Amazon Echo and Dot review: Everything I've Learned in 18 months of real life use 

*I like the old style Echo Dot because it's small also **Newest.Technology**, gives out decent sound and doesn't take up a lot of shelf space if you want to put it on beam in the workshop or shed.*

"If you don't know you have 12 appointments the following morning, you're already F**ked" ... Hands down, top ten quotes ever ... I am even putting this against great movies Like SuperBad and Step Brothers. Subscribed and Notified bro. Keep it up man.

like the features, setup was difficult for some of my devices (August Door lock, ru-vid.comUgkxhB5YOMNj04GuoAosExygP4cH-dKeb4aB Bose speaker)... but all switches and outlets (5), thermostat, tankless water heater. Unfortunately all I can do is turn on/off Bose. It doesn't support volume or changing channels, but I believe that is due to the particular speaker I have.... Worth getting if you already have other devices to use it with... I don't sit around and ask Alexa questions much so that doesn't really matter to me....

I believe that once you've ordered something with Amazon Prime, that's what Alexa will default to when you voice order. I order dog food that way every month. You seem to be demonstrating ordering generic items without giving Alexa any specifics.

Thank you so much. You pretty much hit every inquiry I had, and even adjusted my expectations when you did the dream scenario versus reality. Thank you for being so thorough, hitting the sweet spot of being concise and detailed without rambling or going on long tangents

excellent video, have watched it three times now. My echo arrived today and I have been setting it up to do the useful things you point out. thanks for sharing

Hands down the best and most useful review of the Echo out there. Thank you sir.

One of the best reviews I have run across. Thanks.

Down to earth, brutally honest, yet positive and helpful review. Thank you so much. Feeling confident about purchasing some Echos now.

Outstanding review. Nice quality and great information. You keep this up and you're gonna be big on RU-vid! Thanks for the video...

"If you go to bed without already knowing you have 12 appointments in the morning, you're already f***ed" -- LOL

Still can't find the "wow" factor about this toy that would push me to buy one. Very nice and professional review by the way, and I love the style of your house too :-)

Subscribed. Saw your video on streaming, and just happened to bump into this video. Solid reviews on both...keep up the good work.

Thanks for this review. In my experiences watching reviews here, this is the one that I can say is really good. Honest and practical. I know I am more than a year late since this review, but this is the time I can buy an Echo. Keep the good work.

A thorough, practical and very useful review. Essential viewing for anyone considering buying an Echo, and that includes myself! :-)

I watched your video with interest as I bought into home automation earlier this year. I have expanded my system quite quickly. I think most will agree these are exciting times and this is one of those interests which can quickly prove to be very infectious. Anyway, almost 12 months later and I completely agree with your thoughts. I think it's still 'early days' and can't wait to see how things develop over time. Thanks for sharing your experience and, oh, love your choice of home decor - very stylish!

Thanks for very useful review. I recently ordered an Echo Dot and looking forward to connecting smart home devices.

Great video, thx man! I just picked up an Echo on prime day, so I'm still learning about it's capabilities and features. Your video was super helpful!

We're thinking about getting 2 or 3 of these and watching your review, I think, sealed the deal. Thanks for this :)

So far this has been the most useful video related to this technology. Thanks for sharing your experiences with echo.

Great in depth review! The best out on RU-vid about Echo.

This is the only good and honest review that I trust

Awesome review! We just got our first Echo today. I enjoyed the in-depth review of how to use smart-lights in larger rooms.

Really helpful video... thank you for highlighting what works well and what doesn't. Also helpful to know of command use versus practicality.

I think the clapper should make a comeback. Seriously, this review helped me decide to get this.

great review. I've been wondering about the echo so you've answered most of my questions about real world use so thank you. 😎

This was very helpful! I just ordered the Echo Spot and Dot and a Nest.

You kept this review as experienced and fact-based as possible, and I loved it! I'm not interested in this Echo fad due to the fact that it's too damn redundant for my uses. Everything you've competently demonstrated can be done with my one simplistic and intuitive iPhone 6s+, especially the Pizza ordering. Thank You for staying professional!

Well, Alexa just added soy sauce to my shopping list while listening to this. Too funny.

