If you’re ready to invest in an Echo, you don’t need to buy these devices at full price. See always it goes on sale during events like Prime Day and Black Friday, so it’s worth waiting until the next big sale.
The next sale happens on the spot, too. Amazon’s Big Spring Sale runs from March 25 to 31. As with any Amazon sale, we expect some big discounts to be had on Amazon devices, and that includes Echos. Sales haven’t started yet, and we’ve seen great savings on the Echo Show and Echo Spot. So when you’re ready to shop, take advantage of these 40% discounts before the sale ends.
Amazon’s Alexa won a Mashable Readers’ Choice Award
New Echos in 2025
On September 30, 2025, Amazon debuted the new Echo devices. We are yet to test the new Amazon Echo Dot Max or the updated Echo Studio, however, once we are done testing, we will add them to this guide.
Changes to existing Echo devices in 2025
For existing Echo owners, or aspiring Echo owners, a big change is happening in 2025 that affects user privacy. Amazon has sent an email to users saying that the “Don’t Send Voice Recordings” feature on the device will no longer be available as of March 28, 2025. But what does that mean?
Previously, the “Do not send Voice Recordings” setting allowed devices to process requests locally without sending them to Amazon’s servers. However, since that setting is no longer supported, all requests will now go through Amazon’s servers. Also, if you have that setting turned on after the change takes effect, you’ll lose access to the Voice ID feature.
Although Amazon promises that all requests for information are encrypted and secure, it still means that the seller has access to all that data.
What can the Echo smart speaker do?
Trying out the Echo Spot smartwatch.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
All Echo devices use the enormous power of Amazon Alexa’s AI – it’s just a matter of which direction you want your Echo to take. The Echo and Echo Dot are smart speakers that you can use for music, phone calls, calendar reminders, or news alerts. On the other hand, Amazon Echo Show devices can do all the audio things mentioned above, but they also boast colorful displays for making video calls, streaming entertainment, or managing your day. Think of the Echo Shows as stationary, affordable tablets, essentially.
Most Echo devices are designed to act as smart hubs in your home, but some Echo devices can also be taken on the road. Echo Auto brings hands-free Alexa functionality to the car, while Echo Buds and Echo Frames can go with you anywhere.
What can Alexa+ do?
Alexa is to Amazon as Siri is to Apple, and it’s the driving force behind the entire Echo. But Alexa just got a big upgrade. Now there’s Alexa+, a new AI-powered version of Alexa launching on Echo devices in March 2025. For premium subscribers, Alexa+ will be included in the membership, and non-subscribers will have to pay $19.99 per month for the service.
Alexa has an answer for almost everything you ask. With just a shout, you can play music, adjust the volume, and set an alarm or timer. And that’s just to name a few options. On devices like the Echo Show, you can also ask Alexa to dish out recipes or answer questions that come up while cooking. With Alexa+, the AI agent not only responds to commands but can participate in the conversation.
Here’s a short list of what Alexa+ does:
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Provide a highlight reel of security photos for the day
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Read stories to children
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Plan a date night
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Restaurant reservation
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Control your smart home technology from one central hub
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Access your calendars and set reminders
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Get answers to any question you can think of
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Make phone calls (and video calls with Echo Show)
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Get the latest weather and news
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Follow the recipes
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Shop at Amazon
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Stream music (and video to Amazon Echo Show)
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Play games
They are more than 100,000 Alexa skills that you can use with an Echo device, and Amazon is always adding more.
Alexa is supercharged when other home technologies come into the picture. If you have a smart thermostat or smart light bulbs, as long as they are compatible with the Alexa system, you can create routes with your Echo. That can be as simple as telling Alexa to turn on the lights in one room or scheduling Alexa to turn off the thermostat before you get home.
If you’re ready for an Alexa-powered home, read on for the 10 best Amazon Echo devices of 2025.
