Here's Why Amazon Discontinued The Echo Spot
Since the Amazon Echo was introduced with Alexa in 2014, there have been many creative products in the company's smart home ecosystem. While the Echo Pop's stylish design and Echo Show 5's improved experience have attracted many fans, one less-known device is the Echo Spot—an Alexa-enabled smart alarm clock discontinued by Amazon in 2019.
Capable of reading the news, reading audiobooks, and displaying the weather forecast, there was plenty that the Echo Spot had to offer. The Spot was received well by critics, with its stylish, customizable design being its main selling point. However, during its lifespan, the Spot received several customers complaints surrounding a common issue, casting a shadow over the reputation and reliability of the Echo Spot.
The Echo Spot had a starting price of $129.99 when it was released in 2017 before being discontinued two years later. Though long has passed since the Echo Spot was taken off the market, you can still find refurbished models on second-hand websites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace. Let's explore why the Echo Spot was taken off the shelves and whether it was initially worth the hype.
Why was the Echo Spot discontinued?
There are a few varying claims over why the Echo Spot was discontinued. Amazon's head of PR told The Ambient, the product was discontinued due to "incredibly positive" customer response, causing the Echo Spot to sell out.
This was not the same story other Amazon employees had to tell, however. When prompted why the Echo Spot was discontinued, an Amazon customer sales rep blamed the ongoing flickering issue many frustrated customers were dealing with, stating "it is no longer available until we are able to have that resolved." In a similar vein, Daniel Rausch, Vice President of Amazon's smart home sector stated "I think we follow customers on those decisions" when asked about the Echo Spot's discontinuation.
The screen flickering issue was heavily reported across Amazon's customer forums in addition to Reddit, and it wasn't long before major news publications like the BBC picked up on the growing anger. Given the vast amount of customers reporting the same problem, it's safe to assume this was the most likely culprit for the Echo Spot's demise. Whatever the cause, it wasn't long before the Echo Spot was overshadowed with Amazon's latest devices.
What were the features of the Echo Spot?
The Echo Spot featured a 480x480 color touch display, a front-facing camera, and a 1.4-inch speaker along the bottom of the device. While it lacked any superb video or audio quality, many favored the Spot's trendy design as a smart clock. With its integrated camera, you could also see who's at the door (when connected to a Ring doorbell) from your bedside table.
If those features sound impressive, don't worry—nearly all of these features can be found on Amazon's new Echo devices, and many argue the Echo Show 5 was designed to replace the Spot.
As with other devices in Amazon's smart home ecosystem, the Echo Spot worked with Alexa's hundreds of Skills that every Echo user should know about. This includes entertainment and games, the news, and playing music from various streaming services. Convenient for Echo Spot users, you can also set your favorite song as your alarm sound. Despite its short lifespan, the Echo Spot was a quirky device and a lightweight alternative to the Echo Show but didn't offer much new.