The Amazon Echo Echo Echo . . .

James Yi

Echo Dot. The epitome of technology. Sci-fi brought to life. Your very own personal assistant that listens to your every word and command. Just why does this useless thing exist?

The Echo Dot is a smart speaker. It is a speaker with an AI inside it. It can play music, give baking recipes, look up your questions, calculate numbers, set a timer, control your lights and TV, etc. A smartphone is a phone. It has a speaker and an AI inside it. It can do most of the things listed above and do all the rest with the help of a few apps. It can also fit in your pocket.

Perhaps we have Echos for the better sound quality. It is a speaker, after all. “Much better,” said Vicky Nguyen (DM ‘23). On the other hand, Adam Suh (CV ‘24) said “Regular speakers sound better.” An anonymous figure said “It sounds the same for me.” Placebo effect must also be considered in these responses. The Echo is a speaker, so one may simply assume it sounds better even if they do not actually feel the difference.

Perhaps the Echo has a greater range in volume. “I guess the volume is much better,” said Isabella Kim (ACT ‘25). Though not everyone enjoys a louder volume, it cannot hurt to have more options. It can be inconvenient, however, to set the volume. “With other speakers you can adjust the base and volume. With Echo Dots you can’t really do that,” said Suh.

How about the increased availability? “It’s convenient that I don’t have to find my phone,” said Karl Peterson, literature and composition teacher. Furthermore, unlike using a phone, you do not need to press anything or go into an app to use the AI. However, this is an advantage which would be eliminated if phone companies decided to have phones respond to voices automatically, like the Echo.

Now, battery. That may be the answer. It takes 10,000 joules to fully charge an iPhone. An Echo Dot consumes 8,100 joules per hour while it is dormant. If your phone had to act like an Echo and listen to your every word, it would likely run out within a few hours. So when someone asks you why you have an Echo, say it is because of the battery. When someone asks why Mr. Peterson bought his fifth Echo, say it is because of the battery. A battery is what gives an Echo its life. Battery is what fuels its sound and volume and immediate responses. It is, and always has been, battery.