News of Nintendo’s new Alarmo smart alarm clock hit the presses today, but I think everyone should instead be talking about Amazon‘s alternative, the Echo Spot, which is now $44.99 (was $79.99) at Amazon US and now £44.99 (was £79.99) at Amazon UK.
Now, don’t get me wrong – as a huge Nintendo fan, I’m foaming at the mouth for Nintendo’s latest gimmick, but there are a few things to consider here. First off, the Elephant Mario in the room is its price. At $100 (roughly £80), it’s a pricey alarm clock, and its primary selling point seems to be that it features Nintendo intellectual properties and some interactive features.
• Shop Amazon’s full Prime Day sale
Amazon Prime Day sales are synonymous with dropping some of the best Echo deals, and despite being its newest device, the Echo Spot has seen the same treatment for both Prime Day sales events this year. Below, we’ve included the deal information and everything we know about the Nintendo Alarmo we’re comparing it to.
Amazon Prime Day Echo speaker deals US – quick links
Best Echo Spot deals
In our Amazon Echo Spot review, we noted that while it lacks a few finer details compared to the best smart speakers, it makes for a great smart alarm clock, with some nice customization options and solid audio quality. It’s a little overpriced at its regular MSRP, but while on sale, it’s a steal – and over half the price of Nintendo’s new Alarmo.
In Nintendo’s short, surprise reveal, the Nintendo Alarmo was shown playing music from Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon, and Breath of the Wild as an alarm. It makes a terrific fanfare when you get out of bed and automatically turns off the music for you – but you can also switch on Button Mode for that nice tactile snooze button experience.
If you struggle to get out of bed, you can opt to turn on Steady mode, in which the alarm’s music will gradually get more intense, as exemplified in the trailer by Bowser boss music. It also uses an on-device motion detector to track your movements, with the demonstration showing someone rolling around in bed while Alarmo makes a coin noise or splat sounds from Splatoon. Definitely not unhinged or maddening.
Other games featured in the alarm will include Pikmin 4 and RingFit Adventure, but future updates will add more titles. To wind you down before bed, it can also play music, and once you’ve drifted off, it’ll log your sleep activity and movement.
Famously, this kind of technology is best suited for single-person bedrooms, and as I’ve highlighted above, a fair few of these features err on the wrong side of irritating. Less “ugh, fine, I’ll get out of bed” and more “I now hate my formerly favorite video games.”
On the other hand, the Echo Spot packs very similar hardware but without the lofty price tag and questionable added features. It also has a motion detector, though it primarily exists to detect when you’re nearby and brighten its display. You can also customize it, choosing between layouts and colors as well as set up a host of automations to ensure your wake-up and night-time routine are perfectly tailored to your needs.
We don’t yet know about Nintendo’s Alarmo’s audio quality, but I can say there’s a high chance it won’t quite match the Echo Spot – and that isn’t even the best Echo speaker for sound. The Spot’s smart display also offers a music visualizer, weather animations, and even widgets for your smart home.
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josephine.watson@futurenet.com (Josephine Watson)