What a great review! Definitely the best review out there for the Echo!

I've also been using Echo for over two years, however, my experience is somewhat different only because my habits are different to begin with or in some cases I'm willing to meet Alexa half-way to accomplish what I want to do. First, Echo was only touted as a tool for re-ordering something you've ordered before from Amazon. In that scenario it works perfectly and I have used it frequently for that class of product. The same goes for Dominos. I live alone (widower) so I do order the same order over again and I find it very handy to be able to do this. I order it on Echo then 5 or 7 minutes later bring up my Dominos app on my iPhone to watch it's progress (as I usually elect to pick it up and the app tells me exactly when to do it). I use my Echo's (6 of them) for playing music all the time...and sometimes everywhere at once. I also have Apple Airplay in most of those rooms but, surprisingly, I have found Echo to be more dependable at playing the music in perfect sync (no latency) and with no dropouts than my various Airplay nodes. I have no problem with AppleTV (3 of them)...but simply broadcasting music to a stereo system in the living room or bedroom is fraught with frequent dropouts (and since the same thing does not happen with AppleTV, it's hard to figure out the root cause). The easiest way to call music is by album name or playlist name...but I have 2,500 albums on My Music, so obviously I can't remember all those names. In some cases I've retooled the album name to make it easier to remember and easier for Alexa to recognize. So, for me, reordering (either Amazon or Dominos) has been 100% successful and music retrieval by voice command...perhaps only 85% successful. But sometimes I'll just lie in the dark and give Alexa song commands and do a list of 20 0r 30 songs on the fly...which is amusing at times. Like "techfreshness" (our reviewer) I find home automation to be VERY useful. I have 9 WeMo switches which were 100% dependable for months, then I changed WiFi routers and have had problems ever since. I have a Nest thermostat...very cool. I also have a NEXX garage door accessory which makes almost any opener into an Internet responsive opener. So Echo has been the main impetus to moving into home automation. The new ability to talk to it with serial commands without using the wake word many times in succession is very cool, indeed. I get all the relevant lights turned on before leaving my media room at night. I use "Thank you", "Good Morning", and "Good Night" and it gives the very brief illusion of having someone else in the house. Echo is embedded in my life and daily behavior.

just bought one on a black friday deal. Great review. looking forward to slowly automating my house

Thanks for the review! Glad I did wait a bit over a year to get mine - your review convinced me that I wasn't just throwing $50 out the window!

Good video. You're spot on IMHO. Use it for the things that make life easier. Don't make life more complicated by trying to get it to do everything.

thanks for the demonstration on the practicality of the echo. it has definitely influenced my purchase.

A nice and honest review, thanks a lot. As I live in Mexico, Alexa just arrived past november 2018, we dont have so many skills available, hope developers get the job done.

Awesome video! I found this to be very useful, especially regarding the features that can be used in daily life. Thank you.

Best review I've seen so far. It's not officially available in Australia yet but I'm thinking of trying it out anyway with the rest of my smart home.

Thanks very much for this - really useful - just ordered mine, so we'll see how I get on!

This is the BEST review I've seen on the Dot thanks!

Thank you for the video! Very informative. My wife and I are looking at several Alexa devices for our home (for Christmas), and this was very helpful.

Hey man, love your content. And thanks for using Session Buddy!

Great review with a lot of practicality. Thanks. Great speaking voice as well!

High quality video. Much appreciated.

Welcome back! Great video

OMG my husband and I use the Wonderlist app is definitely the best shopping list app and I'm so excited to try it with Alexa!! thank you!!

Thanks. Very informative and useful. An honest review of what's kinda useless hype and what's realistic is just what I needed.

Best review out there. Practical one !! Thanks for the time.

Super informative thank you I just got mine echo really loving it

Very helpful video...what may have been an impulse buy, has now been thwarted. I don't need one. Thanks for saving me some bucks!

Nice review here. I like how you called out the hype. I mostly use mine for the rain sleep sounds.

i feel like im just gonna use that for music player, lights switch and alarm clock lol

Just to repeat what everyone else has already said - very nice refreshingly honest tech review. Thank you.

