Amazon Echo Pop Review | PCMag

Editors’ Note: This is the most recent version of the Echo Pop. Read our original review from May 31, 2023 below.

The $39.99 Amazon Echo Pop is one of the least expensive ways to buy into the Alexa ecosystem, particularly if you want something with a small footprint. It includes nearly all of the same features as the larger Echo Dot ($49.99) and Echo Dot With Clock ($59.99), and it can put out reasonably balanced sound for the price. It’s a good way to save $10 to $20 if you’re looking to put Alexa in every room of your home, but the Echo Dot With Clock remains our Editors’ Choice winner for affordable smart speakers thanks to its slightly better sound quality, built-in clockface, and sensors for touch and temperature.

Half a Dot

The Echo Pop looks exactly as though Amazon lopped an Echo Dot in half. It’s a 3.9-inch half-globe with a flat base. The circular, fabric-covered grille sits on the front and is angled slightly upward. The speaker is available in four colors: the same black and white versions as the Echo Dot, and new lavender and teal models. The navy blue color and animal-themed options of the larger Dot are not available on the Pop.

(Credit: Will Greenwald)

A translucent light arches along the top edge of the speaker and glows blue when Alexa is listening. Volume up/down and mic mute buttons sit behind the arch along with three pinhole microphones. The mics are just as responsive as the Dot’s, which means they’re able to pick up voice commands even when listening to music. The back of the speaker features only a power connection for the included wall adapter. You’ll have to upgrade to the larger Amazon Echo ($99.99) if you want a headphone jack to connect a separate speaker or audio device.

Amazon also sells a kid-friendly version of the Pop that adds a Disney- or Marvel-themed faceplate, a protective sleeve, six months of the Amazon Kids+ service, and a much longer warranty for an extra $10 over the standard model.

Easy Alexa Access

Like every other Echo device, the Echo Pop is driven by the Amazon Alexa voice assistant. Just say Alexa (or another chosen wake word) and give it a command. Alexa can play music, control compatible smart home devices, provide weather reports and sports scores, and even order products from Amazon. Alexa offers loads of first- and third-party skills that allow it to deliver customized news briefings, order pizza, and tell bedtime stories. It remains one of the most widely supported voice assistants.

(Credit: Will Greenwald)

The Echo Pop relies on your Wi-Fi network to enable Alexa and music streaming, and it supports Bluetooth for playing audio directly from your phone. If you have an Eero mesh Wi-Fi network, the speaker can double as an Eero node to expand the network in your home. It also works with the Amazon Sidewalk network for public device tracking, but we generally recommend disabling this functionality for privacy reasons. The Echo Pop lacks the Zigbee hub that’s built into the standard Echo, and it also lacks the motion and temperature sensors of the Echo and Echo Dot. These are minor omissions, but without a motion sensor you can’t tap the Pop to turn off alarms; you have to vocally tell Alexa to turn them off.

As for audio, the speaker supports Alexa Multi-Room Music, which means it can work with other Echo devices and speakers with Alexa MRM for playing tunes throughout your home. Alexa supports Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, Spotify, Tidal, and a handful of other services, though YouTube Music is absent. Like other Echo speakers, the Echo Pop lacks support for Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, or Spotify Connect, so voice control is the main way to listen to music on it.

Dialed-Down Audio

Don’t expect much power from the Pop. While it has a slightly larger internal driver than the Echo Dot (1.95 inches to 1.73 inches), it doesn’t put out much thump when it comes to low-end sounds.

The bass synth notes in our test track, The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” barely reach below the low-mids even at maximum volume, and the kick drum hits start to distort with a bit of poppy crackle when pushed too hard.

Songs with less focused low-end sound better on the Pop. For example, the opening acoustic guitar plucks in Yes’ “Roundabout” have a strong sense of low-mid resonance with a bit of crisp string texture poking through in the highs. When the track properly kicks in, the bass sounds punchy while the guitars, drums, and vocals all get plenty of presence that lets every element in the busy mix come through. 

The Crystal Method’s “Born Too Slow” also shows that the Pop can project reasonably balanced sound given its size. The harsh riffs and vocals cut through in the high-mids and highs, while the backbeat manages to get enough presence in the lower frequencies to properly drive the track. It isn’t an extremely deep sound, but there’s enough approximation of thump here to anchor the other parts of the mix.

(Credit: Will Greenwald)

The speaker still doesn’t have quite enough power to fill a medium-sized room, but it should get the job done in a small bedroom, kitchen, or office. The larger Echo Dot pushes out a slightly bigger sound even with its smaller driver and might be a better option for slightly roomier spaces.

The Right Size and Price for Just a Pop of Alexa

The Amazon Echo Pop is a capable little smart speaker that trims just enough from the Echo Dot to hit a lower price without hamstringing it. If you don’t plan to listen to deep, thumpy dance tracks, it delivers a decent, well-balanced sound for its size, making it an inexpensive way to add Alexa to any small room. Even so, the $60 Echo Dot With Clock remains our Editors’ Choice for small smart speakers thanks to its easy-to-read digital clockface, motion sensors, and fuller sound signature. If you prefer Google Assistant to Alexa, meanwhile, the $49 Nest Mini is the best alternative, though it doesn’t sound quite as good as the Pop or the Dot.