Subj : The Echo Dot Max is the Alexa+ speaker Ive always dreamed of but To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Wed Oct 01 2025 23:15:08 The Echo Dot Max is the Alexa+ speaker Ive always dreamed of but these 3 features would make it even better Date: Wed, 01 Oct 2025 22:00:00 +0000 Description: Finally, we have a flagship Alexa+ speaker, and I'm really impressed. It just needs three more features to make it an unstoppable smart speaker. FULL STORY ====================================================================== When Amazon announced Alexa+ , I was rather impressed with the demonstrations and immediately wanted a new flagship speaker to go with it. Seven months later, Amazon unveiled its new line of Alexa+ Echo speakers the Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio and I was over the moon. The new line of Echo smart speakers is Amazons most powerful yet, and not just because of its Alexa+ smarts. Its remodeled sound system packs 360-degree spatial audio with a bass boost (3x compared to the Echo Dot 5th Gen) and introduces support for Dolby Atmos, which was one of my biggest hopes for the next era of Echo speakers. So far, I really like what I see with the Echo Dot Max - even its resemblance to the Death Star is rather quirky. Despite this, there are three additional features I initially hoped for but didnt make the cut which I believe could make the Echo Dot Max an unstoppable force in Amazons smart speaker lineup. 1. Ambient lighting to set the mood The Sonos IKEA Symfonisk lamp doubles as a smart speaker (Image credit: IKEA) When Alexa+ was announced, I hoped that the next Echo speaker would also serve as a lamp, offering ambient settings with adjustable brightness, warmth, and color. Alas, this is missing from the Echo Dot Max. Im always seeing content on social media of apartments kitted out with the best smart lights, which can really help bring a room together (like the Sonos IKEA Symfonisk lamp ), so theres definitely demand there for Amazon to capitalize on. It would also be great to have custom time settings to make waking up in the morning feel less jarring. Though it wouldve been amazing to see this come to the Echo Dot Max, it does leave room for Amazon to add ambient lighting to future devices. 2. A small smart screen/ mini display The Echo Spot has a handy mini display, but it's more of a smart alarm (Image credit: Amazon) Yes, Amazon has the new and improved Echo Show smart displays for this, but the company could easily bring a small smart screen to its smaller Echo devices its done it before. Amazon introduced a mini display to the Echo Spot , though its more of a smart alarm rather than a smart speaker. But not only does it display the time of day, weather, and temperature, it also packs a music visualizer displaying the song that youre currently listening to. 3. Colors! Colors! Colors! The new Google Home Speaker is available in the shades Porcelain, Hazel, Berry and Jade (pictured) (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) Another one of my biggest wishes for the new era of Echo speakers was a more adventurous color range. Neutral colors that adapt to all kinds of interior styles are a great way to ensure that theres an option for every consumer, but some of us are a little more maximalist and quirky. While I appreciate Amazons previous attempts at experimenting with color (see the Echo Pop ) and its loyalty to branding, I think its about time it offers something different on the color front, especially with its new Alexa+ smart speakers it should definitely take note of the new Google Home Speaker. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too. You might also like Amazon's Kindle Scribe is now a clan of three with thin, light builds and a new Colorsoft option Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select vs Amazon Fire TV 4K Stick here's how the new cheaper model compares to the old from what we know so far Amazon has just announced its first-ever 4K Ring video doorbells with Alexa+ features here's what we know so far ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/home/smart-speakers/the-echo-dot-max-is-the-alexa-sp eaker-ive-always-dreamed-of-but-these-3-features-would-make-it-even-better --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .