Pros
• Alexa is built-in, so Genie has much the same skillset as Echo Dot and will work with any Alexa-compatible devices • Cheaper than Echo Dot – significantly so if you plan to buy multiple devices • Enhanced audio quality and volume over Echo Dot, but still just a 2W speaker • Will be compatible with all future Eufy smart home hardware
Cons
• Does not support Bluetooth • Does not currently support Alexa calls and messaging (said to be coming later) • Available only in the US for now Eufy is the smart home sub-brand of Anker, which is better known for its power banks and other charging accessories. The Genie will be compatible with all future Eufy smart home hardware, such as its upcoming smart wall plugs, smart bulbs and even an Alexa-enabled RoboVac, which we expect to be similarly affordable. In time Eufy may offer the cheapest way to make your whole home smart. Alexa stands out in the market for its ever-growing database of ’Skills’, add-ons that let you bolt on new functionality. There are more than 15,000 Skills in the database, and you’ll find everything from news briefings to fun apps that can hurl insults at you. The Echo Dot and Eufy Genie are practically the same device, save for some small differences in specification and design. And both are small black puc-shaped devices with volume controls and mute/multipurpose buttons on top. These miniature Alexa speakers have a small built-in speaker but are designed to be hooked up to a portable speaker, which could mean you end up with better audio quality than from the Echo itself. Unfortunately, while the Dot can connect to a speaker over Bluetooth or AUX, the Genie supports only the latter. (A $40 version with Bluetooth is said to be in the works.) That’s something of a strange concept, given that these are always-on devices and portable speakers typically are not. So unless you leave your speaker powered-on and connected, neither can offer as seamless a solution as Echo. If you’re not going to hook up an external speaker than Eufy claims to offer the better audio hardware, with an aluminium-alloy driver, advanced sound processor and vertical audio configuration. But don’t be fooled here – the driver might be twice as loud as the Dot’s and offer extra bass, but it’s still just a 2W speaker. Marie is Editor in Chief of Tech Advisor and Macworld. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our English language, French and Spanish consumer editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
