I love the Amazon Echo Dot Max so much, I just bought it twice — here’s why that’s the smartest purchase I made this week

Panic purchasing isn’t something I’d often recommend, but all too many Prime Day sales have gone by where I haven’t made up my mind before the clock struck midnight. Not this year; now, I’m making big girl decisions… after texting my partner for a sanity check, that is.

When I reviewed the Echo Dot Max, I wasn’t 100% sold on the speaker at its list price. At $99 / £99, it’s not quite good enough in the audio department, and while benefits like Alexa+ compatibility (as well as Early Access) and a fresh design language are nice, they’re still not selling points for most customers.