Thanks for listing out the practical uses!

Thanks for a practical guide. My husband has a spinal cord injury and I hope to give him some functionality most of us take for granted (and let Alexa wake up with him at all hours if he just needs something simple). A bit of freedom for him and more sleep for me win win. I have been watching a LOT of these videos hoping to learn something before our order of the echo dots arrives and this is one of the most helpful so far. So, thanks again!

I had a friend recommend it to me, and I have been researching the hell out of it. I love my record player, and otherwise don't find myself using my Apple Music outside of working out. I live in an apartment that does not have smart thermostats or lighting installed. I also have a predictable enough schedule that I don't have insane amounts of appointments or meeting every day that I need to be reminded of. I just don't know if it is any more convenient that using Prime Now and other apps. I love my Eat 24 and never use dominos or pizza hut. haha. Its just slowly making itself less useful for me.

Love the real world use cases here. Thanks and great video!

Best review and tips ever! Subscribed.

Thank you, Best review I have seen for echo. You have saved me money. The technology has not been attained if I can get the same results by simply reaching over and switching on a light ( 1 sec later) or asking my phone what the weather is today (5 seconds later).

The best echo review out there - hands down. No marketing BS. Real life scenario - with objective and well explained pros and cons. And although the Echo is a technology wonder - I am failing to see currently any real life application for it. Paying $300, maintaining, configuring, updating - just to turn the lights on and off and ask for the weather, looks like a no go for me. Comparing to a $300 phone that does tons of things for me.

I like the practical review approach.

Thank you , very helpful and well presented!

This was very helpful ! Thank you :)

I use most of your ideas plus.. I use it to open and close my blinds (somfy skill). Love it.

This was really, really helpful and informative. Thank you! Subscribed!

Nice informative review and tips. Just got my first echo (dot) 3rd generation. Have you an updated review on this model ?

Great video. That black shirt you're wearing in the studio is sooooo good btw lol

I love your house BTW...

Nice practical review. Even Though i didn't learn anything new, I appreciate the clarity of what is practical or not. However, I dont think you give enough credit to the music capabilities. Maybe because i have Prime, it works better than some. The ability to say "Alexa play genre/song/etc" is super simple. And the ability to to say "play everywhere" and change volume multiple ways ( "set volume to 5", or "louder", or "volume up" ), and to say "next", "fast forward", "rewind," etc. could arguably be as useful as turning the lights on and off.

I want this. The light feature closed the deal. You didn't cover this but I'm hoping I will be able to create a shopping list for Amazon fresh. This is great.

Great video! I subscribed because you seem smart and down-to-earth. Thanks for the great video. I love my Amazon Echo.

THANK YOU for a terrific review! I've wasted so much time groaning through vapid, bubbly "reviews" talking mostly about jokes, games, and even fart sounds. I have no interest in the "toy" aspects, but how it can be an actual assistant to aid daily life. Your review nailed that, wholly centered on how/if Echo is actually useful in real-world, practical situations. Kudos! Subscribed.

One of the best Reviews on RU-vid for these products.

My husband is hearing impaired and even with hearing aides if there is any ambient noise in the house we are constantly saying "what did you say". We are enjoying using the Drop In feature. Have echo's in every room and are loving it! Maybe next review you could spend a minute on the value of this feature for room to room communication and also to check on elderly parents. I think this is a safety feature overlooked. Thanks, enjoyed your review. Oh yes and also use it for communicating with our Next thermostat.

Best review I've seen - keep up the good work. Thx

I bought and the way you are talking, this would be very good for my Mom being blind. How can I get the stove to work hi's and lows

I've gotten so used to my Alexa. I love her. I use her for mainly lights, time/date reminders, alarms/timers, and sometimes I'll ask her to wish me good luck as I walk out the door and goodnight as I doze off into slumber. She's my favorite!

START REALLY LOUD AT THE START OF A SENTENCE then get quieter and quieter and trail off at the end....

Are you going to review the Echo Plus? How does the Hub change the smart home interface?

Awesome review, thanks!

Pressed "like" button after the first joke about the calendar in a minute. Subscribed.

