The Amazon Echo Flex is arguably Amazon’s most innovative smart speaker. It certainly has its shortcomings, mainly a weak speaker, but it’s important to keep in mind that the Echo Flex isn’t meant to be a high-quality audio device. The Flex’s value lies mainly in its flexibility to be placed in areas where you may not have a shelf or space to put an Echo speaker, like the bathroom, hallway, or laundry room. In addition, with a selection of helpful add-on devices like the Smart Clock, Motion Sensor, and Night Light (all sold separately), the Echo Flex can be used in a variety of ways conventional Echo speakers cannot.
Echo Flex with Smart Clock
4.5/5
✔ Pros
- No wall adapter or power cords
- Plugs directly into a wall socket
- 3.5mm audio-out jack
- Compact size
- Compatible with a variety of accessories
- USB-A port can be used to charge devices
✖ Cons
- Weak speaker
- Only comes in white
- The 3.5mm jack doesn’t support audio-in
Design
The Echo Flex is the smallest Amazon Echo speaker. It measures just 2.8″ x 2.6″ and weighs only 150g (0.3 lbs). It’s designed to plug directly into your wall socket without the need for an adapter or power cord. It comes with all the standard Echo speaker design traits like the action button, mic off button, and LED indicator. There is a 3.5 mm audio jack, but unlike other Echo speakers, the audio jack on the Echo Flex is output only.
Last, but certainly not least, the Echo Flex has a USB-A port, which allows for the addition of accessories like the Smart Clock, Motion Sensor, or Night Light. The USB-A port can also be used to charge devices like a smartphone or tablets.
The Smart Clock accessory is a simple device, that measures 2.6″ x 1.38″. It plugs directly into the USB port on the bottom of the Echo Flex. The clock display measures 0.67″ x 2″. It has an ambient light sensor, which adjusts the brightness of the clock display based on the amount of light detected in the room. Another very helpful feature is the Smart Clock’s ability to flip the orientation of the display if the Echo Flex is installed upside down.
Setup
As mentioned before, the Echo Flex doesn’t require a separate wall adapter or power cord. It plugs directly into your wall socket and can be installed in any orientation. Next, use the Alexa app to register the Echo Flex to your account. You can skip the app setup entirely if you selected “Link my Amazon account to simplify setup” at checkout when you bought your Echo Flex.
Adding the Smart Clock is simple. All that’s required is to plug it into the USB-A port of the Echo Flex and you’re set. The Smart Clock will also adjust the display’s orientation if the Echo Flex is installed upside down.
Make any space a little smarter
The Echo Flex is a fully-featured Echo speaker, meaning you can take advantage of everything Alexa offers in any area of your home where you have a power outlet. Add the Smart Clock and you have an Echo speaker specialized in visual timekeeping.
The Smart Clock will always show the current time in either a 12 or 24-hour format. Ask Alexa to set a timer, and the Smart Clock will display the timer and count down in minutes and seconds. The Smart Clock supports up to 20 timers.
Common uses for the Echo Flex with Smart Clock are for timers in the kitchen or having a clock and smart speaker in unconventional spaces like the bathroom or laundry room.
Personally, I use my Echo Flex with Smart Clock in the bathroom so I can keep track of the time or be up to date on the news during extended bathroom breaks.
Our verdict
The Amazon Echo Flex provides a simple and convenient way to add Alexa to any space where a traditional Echo speaker may not be a good fit. Although the audio quality on the Echo Flex isn’t particularly good, the ability to add accessories like the Smart Clock provides value for specific use cases.
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