Hands On Amazon Echo Clock

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48 hours after going live, the $30 Amazon Echo Clock has begun arriving in homes… including redditor kaotsu, who has posted his first impressions of the Alexa accessory, and our very own Adam Miarka who shot a hands on video.

I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the clock pairs to a single Echo device, over Bluetooth, and linkage is handled by voice: “Alexa, set up my wall clock.” Multiple timers can be set and are represented while well-lit tick marks that countdown, as you’d expect. However, the clock itself emits no audible notification once a timer has run it course. But, I wonder if blue indicator light used during pairing and software updates, might one day take on additional functions.  Build quality is described as “cheap-feeling plastic” yet “pretty solid overall” — shipping with 4 AA batteries and a screw/drywall mount. I do share kaotsu’s desire for a second hand… and suspect this somewhat simplistic product represents a market test on Amazon’s part. As such, I’m way more fired up for the Echo Auto, which will hopefully be available for order this week.

8 thoughts on “Hands On Amazon Echo Clock”

  2. Nope, it’s super simplistic. Just an always correct Internet-connected clock with LED tick marks to monitor Echo timers. I was excited at first, but my interest has waned. Once Adam gets his tomorrow and reports back, maybe I’ll feel different.

  3. Is it internet connected? And does it keep the time correct via that connection? I’m kind of curious now due to the mention of connecting to a single Alexa device via Bluetooth. That would be quite possible with no Internet connection of its own then. Of course the connected device could pass the correct time over bluetooth as well. Though you would need some kind of physical control of the physical hands to set or correct a time even if the clock has access to it.
    For instance what happens with Daylight Savings?
    These are the things you have me wondering now.
    I admit when I saw this I thought of the kitchen. But now I’m thinking the Google Hub thing with the screen would work better for that, though at considerably higher cost.

  4. I was fast and loose with my characterization. It doesn’t connect directly to the Internet. Time is synced/relayed from the paired Echo which knows time zone based on settings and gets time from Internet and keeps up with DST.
    I’m acutely aware of this config as my mom is grandfathered on my Prime account and all my recent Echo purchases feature her former out-of-state address — each time I fix it, the Alexa app reminds me to check all alarms and such for time zone.

  5. I sort of assumed it would work with only one Echo, because timers are local–you can’t turn off a timer using a different Echo than the one you set it on.

    As to usefulness, I think it will mainly be useful in the kitchen, where you are likely to have multiple timers running and frequently want to know how much time is left. I just hope it looks okay.

  6. I do like the idea just not sure I’d need a $30 clock..when the Show already displays the time. Down the line I may give it a try, the reviews over at Am$#*n are quite positive but I am not sure I truly see the $30 value in a clock…that keeps track of time via the internet. Now as others have pointed out if there was a way to native display my own personal weather stations (Accurite or Bloomsky) that’d be pretty cool.

  8. Mine arrived yesterday, and it does what I hoped–keep track of multiple timers in the kitchen. Other than that it seems to be of little use.

    BTW, it doesn’t have glass or plastic covering the hands, which isn’t ideal, but which does explain one reason it doesn’t have a second hand. It will though count down the last minute of a timer by seconds with the lights.

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