I bought a echo dot this week, at $89 NZ I felt it was well worth the money. So far I love it! I don't know when I'll start adding control switches around the house because sadly alot of stuff available in the U.S is much more expensive in New Zealand.

I really like how you kept it real. I love the drop in feature and the calling it acts like an intercom. And I hook mine to a receiver and so the speakers and music are much better. I think it is a nice item to have although not really a must have unless you are a techie. I subbed.

A battery backup is do-able but what if say, the router trips up and stops internet pass through. Will active commands still function?

Thanks for the review, reminded me to look into ITTT; seems like it might be useful. Just to stress, it does more than just tell you “how many appointments” but also what they are as stated in the subject line. It’s part of my morning routine; along with weather, news brief, and keeping track of time while getting ready for work. However, what I actually bought it for was to run my Sirius XM account without needing an antenna based receiver (or purchasing another since it works off the internet linked to the radio’s subscription) or stringing speakers into interior rooms. The voice command home automation is invaluable for the disabled; I have a friend that this really helped. Otherwise it is somewhat questionable since setting up timed on/off commands is not directly supported. I have one hard to reach device so I did buy a connected plug for it, however I typically control it with the smartphone app and not the Echo.

just ordered 5 of them (dots) and I do have already entire house on zwave controller, thank you for explaining all that in normal human language :-)

thanks for sharing .. im just abt to buy one today ..

Thanks for the info. I received one last Xmas. It gets old just asking for the weather.

Great video! Thank you! I’ve bought the echo dot, just the 1 though. Kinda expensive though. Is it worth buying more and what happens if I shout a command and all of it answers, what do I do then? Thanks again.

On the basement lamps which I have from ikea which bulbs did u use and which dimmer plug? Bc those don’t normally dim??

Regarding your being very concerned about disturbing someone you were “sleeping with”, I use my 3rd generation dot in “whisper” mode. It is really neat, really useful for parents who put one in a child’s bedroom. Love your home, the bed looked really inviting! Thanks for a gr8 video. Bye from the U.K.. 🌈😊

This was a really good video covering a lot of different uses of the Echo. I've got a Dot and I'm planning on buying a Mini since they're on sale for only $29 right now. It seems like the Home Mini responds to questions in a more natural manner than the Echo Dot. I think anyone who has owned any of the Echos knows what it's like to ask it a question... it's a little tedious in terms of how carefully you need to phrase your questions, so it seems like the Home Mini would be a better option for less tech-savvy family members. Thanks for the thorough video, I really enjoyed it. I'll be sure to check your channel out for more content.

I lost it when you made that joke about the commercial LOL

Really great video, just got an Echo Dot and started looking through RU-vid to get some ideas. Luckily saw your video which covers and answers so many questions I had. Can you advise the name of the thermostat you use as I couldn't get the name? Many thanks. Now subscibed.

My Aunt is 93 and still going strong. She's been having problems holding the phone past 3 or 4 minutes. So we hooked her up with the Echo Dot, she loves it and can talk much longer now to her many loved ones.

All new to this. My question is my wifi router allows for six devices. What do you do if you stsrt adding all these devices to Alexa? Or do they share? Please advice. Thanks.

What do you have to get to have the Echo Dot set the temp in the house?

Great video I really liked this practical approach to using our Echo's. I really like that you showed that people won;t use them for the advertised uses and you've shown that most people won't use it for that. I had my first Amazon Echo since 6/26/2015 before it had many commands but 5 months later 11/12/2015 I bought another, I had 2 Original Echos, & the Dot in 10/20/2016, P.S. I use Quicken Deluxe 2011 to track all my purchases. Yes I use them for Philips Hue 7 Lights bulbs,weather, news flash, music, reminders,and Kitchen cooking timers, also once in while to make phone calls with other people with them. I haven't used Google Calender yet or IFTTT but that will be a new idea to start later. Thanks again for this video. I know I'm posting this 1+ year later.

Great video. Thank you for making it :)

also for the smart bulbs thing the sealing fan I got in my living room uses the smaller screw end so I would have to get a hole new sealing fan or get an adapter but then you would see the light bulb hanging out of globe or I might have to take the globe off.