canada, the good news is that we now have access to the most popular 3 Echo devices: Echo, Echo Plus, and Echo Dot. (see Episode 1 – Welcome to Alexa in Canada) And the truth is that these 3 devices have way more things in common than differences. That’s a good thing.
So, which is it going to be? Well, let’s have a look at each of the 3 devices to help you decide which Echo is best for you:
Echo (2nd Generation)
“Hands-free speaker with room-filling sound. Available in three fabrics or finishes.”
The Echo is the second generation of the original Echo/Alexa device. It can do all of the “regular” Alexa skills – play music, make calls, set alarms and timers, ask questions, check your calendar, weather, traffic, and sports scores, manage lists, and control smart home devices, it addition to thousands of other skills.
The thing that makes this model stand out is that it has “powerful speakers with Dolby processing power”. What does that mean? Simply, the sound is better. Or as Amazon puts it, the speakers “fill the room with immersive, 360° omnidirectional audio, and deliver crisp vocals and dynamic bass response.” For that reason, this would be the choice for Canadians that want to have great sound coming from their device, particularly for listening to music.
On the other hand, I personally don’t think the enhanced speakers are that important to simply “talk to Alexa” or if you will be connecting your Alexa to some other audio equipment (more about that below). But, if you want good quality audio in the Echo – this is your choice.
In terms of physical size, The Echo is in the middle of the other two available Canadian products, measuring 148 mm (height) x 88 mm x 88 mm, and weighing in at 821 grams. For us Canadians, that’s about 6 hockey pucks stacked on top of each other.
The Echo has 2 speakers, a 63.5 mm woofer and 16 mm tweeter, which again is something that makes it stand out from the Echo Dot.
In Canada, Echo comes in 3 different finishes:
Regular price is $129.99. It is on sale for a limited time for $99.99.
Best for: People who want to add an Alexa device to their home or office and want to be able to listen to music directly from the Echo device, with better sound quality.
Echo Plus
“Includes a built-in smart home hub to easily setup and control your smart home devices.”
The Echo Plus is actually very similar to the original Echo, with one big difference. The Echo Plus includes a built-in smart home hub, which you can easily setup to control your smart home devices.
You basically say, “Alexa, discover my devices” and Alexa automatically pairs with ZigBee smart devices, such as light bulbs, door locks, switches, and plugs, without the need for separate hubs or apps. And that’s the key here, because all of the Echo models have ways of connecting to thousands of devices. However, they don’t all necessarily connect as easily as the Echo Plus. Here is a complete list of compatible devices with the Echo Plus.
As mentioned, like other Echo devices, Echo Plus can also connect to other Wi-Fi and Bluetooth smart home devices with the Alexa app.
The Echo Plus is bigger than the Echo, at 235 mm (height) x 84 mm x 84 mm and weighing in at just under 1kg (954 grams). It also has 2 speakers, but the tweeter (for high frequencies) is a little bigger than in the Echo (a good thing): a 63.5 mm woofer and 20 mm tweeter.
In Canada, Echo Plus comes in 3 different finishes:
Regular price is $199.99. It is on sale for a limited time for $169.99.
Best For: People who want to add Alexa to their home and who need a smart home hub to use with ZigBee compatible devices. This one also has the better speakers for excellent quality audio.
Echo Dot
“Add Alexa to any room in the house. Can connect to your speakers over Bluetooth or 3.5 mm stereo cable.”
The Echo Dot is the smallest and most affordable Echo device. It is important to note that it has all of the functionality of the Echo, however the 2 major differences are:
- Echo Dot is quite a bit smaller than the Echo. The Dot is about the size of a single hockey puck, measuring 32 mm (height) x 84 mm x 84 mm, and weighing 163 grams.
- The speaker in the Echo is only a single 15mm speaker. This means that the audio quality is not as good as in the Echo or Echo Plus. However, the Dot can be connected to other audio equipment via Bluetooth or 3.5mm audio cable. So, if you already have an audio system you want to use, the Dot is likely the best choice for you.
Because of these differences, this device is the most economical way to get started with Alexa. Again, it’s worth mentioning that the functionality of the Echo Dot is exactly the same as the Echo.
In Canada, Echo Dot comes in 2 different finishes:
Regular price is $69.99. It is on sale for a limited time for $49.99.
Best For: This is my top recommendation for people who want the most economical way to get started. It’s also the best way to add multiple Alexa devices to multiple rooms. Also, if you plan to connect your Echo to your current audio system via Bluetooth or 3.5mm stereo cable, there is no need to spend the extra money to get the Echo or Echo Plus simply for the better speakers.
So there you have it – now you know the lineup of Amazon Echo devices in Canada. There’s a lot of technology wrapped up in all three of these devices (see Episode 3 – How Does Alexa Work?). Just to recap:
Best Value: Echo Dot – all the Alexa functionality, minus the upgraded speakers
Best Audio: Echo – all the Alexa functionality, plus the upgraded speaker
Best for Smart Home Automation: Echo Plus – all the Alexa functionality, plus the upgraded speakers and smart home hub for compatible Zigbee smart devices.
Which one do you plan to buy? If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me or comment below!
I value your feedback!
I would love to hear your thoughts, comments, and questions and I will do my best to address them in future episodes.
List of resources mentioned in this episode:
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Contest!
Win a Brand New Echo Dot!
Thank you so much for being here and listening to my very first podcast episodes. To express my appreciation I am holding a contest to award one of you awesome early suscribers with a brand new Echo Dot!
To enter the contest, follow these 3 simple steps:
1. Leave an honest review of the podcast on iTunes by clicking HERE!
2. Take a screenshot of your review BEFORE you submit it. Then submit it.
3. Post the screenshot to your Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook account with the hashtags #amazonecho and #alexaincanada
BONUS: Get an extra entry for every extra social media channel that you post your screenshot to with those hashtags!
I will choose one lucky winner at random on December 13th and I will announce the winner on the Alexa in Canada social media channels and notify the winner through his/her social media account!
Love your hockey puck analogy.
Thanks! That’s how my mind thinks! 🙂