Having released a kids-friendly version of the Echo Dot last year, Amazon has given the popular smart speaker a fresh new look and a louder sound for 2019.
The new Echo Dot Kids Edition 2019 (opens in new tab) comes with child-friendly perks, including a two-year damage replacement warranty, a cute rainbow design, and a year's subscription to the FreeTime Unlimited kid-focused service.
- Read our original Amazon Echo Dot review
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- Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition review
Enabled by Alexa, FreeTime Unlimited gives parents peace of mind that the content their children are accessing is age-appropriate – for example, kids are able to listen to "over 1,000 appropriate Audible audiobooks", as well as "play music, hear stories, call approved friends and family, and explore a world of kid-friendly skills", according to Amazon.
After the year's free subscription, FreeTime costs $2.99 per month "plus applicable tax". The subscription renews automatically every month, but you can "cancel any time by visiting the Amazon Parent Dashboard or contacting Customer Service".
Safety comes at a price
The Echo Dot Kids Edition 2019 itself costs $69.99 – however, Amazon currently have an introductory price of $49.99. Even with the discount, that's still $20 more expensive than the regular third-generation Echo Dot.
So, what's new with this year's kid-friendly mini smart speaker? Well, it now comes with a jaunty rainbow-stripe patterned grille, as well as coming in a more sedate blue color scheme that will probably appeal to older kids.
According to Amazon, the upgraded Dot is 70% louder than the previous model – so it might be a good idea to invest in some good quality earplugs. Unless you like the sound of your kids' music blaring out at all hours, of course.
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Via Engadget (opens in new tab)
