Amazon is making it difficult to pre-order the $90 Echo Dot. But there?s still a way, and it?s really easy to nab your place in line for the new mini Echo. Better hurry, though. Amazon could close this loophole at any moment.
To pre-order the Echo Dot:
- Open the Amazon iOS shopping app
- Search for ?Echo Dot?
- On the search result page, swipe right on the device to add it to cart
- Proceed to checkout
It?s that easy. This little workaround was discovered by Dwight Churchill, a product manager at Localytics.
Generally, Amazon wants you to order the device using Alexa, found in the original Amazon Echo or the latest version of the Fire TV. But what if you don?t have one of those devices? Amazon won?t let you order the Dot, likely in an attempt to limit pre-order sales for supply chain reasons.
The Dot seems like the Alexa device to buy. It lacks the high-quality Bluetooth speaker found in the Echo or Echo Tap, but it can plug into an existing speaker setup and still respond to voice commands and control home devices or announce the weather forecast.
If ordered today, the Dot will arrive around April 22nd.
